The practice loop
A skater does not get better by only reading about skating. She skates, watches the video, fixes one thing and skates again. Interviews work the same way: practise out loud, watch yourself, fix one thing and try again.
- Before this course: Job Interviews: Prepare and Win (course 8.2). You should already have six STAR story cards, a 60-second "Tell me about yourself", a packed interview folder, and a thank-you email template. We build on that and do not repeat it.
- In Canada, the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) tells candidates preparing for a test or interview to focus on the qualifications listed in the invitation, use the STAR method to draw on examples from their experience, and review sample questions. For interviews, read the organization's website to understand its mission and priorities, and prepare a short introduction.
- The practice loop in this course:
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1 Ask | Pick 3 to 5 questions from the job posting |
| 2 Record | Answer out loud on video or audio |
| 3 Score | Rate yourself on a scorecard (Lesson 7) |
| 4 Fix | Choose ONE thing to improve |
| 5 Repeat | Record again and compare |
- Change one thing at a time. If you change everything, you cannot tell what helped.
- There is no official number of practice sessions. A steady schedule you can keep (for example 20 minutes, three times a week) works better than one long night.
- Write "Before this course: Job Interviews: Prepare and Win, course 8.2" at the top of a page and check that you have your six STAR cards.
- Open one real job posting and underline the qualifications it lists.
- Write five questions an interviewer could ask about those qualifications.
- Set up your phone to record video or audio.
- Answer all five out loud, one after the other, without stopping the recording.
- Watch or listen once and write one thing that was good and one thing to fix.
- Choose a practice schedule and put it in your calendar.
- Check: you have one recording saved and one fix chosen.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Reading about interviews does not make you better. Practice does."
[Text on screen: Ask, Record, Score, Fix, Repeat] "Use the loop: ask, record, score, fix, repeat."
[Screen: phone recording a person speaking] "Record yourself. It feels strange at first, but it shows you what the interviewer sees."
[Host] "Fix one thing at a time. Then record again."
Record yourself answering five questions from a real posting. Write one good thing and one fix. Put your next practice session in your calendar.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Interview Practice: behavioural, technical and video interviews" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "The practice loop". What the lesson teaches: - Before this course: Job Interviews: Prepare and Win (course 8.2). You should already have six STAR story cards, a 60-second "Tell me about yourself", a packed interview folder, and a thank-you email template. We build on that and do not repeat it. - In Canada, the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) tells candidates preparing for a test or interview to focus on the qualifications listed in the invitation, use the STAR method to draw on examples from their experience, and review sample questions. For interviews, read the organization's website to understand its mission and priorities, and prepare a short introduction. - The practice loop in this course: - 1 Ask - Pick 3 to 5 questions from the job posting - 2 Record - Answer out loud on video or audio - 3 Score - Rate yourself on a scorecard (Lesson 7) - 4 Fix - Choose ONE thing to improve The exercise I'm working on: Record yourself answering five questions from a real posting. Write one good thing and one fix. Put your next practice session in your calendar. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "The practice loop" from the course "Interview Practice: behavioural, technical and video interviews". Here's what the lesson says: A skater does not get better by only reading about skating. She skates, watches the video, fixes one thing and skates again. Interviews work the same way: practise out loud, watch yourself, fix one thing and try again. The activity: Record yourself answering five questions from a real posting. Write one good thing and one fix. Put your next practice session in your calendar. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Public Service Commission of Canada, Applying for Government of Canada jobs: Testing and accommodation measures: www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/gc-jobs/apply
Behavioural questions at the next level
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Situational questions, structured interviews and panels
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Written, skills and technical tests
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Live and pre-recorded video interviews
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Fair questions, your rights and accommodation
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Run and review a mock interview
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Final project
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Quiz
What does the practice loop say to do after you record and score yourself?
Fix one thing and repeat.
When describing your role, should you say "I" or "we"?
"I".
Why should behavioural stories be true?
Interviewers can check them with follow-up questions, so inaccurate answers are risky.
What is a situational question?
A realistic, job-related hypothetical where you explain what you would do.
In a structured interview, how are applicants asked questions?
Everyone gets the same predetermined questions, scored on a fixed scale.
What should you do during a written test about your work?
Save your work often.
When should you ask for accommodation for a test or interview?
As soon as possible, when you get the invitation.
In a pre-recorded interview, what happens if you miss the deadline?
You are removed from the process.
What should you do before the real pre-recorded questions?
Do the practice question and test your camera, microphone and internet.
Name one question that is generally not acceptable in an interview.
For example: whether you have children, your marital status, "Where are you from?".
Can an employer ask whether you can perform the essential duties of the job?
Yes, with or without accommodation.
After a mock interview, which score do you fix first?
The lowest one.
Final exam
This lesson is part of full access: every course and every level for one payment.
Certificate
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