1. Brianna Stahl
March 9, 2015
KNH103
Report 7: Mock Interview Assignment
I did my mock interview session at Hoyt Career Center on February 24, 2015. I
arrived at the career center 20 minutes early to make sure I was at the right place on time.
Before my interview I was extremely nervous. I am not sure why because I knew it was a
mock interview but the anticipation was nerve racking. My interviewer, Emma Jacoby,
was very nice and explained to me the whole concept of the mock interview. I expected
the interview to be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. To my surprise it only lasted 21
minutes. At the end of the interview Emma gave me a copy of my interview, a resume
preparation booklet, a booklet on how to talk about myself, and lastly my mock interview
feedback sheet.
Two main comments the Emma, the interviewer, shared with me were: there is a
certain technique and format you use when you are answering questions and talking
about the ‘Tell me about yourself’ section. C.A.R. means context, actions, and results.
Interviewers expect you to answer their questions with whom, what, the actions you took,
and what resulted from that experience. When Emma asked me about a time when I had
to be organized I responded with C.A.R. without even realizing it. I talked about how I
am a part of the Miami Varsity Field Hockey Team, which is ‘who’, and how I am also a
student and playing division one is like a full job. I told her about playing 20-hour weeks
and how I had to manage my time by prioritizing and keeping a calendar; those were the
actions I took. Lastly, I explained that because I have a schedule planned out and I
prioritize I get my work done and I stay organized, those were my results. When

2. interviewers ask you about yourself you want to answer them with three things. Where
you are from, where you are now, and where you want to go. When you talk about
yourself make sure you mention these three aspects so they know how you got to where
you are now.
Some of my most notable strength noted during the interview were that I had
good volume, a lot of confidence, quick response time, my resume was organized, and I
had questions for the interviewer at the end. When I introduced myself and walked into
the room I was not timid. I said hello, held out my hand for a firm handshake and
engaged in small talk. I was not nervous so my confidence showed. She also noted that
when I talked I spoke clearly and at an appropriate volume. When answering her
interview questions she noted that I always had an answer ready. I did not really leave
any room for silence and had a story or example readily available. And lastly she thought
my resume was tidy and organized. My evaluation was filled with positive feed back and
constructive criticism from my interviewer.
After having the interview I would suggest five things that would be helpful to
remember. First, dress for success. I wore a casual dress and riding boots to my interview
and that was not formal enough. My interviewer thought I was too casual for an
interview. They are looking for dress suit for women and suit and tie for men. Women
can wear anything from a pencil skirt with a blouse and a blazer to a pants suit. Second I
would suggest that you print two copies of your resume. I came to the interview center
with nothing printed and I had to search the building for a printer in complete panic. You
need one for your interviewer and an extra so you can look at and follow along. It would
also be a good idea to customize your resume to the client you are talking to. This could

3. mean anything from shortening your resume to only relevant information or adding an
objective that reflects the job or internship you are interviewing for. Third I would
prepare a few questions for your interviewer at the end. They will ask you if you have
any questions for them and you want to be prepared to give them a question. I had
prepared questions before hand because we spoke about that in class and my interviewer
was really impressed. Fourth, I would review and remember to follow the format I talked
about above. Remember that the format for when you talk about yourself should include
you telling them where you are from, where you are now, and where you want to go.
Lastly smile and be positive, interviewers respond well to confident, warm, and
welcoming people.
After doing my first formal interview ever, I learned that I was not as bad as I
anticipated. On my feedback sheet Emma ranked my resume as a 3 out of 5, first
impression a 4 out of 5, tell me about yourself a 4 out of 5, open-ended questions a 4 out
of 5, behavior-based questions a 5 out of 5, career/job specific questions a 4 out of 5,
interview skills a 4 out of 5, and closing a 4 out of 5. Overall I felt very confident about
my interview. I learned that interviews are surprisingly quick and a lot easier than I
expected. The whole time you are talking about yourself so it is really easy to keep
conversation going. The three things that I would do differently for next would be dress
more business like, do not lean or slouch in my chair, and lastly remember to talk about
my future goals.
Watching the video recording of my interview was really enlightening. I noticed
sometimes I spoke too fast, and would slouch in my chair. This experience has been truly

4. helpful for seeing what my future interviews will be like. I am glad that I had this
opportunity to better prepare myself for real world situations and interviews