Step 4- Meet Your Mirror

Step 4- Meet your mirror (for an interview!)

Why? To see if you look confident, capable and trustworthy. If you are giving an example of when you helped look after a deteriorating patient but are having trouble forming a sentence, do you look like a person who will perform well under pressure? 

Your actions and words need to align with each other. If you have 10/10 clinical skills, but 2/10 communication skills the panel will only rate you as a 2. They can’t see your value without you making it clear to them.

Seeing how you communicate in a mirror (full length is best) will help you see what you are doing with your body. If you are wringing your hands, bouncing your leg, slumping in the chair you will see these things in the mirror. And you can correct them.

Meet your mirror and take the following actions:

1.      Interview yourself in front of a mirror and record your voice.

2.      Notice your posture and eye contact. Are you sitting up straight and making eye contact?

3.      Listen to the recording and check your speed, tone and inflection of your voice. Do all your sentences end with an upward inflection? Making them all sound like a sentence?

4.      Do this several times until you can see that you look and sound confident. Each time, pick one thing to work on (eg. Posture, voice, speaking more slowly).

·      Are you answers including your demonstrated examples (using the Assess/Plan/Implement/Evaluate system from step two)? Don’t miss any of these parts out. As discussed above, these tools are teaching people about you. Approaching the story in this order shows you are logical and level headed. It also makes it easy to follow.

·      When you answer questions, make sure you answer them from the employers perspective. They are listening for what benefits the organisation if they choose you. If you get a ‘why did you apply for this job?’ type question, tell them what interested you. Then instead of saying ‘I want to get experience in…’ try saying ‘I want to contribute to this team by…’. It is a small but POWERFUL difference.

5.      Get into your interview clothes and re-interview yourself. You need to be comfortable in these clothes. Many people don’t wear their (new) clothes before an interview and in the interview find something is more low cut or tight than they realised.  Find out now! The more aspects of the interview that you are familiar with, the better you can perform in the interview. If you are feeling brave, get your best friend or partner to interview you with questions you have written. This role playing makes a big difference!

BONUS TIP- BAGS

If you take a handbag into the interview, take one with a flat base. When you put it down on the floor it will stay upright, not spill out all over the floor. Small things like this can help you feel more confident. If you walk in and then are scrambling around on the floor trying to pick up your lipstick, it will impact your confidence in front of the panel.

Complete and Continue