Top 9 Benefits of Giving Mock Interviews Regularly

Give mock interviews even if you are not looking for a job.

Sounds shocking right? 👀

You might think why would you spend your valuable time, effort and most importantly money on giving mock interviews, even when you are stable at your current job?

A perfectly valid thought any sane individual will have!

But let me tell you one thing: You cannot be more wrong.

Before describing why you are wrong, let me first tell you the story behind why I chose to write about this topic. 👇

Recently I came across 2 candidates:

👉 One who had not switched his job in the last 11 years and recently lost his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the negatives of being in a very high position is that you get fired first when there is cost-cutting.

👉 Another candidate (a senior engineer) had 5 years of experience at a top company.

He passed out from a premium college and since then working for the first company he got placed into.

He now wanted to switch his job as he was not satisfied with his growth and year-on-year hike.

After having a discussion with them, I realised that both of them were easily getting interview opportunities at top companies because of their past experience and elite profile.

But neither of them were able to crack the interview.

Digging dip into the problem, I figured out that neither of them gave any interviews after they last took a job offer.

They completely lost touch with giving interviews.

As a matter of fact, they both were very good with their concepts and project knowledge.

But still, they failed in interviews.

📌 The reason - lack of interview practice and not being able to answer typical interview questions.

In an ideal world, people who know their concepts should be able to crack the interviews easily. But sadly, that is not the truth today. People who are able to solve the so-called "interview questions" are the ones who get hired.

Now, you know where I am leading to and why I want to specifically talk about the significance of staying relevant by giving mock interviews (even if you are not going to switch your job at least for a couple of years).

Let's dive into the real part then.

Having seen a large variety of problems that candidates face, I will try to give you some valuable insights into the many career benefits of mock interviews.

We will talk about how giving mock interviews regularly can greatly impact your career. ✔️

We will then talk about the importance of giving mock interviews specifically via online mock interview platforms.

In the end, we will discuss why mock interviews have become even more relevant if you wish to excel in your career and switch to MAANG companies.

Note:- You can even give actual interviews, but it is generally not very feasible and recommended to do that.

Giving actual interviews just for practice and not accepting offers should be strictly avoided as you might end up in a bad light among HRs of various companies.

That is why "mock interviews" are a preferred way.

What is a Mock Interview? (For people who don't know!)

A mock interview is a replica of an actual job interview in a simulated environment.

It is a set-up where a professional mentor asks specific interview questions from prospective job candidates and gives them feedback.

Mock interviews are primarily used for training and occur in a close-to-real or typical interview scenario.

The aim is to train the candidates for the actual interview and provide practical job interview experience to them.

Importance of Giving Mock Interviews

After understanding all the different situations that might happen when you lose touch with giving interviews, I have compiled an extensive list to put across my point.

Here are the 9 ways mock interviews can boost your career and how you can use them effectively: 👇

⚡Take Your Interview Prep to the Next Level - Connect 1:1 with a mentor! The first session is FREE :)

1. Stay relevant to current interview trends

The first benefit of giving mock interviews is to stay updated with the latest interview trends in the recruitment industry.

The professional trainers are aware of the recruiter’s expectations,

They also know the new interview software tools introduced in the job industry, such as video interviewing, resume filtering, and virtual assignments.

A regular mock interview practice makes the candidates extremely well-versed with the ongoing interviewing techniques and prepares them well for the interview.

Hence, take regular mock interviews to get acquainted with the current interview trends. 🌟

2. Be ready if the opportunity comes knocking on your door!

Ask yourself a question, ‘’If opportunity knocks on my door, am I prepared to open the door and embrace it?”

As they say, a person who is prepared to face the challenges wins half the battle.

Mock interviews prepare you for giving the correct answers in the right tone using the right set of words.

So when you meticulously frame your answers and gain the right interviewing skills, you get ready to take on the opportunities that knock on your door. ✔️

3. Build strong concepts

Even if not looking for a job switch, perform mock interviews consistently to increase your general knowledge of interviewing techniques and industry swings.

You can often come to know of your weak points while trying to solve interview questions and tricky problems.

Improvisation of your answers during the interview preparation strengthens the technical and non-technical concepts of your chosen stream.

