ACE : Mock Interview.

We had a warm welcome in Fielder Center. The morning briefing started while we are having coffee. They took us through the schedule of the day and helped us so we could get to a place on time. I had a couple of questions about one-on-one interviews, so I asked, and they resolved it. The staff were good at helping and creating a professional environment without it being so scary that we felt confident and performed best.   

 

Unlike my classmates, I had a group exercise first. In the 9:30 to 10:30 slot. After reaching there a couple more people came but it was less than expected. Our assessor took us through the task and gave us a countdown as I looked at my phone to keep track of time. We started reading the task for 5 mins and then all three of us waited for someone to break the ice. I dove to the deeper end and started the discussion with my idea and my group members agreed. Thereafter it went smoothly because everyone was coming up with ideas and discussing them while I was making points of them. Our task was to attract more customers to a nearby mall which was not doing well. As I was the one keeping track of time I had to announce as time was over and we can now pitch out ideas as a presentation. I started pitching out our ideas and points after some time I turned to my group member and politely asked if wants to continue with the other bit and he denied that was the point where felt a little pressure and made the mistake of articulating non-factual information. However, I continued, and the rest of the group members spoke after the discussed points were presented. I was feeling confident after taking on a leadership role and got the discussion going. Our assessor then guided us through the presentation, mentioning mistakes and other prospects in which we were successful. 

 

I was rather comfortable with the interview part as I had a bit of time to relax and prepare myself for one-on-one interview. My interviewer was professional, yet she was creating a comfortable environment for me. After asking me which role I am applying for she started asking basic questions about the company and I answered them. I was happy that I had done a lot of research last night for the same questions. Then she asked me a few more questions about my strengths and weaknesses and forgot to mention my skills but it was okay she said. 

Once the interview was finished, I asked a few questions about the company and what they expect from their employees. The interviewer was impressed by my preparation and said I would not hesitate to give you a job just the thing I wanted to hear. Then we discussed the whole interview, and I got some great feedback.  

The last session according to me was not that useful apart from the elevator pitch part in which you introduce yourself to a potential employer. An interactive skills session was just like a lecture advancing on the information that we already knew. Overall, it was a great day and my confidence after that was on another level, I would keep their feedback in mind when i am going for an interview or applying for a job