Assessing your own interview performance
By Gemma Raw
Have you ever walked out of an interview room thinking “I’ve nailed that”, only to be surprised to find out a few days later that you were unsuccessful? Here's some tips to ensure that you are reflecting on your interview constructively.
Create your own interview notepad
When you leave the interview room, we suggest that you take a few moments to sit in a nearby coffee shop (or even in your car) to reflect on how the interview went. If you’re a regular interviewee, then we would recommend taking a notepad and pen with you, for the sole purpose of jotting down a few notes post-interview. Perhaps think about what questions you answered well, and which ones you think you may have struggled with. You could write down whether you felt you were prepared enough, or whether you think you were “winging it”. You could also consider giving yourself a rating out of ten, and whether you would have hired yourself.
Other questions to ask yourself include:
Did I present a professional image?
Was I speaking in a calm manner or did I rush my answers?
How was my body language?
Were there any questions that I struggled to answer?
Was I able to adequately provide examples of previous cases?
Was I able to sell in my strengths and explain my weaknesses?
Did I ask enough questions about the prospective employer?
You could consider giving yourself a rating for each question – not only will this enable you to think about whether you are likely to have been successful, but it will help you to visually see any problem areas.
Keeping a copy of these notes in your interview notepad will not only help you organise your thoughts, but you can look back on it as a tool to help you prepare for future interviews.
We have written a selection of pieces around starting and navigating your social work career. Visit our Careers Guidance page for more information, or browse our latest jobs.