Not only this, you can come across new concepts and problems during mock interviews that can help you grow your expertise.

You might have misconceptions about a few topics that can be solved by discussing them with experts.

4. Build logical and quantitative reasoning abilities

A lot of recruiters ask situation-based & hypothetical questions of logical (scenario-based) and quantitative reasoning (involving numbers).

These are highly-rated skills to master not only for interviews but for all types of problem-solving that you might face in your career.

Mock interviews are an incredible avenue to build and strengthen these skills.

The more you practice these types of questions, the more expertise you get to give accurate answers to them. 💪

5. Handle pressure situations well

Every one of us knows the pressure of an interview.

There are situations in interviews where you need to handle tough scenarios and quickly come up with solutions.

Your capabilities and image are at stake.

📌 Trying to handle such situations repeatedly prepares you for every type of pressure situation you might face in actual interviews. 

This even integrates into your day-to-day problem-solving and job activities.

Handling pressure well is one of the highest-rated qualities of any candidate.

Regularly going through such scenarios will immensely help you in your career.

You will see the difference in your daily job.

You will start feeling the confidence to handle stressful situations well - a major criterion for any individual to grow up the ladder.

6. Increase the speed of solving problems

As they say, practice makes a man perfect. ✔️

Mock interviews can significantly help you in gaining proficiency in solving complex issues in day-to-day professional lives.

The more you practice in mock interviews, the more is your pace to solve professional and job-specific problems.

7. Grow connections and build a high-quality network

Mock interviews are a constructive platform to build relations and connections with distinguished people in your field.

You can develop relations with a community of mentors and even use it to get help in future referrals.

You also get to know the insider information, insights into the interview process, career advice, doubt clearing, etc.

Besides this, giving mock interviews with different interviewers helps.

💡 Every interviewer has a different way of evaluating candidates.

Hence, an opportunity to understand different types of perspectives and interview questions.

Also, feedback from different interviewers can give you a broader level of validation and different angles to strengthen your weak areas.

Professional mentor-led interview prep sites like Preplaced have come up these days.

These sites give access to a network of influential professionals who can guide you in your job search and enhance and upscaling your career.

8. Understand your weaknesses & strengths - both technical & non-technical (soft skills)

Another importance of mock interviews is getting constructive feedback from the trainers for introspection.

You can learn to highlight your strong points and work on the weak or improvement areas.

Giving mock interviews will help you get candid feedback on your technical, aptitude and interviewing skills.

💡 Genuine feedback can go a long way in structuring your career.

Let's talk about non-technical skills.

There is so much focus on mastering the technical skills in the industry today, that most people take soft skills very lightly.

This often causes their downfall as most interviewers give preference to candidates with better soft skills.

Hence it is very important that you understand the importance of soft skills and put effort towards developing them.

9. Revise your concepts

Practising interview questions in mock interviews is a revision of the fundamental concepts of your field.

When your mentors ask the same questions differently, it results in the reformulation of answers in distinct forms.

Thus, you get the opportunity to revise and re-learn your concepts.

Thus, whether or not you are looking for a job, practise mock interviews to derive these benefits that can help you grow your career and land a dream job in future if required.

📌 Connect with top recruiters on a FREE 1:1 strategy call and get your interview/career doubts cleared.

How frequently should you take mock interviews?

Many of you might have thought what do you mean by "take mock interviews regularly"?

How frequently should you take one?

There is no perfect answer to this question.

It can be very subjective and might vary from person to person

I, on a personal level, give mock interviews once every six months.

This helps me understand my weaknesses and areas I should strengthen.

Most importantly, it helps me come across new concepts and problem scenarios which I would have never thought of.  

From a different perspective, a few of my friends keep switching companies and give mock interviews very frequently (almost every month).

Some of them use it for learning a new concept and interacting with experts in their domain.

📌 So it all boils down to what are your immediate goals in the next couple of months.

But in the worst case, I would suggest at least taking mock interviews every six months.

Benefits of Giving Online Mock Interviews

With Covid, online interviews have taken a driver seat.

Online interviews impose new challenges of their own.

