How to make the most of an interview simulator

Landing your dream job often hinges on acing the interview. That being said, it’s often the most stressful and nerve-racking part of the recruitment process. As the labor market becomes increasingly competitive, job seekers have turned to a new method to prepare themselves as much as possible for a live interview.

Interview simulators are virtual tools that simulate real-life interview scenarios. They typically involve a virtual “interviewer” who can ask a standardized set of questions as well as questions specifically tailored to the user’s background or industry preference.

The benefits of using an interview simulator

Powered by AI, many of these tools use coaching sessions and video recordings, along with personalized feedback, allowing job seekers to practice answering questions accurately and confidently in a comfortable and controlled environment. The tools then tell you how to improve on things like communication skills, body language, and presentation overall. So, how can this help set you apart from the competition?

Realistic practice sessions

By simulating real interview scenarios, job seekers can practice responding to a wide range of questions, helping to reduce anxiety and build confidence before a live interview. Career experts note that for maximum benefits, a job seeker using these tools should act as though a mock interview is the real thing. Dressing professionally, as you would for a real interview, and holding the mock interview in a quiet, professional setting will help keep the practice as realistic as possible.

Improved communication skills

Some tools can help users create a tailored improvement plan focusing on specific areas such as communication skills, technical knowledge, or body language. Using a simulator allows the user to practice thoughtful responses, avoid using filler words, and maintain eye contact with the interviewer.

Instant feedback

Due to the AI-driven models’ ability to work instantaneously, these tools can identify and highlight strengths and areas for improvement in the user’s responses, grammar, and confidence levels. Real-time feedback allows for quick adjustments and learning.

Benchmarking answers

By comparing a user’s responses to optimal answers generated by AI, individuals can understand the gap between their given answers and what might be expected in a real interview scenario. Provided with performance metrics and insights after the interview session, the user can see how they fared based on various criteria, along with strengths and areas for improvement, as well as recommendations for further practice.

Developing new skills and strategies

Owing to the fact that an interview simulation is not the real thing, interviewees can experiment with and refine different strategies and approaches. A strong opening, for example, is a great way to make a good impression on a hiring manager right off the bat. Crafting an introduction using an interview simulator allows for trial and error. Interviewees can also practice some trickier areas like salary negotiation.

“As someone who was just working on a career transition I had a lot of anxiety as to what I would even be asked at an interview,” says software developer Ata Abatay. “Using an AI interviewer helped me ease into the rhythm of what I could potentially be asked and prepare for it.”

How interview simulators leverage AI

AI-powered apps like Huru integrate several methodologies to help job-seekers prepare for interviews. Their team explained below some ways they, like other interview simulators, utilize this new technology:

• Feedback generation: AI-generated feedback compares user responses against a dataset of ideal answers. This involves understanding the context of the question, analyzing the user’s response for quality, and suggesting improvements or alternatives.
• Continuous learning and adaptation: AI models are continually trained on a diverse set of interviews and feedback sessions, allowing them to adapt and provide more accurate assessments over time.
• Confidence measurement: By analyzing speech patterns, tone, and answers, AI assesses the user’s confidence level, offering insights into how they may improve their delivery to appear more confident and composed.

Not just for job seekers

John Dzikunu is the creator of InterviewSimulator, another tool offering immersive AI-powered coaching sessions and personalized feedback tailored to various industries and roles. He explains that interview simulators are not only beneficial for job seekers but also for recruiters.

“I’ve witnessed numerous instances where employees had to be let go because their skills were not adequately assessed during the hiring process. With a simulator, recruiters can invite candidates for interviews, providing the AI with the job requirements. The AI then asks appropriate questions based on those requirements, ensuring a more accurate assessment of candidates’ skills.”

Having a candidate who is prepared for the interview because they have practiced with questions very closely related to what they’ll see in a real interview allows for a much smoother hiring process for both parties.

Choosing the right simulator

Ira Chubarko, a talent acquisition strategist, says the interview simulator has become an invaluable tool for job seekers. However, with many new options to choose from, it’s important to find the best option for you, depending on your industry and experience.

“Each of the tools gives users the opportunity to set the parameters of the interview, specifically by industry, profile, or skills. When choosing a simulator for yourself, first determine what you want to get in the end, and don’t forget that the products allow you to try using the platform for free, so if you don’t like something, you can try other products and gain more experience.”

Check out some of the top tools Chubarko recommends:

• Big Interview is a comprehensive interview preparation tool that offers a variety of resources, including virtual interview practice, video tutorials, and libraries of interview questions.

• InterviewBuddy offers virtual mock interviews with industry experts. Users can choose from a variety of interview scenarios and receive real-time feedback on their performance. The platform also provides personalized training and tips to help users improve their interview skills.

• Pramp is unique in that it offers peer-to-peer mock interviews for technical positions. Users can practice coding interviews with other applicants in a simulated environment and get feedback on their coding skills and problem-solving abilities.

• Faltah Interview Simulation is designed to help job seekers improve their interviewing skills and boost their confidence. With Faltah, users can participate in realistic interview simulations tailored to their industry, position, and experience level.

The takeaway

Any interview can be extremely stressful and there is no risk or downside to practicing with one of these tools. By taking advantage of interview simulation programs, job seekers can be prepared, confident, and comfortable for an interview by knowing exactly how to tackle questions and form the main points they want to cover before the interview even happens.

“At first, I had my reservations about using an AI interviewer as I thought it was going to be boilerplate questions and unhelpful,” says Abatay. “Using one made me realize how I can actually get ready for the standard questions and have a sparring partner that I didn’t realize I needed.”

Photo: Thomas Descamps for Welcome to the Jungle

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