Practice your interview skills online with Big Interview
UMass students now have free access to Big Interview, a video training system that helps you to prepare more effectively for a job interview and build your confidence.
Big Interview Gives You:
• Virtual mock interviews for all experience levels and dozens of industries
• A database of thousands of interview questions -- and tips on how to answer them
• The ability to record, rate, and share your interview answers
• A step-by-step Answer Builder for crafting interview answers to behavioral questions
• A comprehensive video training curriculum on all types and aspects of interviewing
How To Register with Big Interview
1. Go to umass.biginterview.com and click "Register"
2. Enter your umass.edu email address, name & password, and click “Create My Account”
3. Once you receive a confirmation email, you can go back to Big Interview and log in
How To Record Yourself Answering Questions
1. Confirm that your browser is set to allow access to your computer’s camera and microphone. In Chrome (recommended), this can be found at the upper right.
2. Log in to https://umass.biginterview.com/
3. Select “Practice > Practice Interviews” from the top menu, then select “General”
4. Choose a question category and a difficulty level. “Challenging” and “Tough” interviewers will ask the same questions as a “Standard” interviewer, but they may ask them in a vague way, or they may scowl instead of smile!
5. Press “Play” on the interviewer’s window to hear the question.
6. Click “Tips” to learn why the question is asked and what is sought in your response.
7. When ready, press “Record” on your window and briefly record your answer. To make good “eye contact” look at the camera on your computer, or the LED light next to it.
8. Play your answer back. Score yourself with stars.
9. Re-record your answer, or click “Save” if satisfied.
10. Click “Next Question” to proceed.
Find the Best Interview Questions for Your Scenario
• Big Interview’s huge bank of questions is organized into specialized categories
• Select “Practice>Practice Interviews” from the top menu, and view options on the left
• Select “By Industry” to choose an industry that best aligns with either your major or the industry you are interviewing to join. Question categories include Biotech, Energy, Healthcare, Human Resources, Insurance, Marketing, Sales, and Technology
• Select “By Competency” for interview questions focused on desired skillsets such as Analytical Skills, Communication, Initiative, Logic, Organizational Skills, or People Skills
• Select “Admissions” for interview questions likely to be asked when applying to graduate school, medical school, or another professional program
Make a CNS Career Center Appointment for Live Interview Practice
The CNS Career Center conducts mock interviews by appointment. CNS Students can make an appointment through Handshake. Bring prints of your resume, cover letter, and the job description.
Browse the Self-Service Video Lessons
• From the top menu, select “Learn,” then “Fast Track” to see the 16 most watched video tutorials. The videos contain helpful graphics, but to suit multiple learning styles you have the option to click “Transcript” (above the videos) & read the information as text.
• Select “Learn,” then “Mastery Track” to access an index of additional video topics, including phone and video interviews, researching the employer, what to wear, top 10 mistakes, questions you should be asking them, and how to deal with nervousness.
Prepare Yourself With Stories of Your Success
• Interviewers want to hear examples of a time when you did something that demonstrates your knowledge, abilities, judgment, or other qualities wanted for the job.
• Select “Practice>Answer Builder” from the top menu. Follow their S.T.A.R. method (Situation, Task, Action, Results) to outline several brief stories that demonstrate your competencies as they apply to the position description.
• Memorization is best. But, if necessary, you can bring key word notes to the interview to help you recall the appropriate prepared story when responding to questions. For instance, you might use the S.T.A.R. outline to tell a “teamwork” story, a “had to change methods” story, a “clear communication” story, a “failure and recovery” story, etc.
What If My Interview Is Before My CNS Career Center Appointment?!
• First off, congratulations! Next, do not panic.
- Drop in to the Career Center (Morrill II, Suite 321) between 10-5, M-F to see if a Career Peer Advisor is available to practice with you.
• If you have an interview scheduled, and the next available appointment at the CNS Career Center is after that date, send an email to Janet Bordwin at jbordwin [at] umass [dot] edu and we will do our best to squeeze you in sooner.
• While the CNS Career Center is open Mon-Fri from 8:30am to 5:00pm, Big Interview is available to you 24/7. Under the “Learn” tab you will find a series of videos that will explain and coach you through what to expect in an interview.
• You can likely predict and prepare for many questions by studying the job description (e.g. if the description requires organizing and presenting data, you’ll probably be asked to talk about a time when you’ve successfully organized and presented data).
• Our CNS Career Development Handbook has a whole section on interview preparation.
Important! Never Pay for Interview Help
Big Interview is free for UMass students. However, there is a link under “My Tools” that will send you to a pay site. UMass students should not pay for interview help. Instead, make an appointment for free interview help with a CNS Career Advisor at the CNS Career Center.