Mock Interview Reflection

My mock interview was for a dietetic internship at the University of Houston on October 10, 2007 at 10:40 am in Strode tower. The mock DI director was Mrs. Rogers.

First of all, I learned that my very energetic personality magnifies my display of enthusiasm and interest in the internship to the DI director. This was very encouraging. What I learned from the interview coincides with what I would do differently. First of all, I would not have prepared my cover letter 30 minutes prior to my interview, and more than that, I would never turn in an incomplete cover letter. I also would not ever again leave the responsibility of printing my cover letter to a public printer. Instead, I would make sure I had all my materials prepared the night before. I also would never schedule another meeting within a hour of my interview. I had a Tigers for Haiti meeting at 10:00 am and an interview at 10:40 am. I completely got distracted and was running to the interview in my high heels. That will not happen again in the situation of a mock or professional interview. I learned that the 10-15 minute arrive early window is meant for a reason. Furthermore, I learned that I somewhat stumble over words and begin to talk somewhat fast in an interview. If I could do things differently, I would still be energetic and upbeat, but I would try to slow down my words and pause a moment or two after being asked a question. This would give me a moment to calm down, gather my thoughts, and not just blurt out the first thing that comes to my head.

However, there are some things that I would not do differently or that I felt like I knew. The night before the interview, I reviewed possible interview questions, brainstormed answers, and practiced questions with a friend. I felt like this helped prepare me for the interview. I also would not change the fact that I did talk a lot in the interview. I would change the speed at which I spoke at, but I think it is good to have an answer to all questions and be willing to talk about your answers by giving examples. I think this shows your interest in the internship. Finally, I knew that it was expected to have researched the internship and the location of the internship. I was able to answer questions about how I would feel living in Houston, Texas and why I wanted this particular internship because I had done my research.

After the interview, I felt like the interview had went well. I felt very comfortable with my interviewer. I felt like I had answered the questions to the best of my ability and there was nothing that left that I wanted to say. Overall, I felt that the mock interview was very beneficial to me, a student soon to be entering the work world. I learned what I liked about myself and what I need to improve on.