Transformational

Communication
Lecture 14:
Mock Interviews 1
Lesson Objectives

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Practice and prepare for behavioral and character-

based questions

Apply the MSPC and ESEF frameworks to

answer questions
Recap: Behavioral Questions

These questions are about the candidate’s skills and

competencies relevant to the job role for which they are
applying.

Two types of behavioral questions are:

a. Career goal questions
b. Organization specific questions

Pro Tip:
Remember that no one is born a perfect interviewee. It is very
common to be nervous before an interview. But through
constant practice and preparation, almost everyone can crack
their interview and become the ideal candidate.
Activity 1:
Organization Specific Question

- Read the response to the organization specific

question given on the next slide.

- Get in pairs and identify the different components of

the MPSC frameworks.
Question: Why do you want to work at this organization?

▪ “I noticed on your website that you strongly believe in the

importance of adopting the latest technology and digital tools
for creating marketing campaigns. That really stood out to
me because I have a keen interest in pursuing a career in the
social media marketing sector and understand how to use
various digital tools for marketing and PR purposes. I am
also interested in exploring the luxury brand management
space, and given your association with many luxury brands, I
am confident that I will be able to learn a lot. I recently
connected with some of my college seniors who are now
working at your company, and they told me about the weekly
sessions where everyone has an opportunity to share their
ideas and brainstorm on them. I grow well in an environment
where I can work collaboratively but also independently.”
Let’s Discuss

▪ Mission: I noticed on your website that you strongly believe

in the importance of adopting the latest technology and digital
tools for creating marketing campaigns.

▪ Product/ Service: Association with many luxury brands

▪ Culture: I recently connected with some of my college

seniors who are now working at your company, and they told
me about the weekly sessions where everyone has an
opportunity to share their ideas and brainstorm.
Activity 2:
Career Goal Question
Take the next 10 minutes to prepare your response to the
question, ‘Tell me about your skills and experiences’

Make sure to add the following aspects:

▪ Introduction
▪ Skills and experiences
▪ Future goals
 Discussion
Four-five people can share their responses with
the class
Recap: Character-based Questions

▪ Character questions are asked to understand:

○ What we’re capable of doing in complicated situations
○ How our values and character can be applied to overcome
difficult situations

▪ It is possible that what you mention in your answers, reveal all that an
employer might need to know about your values and integrities. Your answers
can also reveal which type of personality you are.

▪ Character questions are asked in situations when:

○ Job role requires teamwork or handling difficult situations with
customers or clients
○ Job role requires making quick and fair judgments, that are mostly
based on self-awareness and values
How to Prepare?

▪ Begin with understanding your strengths, values, and areas of

improvements, through personal analysis.

▪ Next, clearly put them down in bullet points and add

examples.

▪ Personal analysis is a great way to organize, prioritize, and

plan as well as communicate your personal development.

▪ Make sure that you are aware of your professional situation in

depth. It would help you design effective strategies to achieve
your career goals.

▪ It also provides a clear idea of how to present the strengths

and weaknesses that one possesses in a hiring situation.
Understanding Strengths

Many of our personal strengths can be translated well to the workplace and professional contexts, but it’s how we
translate them and the language we use to convert them from ‘personal’ to ‘professional.’

Personal Strength Professional Strength

Love of learning Commitment to professional development

Like working in groups Strong team player

Love challenges Able to deliver on tough projects

Combining Personal and Professional Strengths

Common Personal Skills (Strengths) Professional Action Examples

(Strengths in Action)

dedicated, organized, disciplined, punctual meet deadlines, self-motivated, keep track of the details, being
patient, attention to detail, time management

leadership, independent goal-oriented, self-motivated, optimistic, taking initiative, active

listening

communication, empathy, interpersonal skills networking, building relationships, people skills, active listening

flexible adapt to change easily, team player, collaborating with teams

creative think outside the box, innovative, quick learner

problem-solver, critical thinker research, deep thinking, attention to detail

Activity 3
Identify your three strengths using the previous slide.
Give examples of how you have applied these strengths in
your personal and college activities.

Questions to guide your answer:

1. What is your strength (personal strength+professional

action)?
2. What is a relevant example to prove your strength?
3. Why do you think your strength is important in life
and career?
Preparing the Answer about Weaknesses

▪ Select an answer (necessary qualities or skills) that a hiring

manager is not looking at, for the position.

▪ You can add qualities that you are actively improving or

working upon.

▪ It is important to mention a personal weakness that is not a

core skill, required for the position for which you are applying.

▪ Examples of how to make sure the weakness, you plan to

mention, do not affect your abilities for your desired role, are
on the next slide
Job profile applied to Good example of a weakness Bad example of a weakness

Sales/Marketing A particular software Presentation skills

Self-critical Introverted
Too detailed oriented Analytical

HR Perfectionist Introverted
Creative writing Indecisive
Public speaking Analytical

Project Management Creative writing Too much multitasking

Introverted Indecisive
Self-critical Analytical

Finance Social media Financial literacy

Public speaking Analytical
Self-critical

Content Development Presentation Skills Creative writing

Financial Literacy Too detailed oriented
Too much multitasking
Examples of Answers
▪ “I often get somewhat critical of myself. As and when I
finish a project, I think that there is something more that I
could have done, despite my work being received positively.
This results in me overworking myself, which leads to
burnout. In the past, I have tried to objectively note my
achievements and attempt to celebrate those victories. This
has resulted in not only my confidence and overall work
being improved, but I have also learned to show appreciation
for my team and the support system that enables me to work
well and achieve my goals.”

▪ “Upon being appointed a task, I put in all my effort to finish

the same. But, when I get new projects, I often start the work
right away and stop working on other projects. When asked
to juggle between different tasks at multiple points in the
day, my productivity is impacted which hinders me from
delivering my work in the best way. To manage my work
well, I use a project management tool which supports me in
managing my time better.”
Activity 4
Take the next 10 minutes to prepare your response to the
given character-based question:

What are your core values?

 Discussion
Four-five people can share their responses with
the class