Hence, it is necessary that you must now practice certain nuances related to giving interviews online.

Here are some points:

1. Online hiring has become the norm

Giving mock interviews online has become a new trend in the recruitment industry because of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Since conducting face-to-face interviews was not feasible, hiring through online platforms has now become a norm.

This makes online mock interviews extremely beneficial as the candidate will understand various techniques required for online interviewing, which were not needed before.

2. Recording of mock interview for future reference

"We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience"- John Dewey

You can use a recorded video of the mock interview for future reference and self-analyse your interviewing skills (answers, body language, confidence level, etc.).

Analysing your mistakes can bring significant improvements.

It seems like just an add-on feature, but trust me, this should be one of the key features that you focus on while choosing a mock interview platform.

It helps immensely!

3. The convenience of taking online interviews from home

Web-based systems are the most popular method used for online interview preparation.

With the advancement in digital technology, you can take mock interviews from the comfort of your home!

This level of flexibility eliminates the need for commuting and ensures you can practice at a time and place that suits you best.

4. Choose a time that aligns with your availability

Online mock interviews are highly time-efficient.  

Many platforms offer flexible scheduling options.

This adaptability is particularly helpful if you have a fluctuating schedule or work irregular hours.

The Necessity of Mock Interviews for Placements in Big Companies (MAANG)

Mock interviews are a productive approach to landing a job in Tier-1 companies such as Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon.

If you are not looking for a new job immediately but aspire to crack the interview of any of these companies in the future, definitely consider regular practice by taking mock interviews with MAANG interviewers.

MAANG interviews are tough, and getting through one is a tough nut to crack.

Thousands of applicants apply for a single opening in MAANG companies.

So how can you increase your prospects of selection?

By practising of course!

Most MAANG interviewers suggest taking at least five technical mock interviews before appearing for an actual interview to have a chance.

Like other big companies, MAANG companies have a cool-off period of six months.

This means you cannot get a second interview chance before six months if you fail.

Even more, this is the reason to practice your interviews more so that you can grab every opportunity you get.

📌 A word of caution here - only a few mock interview platforms provide FAANG or other top tech company interviewers.

So choose the right platform that facilitates the proper FAANG mock interviews for you.

At Preplaced, you can connect with mentors from top tech companies and take mock interviews with them.

Be it Google mock interviews, Amazon mock interviews, Meta mock interviews or any other MAANG mock interviews, you can get all of it under long-term mentorship by connecting with MAANG mentors.

📌 Click here to select your mentor and book a FREE trial session!

In a Nutshell

To summarise,

Hone Your Skills by Practising Mock Interviews Online

Anxiety is a natural phenomenon that candidates experience while appearing for interviews.

Mock interviews come in handy in such stressful situations.

They facilitate in honing the interviewing and presentation skills of the candidates.

In a nutshell, give mock interviews, even if you are not looking for a job switch, to prepare for a lucrative opportunity that may knock at your door.

If you have any other doubts regarding mock interviews, here's an extensive guide that covers all the common FAQs on mock interviews.

Preplaced - A Recommended Platform

Now that you know the importance of mock interviews and are planning to search for a suitable platform, opt for Preplaced.

You don't just get mock interviews but a holistic approach to interview preparation.

Here's how it works: 👇

• Browse through the mentor profiles and select a mentor according to your needs (domain, exp., skills, etc.)
• Take a free trial session with your selected mentor

• They evaluate your current skill level and what you need

• Based on the evaluation you get a personalised preparation plan

This plan includes the number of mock interviews you need to strengthen your interview skills.

It also includes upskilling roadmaps, resume review, portfolio review and more, making you fully prepared by the end of your mentoring journey.

This plan is also flexible and can be modified depending on your progress.

Our mission is to remove the "lack of guidance" from the industry by making a large community of mentors accessible to everyone!

Mentors go out of their way to help mentees crack their interviews. 🌟

So whether you are a student, a fresher or an experienced professional, give mock interviews regularly.

So what are you waiting for?

Select a MAANG Mentor and Start Practising!

Also Read:

How to Use a Trial Session to Get Familiar With Your Mentor?

How to Choose the Right Mentor at Preplaced?