A Great Interview Tip

Here's a great interview tip from US News:

When preparing for an interview--make use of a voice recorder. It’s very easy. Enlist a spouse or friend to mock-interview you and tape your answers.

Why is this a great tip? Because you can listen to your responses and then refine them over and over again until your answer is perfect. In other words, an interview is a test you can study for, and in this case a voice recorder is a tool you can use to help you in your studies.

Personally, I go over my answers on paper first (I write out both the question and the answers) and get them to where I think they position my skills in the best possible light. Then I rehearse them verbally, make any adjustments as needed, and record the changes on paper. I then repeat the process until I have the answers fine-tuned and can then rattle them off without missing a beat. I've never used a voice recorder in this effort, but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea -- just means I have a different method.

Anyone out there ever use a voice recorder to rehearse for an interview? Or do you have any other interview tips the rest of us can use?

Comments

[matt @ Thrive]

I make extensive use of a voice recorded anytime I'm preparing to give a talk. Generally, I start prepping about a week in advance, iterating on the presentation each day, and then I deliver it in the shower in the morning (it is warm, private, and nobody can tell if I'm singing or talking about psychology). If the talk is important is enough, I'll actually send an mp3 of my best effort to a few adviser friends and ask them both a) what they think and b) what questions they would ask. This is critical: knowing in advance what questions people are going to ask you allows you to have prepared answers, making you look like you're quick on your feet even when you're tired after a long Q&A period.

[Greg]

Also, use a video recorder to examine body languae, etc.

[Todd - Prosperity Junky]

This is a great tip. I use a video recorder as well when preparing speeches. Same applies to an interview though. Seeing and hearing yourself really provides some valuable feedback and you may discover some things that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.