How do I run mock interview practice in a short session?
Mock interviews go wrong when the mentor plays interviewer for twenty-five minutes and leaves no room for feedback.
- Read time
- 4 minutes
- Module
- Core skills
- Session length
- 30 minutes
What good looks like.
Use two real questions from the mentee's actual process. Ask, listen, then stop and coach before moving on.
Give feedback on structure before content. Most weak answers are good material in the wrong order.
Have them repeat one answer a second time. The improvement between the two attempts is the lesson.
A sequence you can follow.
- 01
Get the job advert
Choose questions the employer is likely to ask.
- 02
Run question one
Ask it straight, then feed back on shape and length.
- 03
Run it again
The same question, improved, so they feel the difference.
- 04
Finish with a plan
Which answers to prepare before the real interview.
What to avoid.
Being gentler than a real interviewer
Interrupting mid-answer
Covering many questions with no feedback on any
Extra tips
Small things that make the half hour better.
Use their real advert
Practise the questions the employer will actually ask.
Run the same question twice
The gap between attempts is the whole lesson.
Fix shape before content
Most weak answers are good material out of order.
Time one answer
Two minutes is the target; most people run to five.
Take this guide with you.
Download a printable version of this guide: the short answer, the steps, the extra tips, the mistakes to avoid and the questions mentors ask, to read before your next session.
The things people ask first.
What if they freeze?
Stop the roleplay, talk it through as yourself, then restart the question.
Next: Talking about pay and negotiation.
Give ranges and process, not a number you cannot stand behind.