What can I do to improve my interview performance?

[lemon_incognito]

I recently received a waitlist from a school I though was a good fit for, and I'm pretty sure it was my interview that did me in (stats far above median, well-rounded activities, etc). I thought I prepared adequately and received pretty positive feedback for my answers in several mocks, but I couldn't think well in the real thing and ended up being incoherent; even the answers I prepared beforehand were lacking compared to my mocks. My answers ended up being much more shallow than in my mock interviews. I had another interview that wasn't as bad, but still felt the same problem of not really being able to think well (it was an mmi rather than traditional).

Any advice on what I can do to solve this problem quickly before my next interview? Should I seek help from a consultant (and to that end, who might you recommend)? Hone in more on the specific points on my application? Just need more practice? I don't feel particularly nervous or anxious, it's just that my brain activity sort of flatlines and it becomes a deer in the headlights type situation. If anyone else has this problem, I'd be glad to hear how you dealt with/are dealing with it!

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[Gwynbleidd]

Honestly I think it’s just a practice thing. Learning to think on the fly sounds a lot easier until you have to actually do it for real. What helped me for my interviews was making a Google doc of common questions and listing loose bullet points (NOT rehearsed answers) of things I’d want to touch on if I was asked a particular question. Stressing bullet points bc it is really important to come across as organic but I felt like this helped my “staticky” brain chill out a little bit.

I would also hesitate to pinpoint your interview as the sole thing that held you back. We’re our own worst critics and it’s quite possible that you did fine and that there were factors other than your interview that contributed to the WL (writing, personal statement etc).

Anyway, hope this helps from a fellow “deer in headlights” applicant 🙂

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I practice by saying answers out loud to myself.

 

[Goro]

I recently received a waitlist from a school I though was a good fit for, and I'm pretty sure it was my interview that did me in (stats far above median, well-rounded activities, etc). I thought I prepared adequately and received pretty positive feedback for my answers in several mocks, but I couldn't think well in the real thing and ended up being incoherent; even the answers I prepared beforehand were lacking compared to my mocks. My answers ended up being much more shallow than in my mock interviews. I had another interview that wasn't as bad, but still felt the same problem of not really being able to think well (it was an mmi rather than traditional).

Any advice on what I can do to solve this problem quickly before my next interview? Should I seek help from a consultant (and to that end, who might you recommend)? Hone in more on the specific points on my application? Just need more practice? I don't feel particularly nervous or anxious, it's just that my brain activity sort of flatlines and it becomes a deer in the headlights type situation. If anyone else has this problem, I'd be glad to hear how you dealt with/are dealing with it!

Practice makes perfect

 

[voxveritatisetlucis]

I also want to add that it may not be your interview performance. See @LizzyM staircase model. Certain schools waitlist a lot after interviews to see the other candidates.

Your interview may have went perfectly well. Psyching yourself out into thinking you’re not a good interviewer could turn into a self fulfilling prophecy if you overanalyze things

 

[lemon_incognito]

I also want to add that it may not be your interview performance. See @LizzyM staircase model. Certain schools waitlist a lot after interviews to see the other candidates.

Your interview may have went perfectly well. Psyching yourself out into thinking you’re not a good interviewer could turn into a self fulfilling prophecy if you overanalyze things

I think it was concerning because it was a school with a relatively high II -> conversion rate, but reflecting back on the interview there was also some bad luck involved because I really was not able to connect well with my interviewer. Regardless, I see some definite things I can pinpoint that I need to work on so there's that.

Practice makes perfect

But, as they say, it's also perfect practice that makes perfect. Do you have any tips on how to make practice more fruitful? Is it better to practice with the same person multiple times or with multiple people fewer times?

 

[lemon_incognito]

Honestly I think it’s just a practice thing. Learning to think on the fly sounds a lot easier until you have to actually do it for real. What helped me for my interviews was making a Google doc of common questions and listing loose bullet points (NOT rehearsed answers) of things I’d want to touch on if I was asked a particular question. Stressing bullet points bc it is really important to come across as organic but I felt like this helped my “staticky” brain chill out a little bit.

I would also hesitate to pinpoint your interview as the sole thing that held you back. We’re our own worst critics and it’s quite possible that you did fine and that there were factors other than your interview that contributed to the WL (writing, personal statement etc).

Anyway, hope this helps from a fellow “deer in headlights” applicant 🙂

Around how many bullet points per answer do you think is appropriate? I feel that sometimes, there's so much to say that I would like to say that I end up pretty disorganized in my answer.

 

[Goro]

I think it was concerning because it was a school with a relatively high II -> conversion rate, but reflecting back on the interview there was also some bad luck involved because I really was not able to connect well with my interviewer. Regardless, I see some definite things I can pinpoint that I need to work on so there's that.


But, as they say, it's also perfect practice that makes perfect. Do you have any tips on how to make practice more fruitful? Is it better to practice with the same person multiple times or with multiple people fewer times?

Contact your school's career counseling service.

 

[MyOdyssey]

I practice by saying answers out loud to myself.

Serious question: do you record yourself as you answer in order to check on your body language, etc?