Why mock interviews matter

An interview is about striking the right balance—being professional while staying authentic, writes Naveen Das

Preparing for a job or an interview can be a nerve-wracking experience, regardless of one’s qualifications and experience. Interviews are among the most common and impactful mediums to secure admissions, jobs, or scholarships to desired institutions. They act as an authentic and trustworthy tool to analyse profiles and assess a person’s authenticity. To succeed, candidates need more than just qualifications—they must present themselves confidently, communicate effectively, and answer questions mindfully.

Each of us wears multiple hats, and an interview is about striking the right balance—being professional while staying authentic. Mock interviews allow individuals to explore and fine-tune this balance, allowing their true personalities and capabilities to shine. By simulating real-life scenarios, mock interviews help candidates adapt to the dynamics of an actual interview, ensuring they are prepared but also confident and authentic. It allows the candidate to experience the interview process ahead of the actual interview, set expectations, understand themselves, and receive ready feedback. It is a powerful tool to refine interview skills and create opportunities if utilized correctly. As Chris Grosser said, “Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.”

Here are five key reasons why mock interviews matter.

It helps to reduce nervousness and anxiety associated with the final interview: Anxiety is natural, especially when the stakes are high. Mock interviews act as a buffer against this anxiety by familiarising candidates with the interview process, helping them feel more at ease. This reduction in nervousness ensures candidates can focus on their responses rather than their fears. Practising in a safe environment reduces the fear of the unknown and makes the interview less intimidating. This practice reduces the physiological symptoms of anxiety, such as sweating or stuttering, and helps candidates stay composed during the real event.

Practice builds confidence: Confidence is key to mastering an interview. You’re less likely to falter when you’ve been through it before. By repeatedly answering questions, candidates learn how to handle different scenarios/situations and build a sense of assurance in their abilities. The more candidates practice, the better they feel about their communication skills, situational analysis and problem-solving abilities, enabling them to leave a strong impression on the panellists.

Mock interviews help to enhance articulation and refine responses: Effective articulation doesn’t happen by chance—it’s a skill you develop through repeated practice. Mock interviews help improve how candidates express their thoughts/points of view. Clear and concise articulation is crucial for effectively conveying ideas and practising in a structured format. Over time, this also helps eliminate filler words like “um” and “uh,” ensuring smoother communication during the real/final interview.

Instant Feedback and suggestions to improve: Feedback is a mirror. Whether about body language, tone, or content, timely feedback helps candidates make necessary adjustments and grow in real-time. Candidates can work on these weaknesses in real-time, making their preparation more effective.

Be prepared for situational questions: Mock interviews often include situational or behavioural questions, such as “Describe a time when you overcame a challenge.” Practising these questions equips candidates to think critically and structure responses smartly. One effective framework, for example, is the STAR technique. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result method. This preparation ensures the candidate can confidently handle unexpected questions in the real interview. In short, it is all about thinking about a scenario and putting yourself in that situation to understand the actions and see the results.

Additionally, an interview must be conversational. The interviewer and the interviewee should understand that it is beyond a rigid Q&A format. Both should evaluate whether a candidate’s values align with the institution’s ethos. Only then is an opportunity worth pursuing.

In the digitalised world, AI tools help generate mock questions or share feedback based on the data fed. While these can refine a candidate’s preparation, they fail to capture the emotional and interpersonal elements that human interviewers excel at. However, AI cannot and should not replace the role of human evaluators. One must remember that machines still lack human empathy and intuition.

For example, a candidate performed quite well in an interview and answered questions confidently. However, when asked an unexpected question—”When was the last time you asked your friends what they think of you?”—their demeanour changed. They became visibly uncomfortable and responded dismissively, saying, “It doesn’t matter what others think of me.” This subtle shift revealed an area for introspection that might have been missed with a generic AI-driven question like, “Are you open to taking feedback?” Such thought-provoking questions help uncover layers of a candidate’s personality and approach to self-improvement.

Interviews are crucial for people-facing roles in general and especially for leadership positions, as they help assess more than just skills. They give insights into a person’s communication, decision-making, and ability to connect with others. For leaders, interviews help evaluate their vision, problem-solving, and alignment with the organization’s values, ensuring they can inspire teams and build trust for lasting success.

Mock interviews are more than preparation tools—they help candidates uncover their authentic selves, refine essential skills, and build confidence. Candidates should take every opportunity to test themselves through mock interviews since, as a former ice hockey player said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

(The author is a mentor at a coaching firm)