Google can now practice job interview questions with you
You can find heaps of sample job interview questions on Google. A simple search of a term like “common interview questions” yields pages and pages of results. But did you know Google can also help you practice answering those very questions from the comfort of your own home?
The search engine recently introduced a new Interview Warmup tool as part of its Grow with Google arm, which aims to help people not only get jobs and start businesses but also grow those opportunities.
Interview Warmup uses artificial intelligence to build a series of mock-interview questions covering several fields, including data analytics, IT and e-commerce. There’s also an option that covers common topics like what you’re looking for in a job, your communication style and how you handle mistakes when they arise.
Here’s how it works:
After you choose a category, you’ll be asked a series of five questions.
You can opt to either type or speak their responses, the latter of which requires giving Google access to your microphone. (According to the site, Google does not have access to the data shared here. Users who want to download the info for future reference can do so.)
The tool then transcribes the answers and scans them for things like frequently used words and job-relevant topics most covered. Repeat words are highlighted, and, by clicking on them, the tool offers suggestions for synonyms.
Similarly, you can click on highlighted job-related words to see additional ways to talk about them. It will even scan your answers for talking points, and offer a few examples of how to weave them into the conversation.
While you’re not going to get the same feedback that you might get from a mock interview with a real person, Google’s tool is still a helpful way to get used to answering the types of questions a recruiter might ask.
While testing the tool myself, I found it was most effective in keeping me on my toes, answering questions on the spot and giving insight on which words I might use too often. But it sheds little light on whether or not my answers were “right” for the specific job I might be interviewing for.
Another thing to consider: Without the benefit of interviewing one-on-one with a live person, there’s a risk a computer could rank certain words higher than others in a culturally biased way, says sociologist Steve McDonald.
“Certain types of language can be coded as proper and normative in a way that could be culturally specific and could lead to inequity,” McDonald explained to HuffPost. “That could lead to bias in terms of race and ethnicity, and that would be a problem.”
Still, if you need to prepare for a big interview and want the extra practice time, Google’s Interview Warmup tool is certainly one way to get it. Not only can it help you get more comfortable talking about yourself, but it’s also an effective way to learn your own personal verbal tics and generally help improve your conversation skills. And, hey, it might help lessen your chances of getting ghosted after a job interview, too.
Head to Google to test out the tool for yourself.
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