Why does nobody talk about practicing interviews with a stranger?

I was totally against mock interviews for years. Thought they were a waste since I already knew my own resume. But last month a career counselor at my local community college in Spokane made me try one with someone I'd never met. She hit me with a question about handling a difficult coworker and I froze for like 10 seconds. It was so awkward that I realized I needed the practice badly. Did three more sessions after that and my actual interview last week felt way smoother. Has anyone else found that practicing with a random person helped more than friends or family?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_mia15d ago

Read a study somewhere that said practicing with strangers actually works better because they don't have any of your backstory in their head. Makes sense to me. Friends and family already know what you're good at and where you struggle, so they accidentally go easy on you. A stranger will ask follow up questions that catch you off guard, which is more like a real interview.

grant_ross2715d ago

Guess that explains why my dog keeps getting me hired at places I'm not qualified for.