Practice your interview skills
The best way to prepare for an interview is to practice as much as you can. The more preparation you do beforehand, the less nervous you'll feel on the day. Practice answering interview questions with a friend or family member, or even alone in front of the mirror.
Shortlist.me
As a Trinity student you have exclusive access to Shortlist.me video interviewing software. This allows you to practice the type of pre-recorded, one-way video interviews that employers are increasingly using as a screening method, before inviting candidates to a live interview.
Whether you are applying to be an accountant or a zoologist, the opportunity to enhance your interview performance is now at your fingertips!
What is recorded video interviewing?
The key feature of a recorded video interview is that the interviewer is not present at the time of interview, and the process is automated. Typically, candidates are sent a link to the video interview with instructions to complete their recording before a deadline. The recruiter will have loaded questions into the system, and candidates record their answers to each one in sequence. Recorded interviews are then sent to the recruiter, who reviews the interview.
What kind of questions will I be asked?
Video interviews are short, and comprise of 5-7 questions. The questions will be competency based, and aim to understand your soft skills only. Examples of competencies tested might include Teamwork, Analytical Thinking, and Communication. Questions that explore your industry or technical knowledge, or previous work experience, are typically asked in later (live) interview rounds.
Why Shortlist.me?
Shortlist.me is the leading platform used by graduate employers. Shortlist.me work alongside industry professionals to ensure that the competency-based questions within each interview reflect the skills assessed by employers in each sector.
How does Shortlist.me work?
You will select your preferred interview from the Shortlist.me interview library and enter your contact details. A link to the video interview is emailed to you. You may complete each interview in the library only once.
After a short introduction, you move through to the questions. With Shortlist.me you have the opportunity to replay your video response and, if you are not satisfied with your attempt, to record a new answer. You can do this several times. The marking criteria is provided to you after each question, so you can evaluate how you did. Tips and feedback on your overall interview performance is provided by the system.
How do I get started?
Find the link to Shortlist.me in the ‘Resources’ section on your MyCareer dashboard or click on the link below. You will need to register with your tcd.ie email.
Practice interviews with the Careers Service
We offer professional interview coaching in the Careers Service, where a Careers Consultant will take you through practice interview questions and give you feedback.
Practice interviews offer a great opportunity for you to get ready for a real job interview. This highly practical support helps to boost your confidence and increase your interviewing skills. During a practice interview an experienced Careers Consultant will take you through an interview scenario, asking you interview questions based on the job to which you are applying. After the practice interview you will receive feedback from the consultant.
This service is particularly beneficial for anyone who hasn’t experienced an interview before, who has had a number of interviews without securing a job offer, or who hasn’t attended an interview in a long time.
There will be approximately 20mins of questions then the Careers Consultant will give you feedback.
When can I book a practice interview?
We offer a number of practice interview slots every week. This is a very popular service which can book up early. See the Appointments section on MyCareer for availability of upcoming practice interviews.
Our Practice Interviews can be held In-Person in the Careers Service or remotely via Microsoft Teams/Zoom. Take some time before your booking to familiarise yourself with the requirements on this site.
Some Practice Interviews may take longer than usual to facilitate due to the technical requirements and we appreciate your co-operation and patience.
What do I need to submit for a practice interview?
As each interview is tailored to the specific needs of the student/graduate we require a number of documents to be uploaded, and the booking form completed, before a booking can be confirmed:
- CV/Application Form - whichever document you applied for the job with;
- Job Title and Organisation (job description/web link optional)
- Question: Is there anything in particular you would like the practice interview to focus on?
- Graduates will need to provide a non-TCD email address at the time of booking, and will need to check that email to get the link to join the session.
Is there a fee?
There is no fee at this time.
Recent graduates can continue to avail of practice interviews and these can be booked until the 30th June in the year following your course ending.
Graduates of over 1 year should refer to the Institute of Guidance Counsellors for a list of private practitioners.
Please note that it is unlawful under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to create Audio-visual or audio recordings of others without their consent. We ask that you never make sound or video recordings of your interactions with the Careers Service.