Hone Your Interviewing Skills With Google's 'Interview Warmup' Tool

Are you a job seeker who needs a little practice answering employment interview questions? Would you like to know what some of the most commonly asked questions are? Have you ever wished you had a "do-over" after interviewing for a position? If so, you're in luck. Earlier this year, Google started offering free access to a tool it originally developed for those seeking to earn Google Career Certificates to prepare them to enter the job market. It's called Interview Warmup.

How it works

Interview Warmup incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to build practice interviews for job seekers. To use it, you'll first need to select from a list of career categories that currently include Data Analytics, IT Support, E-Commerce, UX Design, Project Management, and General.

You'll be prompted to activate your device microphone so that a transcript can be made of your answers to the questions you'll be asked. Then, an AI-powered interviewer will ask you five common interview questions from the category you selected. The text of each question will also appear on your screen.

The questions asked are randomly pulled from lists of queries chosen by subject matter experts in the selected field. The three general categories of questions relate to your technical knowledge, your background (including experience and training), and how you have handled situations.

To respond to each question, click the Answer button and speak clearly, then click Done. The transcript of your answers will be created in real-time.

Reviewing your answers

Once you've answered all the questions, you'll be able to review your responses. You'll also be provided with information to help you improve your performance. The transcripts and insights will reveal speech patterns (both good and bad), and you'll learn how many times certain words were repeated in your responses. You'll also receive information about whether you used job-related terms and covered talking points that should have been included in your answers. All of this will allow you to hone your interviewing skills so that you're better prepared for the real thing.

More interview tips

In addition to giving you feedback on your performance, Interview Warmup provides lists of other tips that will help you before, during, and after job interviews, along with advice regarding how to answer questions in each of the three categories (technical, situational, and background). Just click the three dots in the upper right corner of the window. You'll also find a list of FAQs and a link that allows you to give feedback about your experience using the tool.

How to access Interview Warmup

You'll find Interview Warmup at grow.google/certificates/interview-warmup/.

Does Interview Warmup save or share your answers?

It's a Google tool and, given Google's reputation for collecting data, you may be concerned about whether the information you provide while using Interview Warmup will be stored and/or shared. Google includes a statement in the tool's interface assuring users that the answers they provide will not be saved or shared with anyone.

If you'd like to save copies of the transcripts of your practice interviews that the tool generates, you can download them at the end of each interview session. Alternatively, you can copy and paste your answers into a separate document.

Final thoughts...

If you haven't interviewed for a job in a while or if you tend to get a bit nervous while doing so, you may want to give Interview Warmup a try. It's almost like having a friend help you practice, except that the questions are selected by industry experts and you get valuable expert feedback including analytics when you're done. You can use it repeatedly to fine-tune your responses, incorporating the feedback you received in previous sessions. When it comes time for your actual interview, you'll likely be far better prepared than you would have been had you gone in cold.

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