The old maxim tells us that practice makes perfect, but when it comes to taking it a notch higher in your interview, the maxim may have to be twisted a little bit to: "constant correct practice makes perfect" This is how a mock job interview becomes an important tool to performing your best in a real interview.

Mock job interviews may feel silly at first because you and another person (a family or friend) would be "acting out" an interview. However, when done seriously, a mock interview can take you a long way to as far as your dream job.

What gains do you get from a mock job interview?

Many job applicants and new graduates often do not take mock interviews seriously because, well, portraying roles can seem a tad awkward. But impressions aside, mock job interviews can help you with a lot of things, such as these:

• See your weaknesses and device how you can improve on them
• Formulate convincing answers to possible interview questions
• improve your interview communication skills
• reduce real interview jitters and raise your confidence
• get acquainted with the interview experience

More professional tips to make your mock job interview work

You can do mock interviews with friends, but if you want to take it more seriously, you can consider career coaches who provide mock interviews for a fee. Studies reveal that even one mock job interview can do wonders to how you perform in a real one. To make it work, you might consider doing these:

• take the mock interview seriously and think like it's the real thing
• conduct mock interviews with a variety of people to obtain different viewpoints
• videotape your mock job interview; intently observe yourself during playback
• find a venue where natural distractions are present to simulate a real interview
• do an intensive research on your target job to anticipate questions more effectively

As you watch yourself being interviewed during playback, observe the length of your answers which should be concise and about 2-3 minutes long. Likewise, observe the pace of your speech, heavy accents (when applicable), tone of voice (change that baby voice), failure to clearly articulate your answers, and talking through your nose.

Also find out how you de-stress yourself from the jitters. If you were unable to videotape your mock job interview, ask the interviewer if he saw any mannerisms or too much hand gestures which can be distracting in a real interview.

Many job applicants who a mock job interview prior to a real job interview often achieved more success in getting the job. Remember that even with a stellar career experience and scholastic records employers will look for a confident applicant who can exude excellence in the middle of pressure.