How to Use AI to Conduct a Mock Instructional Design Interview
We all know the importance of preparing for an instructional design interview. Part of that preparation process includes practicing how you’ll answer and respond to various questions you’ll be asked. And the best way to practice is by conducting a mock instructional design interview. But what if you don’t have someone to practice with or you don’t feel comfortable practicing with another person just yet?
Well, this is where AI can help! So, in this article, I’ll show you how to use AI to practice your instructional design interview skills.
Step One: Select an AI Tool
The first step for using AI to conduct a mock instructional design interview is to pick an AI tool. Personally, I like using ChatGPT, but you can also use Google Gemini or any other AI tool that offers a voice interface.
If you happen to use ChatGPT, you can use the free version for practice, but I prefer using the Advanced Voice Mode, which requires the $20 per month Plus subscription.
Step Two: Prompt the AI Tool on What You Want to Accomplish
Once you’ve selected the right AI tool, the second step is to prompt it on what you want to accomplish. Now, I’ll be honest here when I say that I’m not a big fan of overly complicated prompting frameworks or formulas. In my experience, the more you talk to the AI tool like there’s a real human being on the other end, the better it does.
So, in my example, I simply told it that I wanted to practice my interview skills for an upcoming instructional design interview. With that simple statement, it was ready to begin!
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Step Three: Start Practicing & Get Feedback
Now, from this point, you can have the AI tool start asking you general instructional design interview questions, or if you really want to take things to the next level, you can ask it to interview you based on different criteria.
For example, if you’re preparing for a specific interview, you can copy and paste in the job description to ask specific questions based on the job. Or, if you want to practice responding to a specific set of questions, you can provide it a list of commonly asked instructional design interview questions to ask. Depending on where you’re at in the interview process, you can even prompt it to ask you different questions as the recruiter or hiring manager.
My point is that you can get the AI tool to focus on the areas you want to improve on the most, whether that’s practicing how to translate your experience, explaining a gap in your job history, or anything else. Whatever the case, don’t overthink how you get it to do what you want! Like I said, you don’t need to use confusing prompts or language—just talk to it like you’d talk to a real person.
Finally, when you’re ready, you can ask the AI tool to provide you feedback. Of course, it’ll likely provide you with general feedback, but it’s a good idea to ask for specific feedback. For example, if you’re practicing how you’d respond to situational questions, you can ask it to provide you feedback on how to improve your responses with the STAR Method, etc.
What’s Next?
There’s a lot more to explore when it comes to preparing for an instructional design interview. Keep learning by checking out these additional resources!
The Bottom Line
Putting your instructional design interview skills into practice is a critical part of the job-seeking process. The more you can get comfortable verbalizing and articulating your skills and experience, the more confident you’ll feel when the time comes when you’re doing it with a recruiter or hiring manager. And using an AI tool like ChatGPT is a great way to get started.
So, what other tips do you have for using ChatGPT or other AI tools to help prepare for an instructional design interview or anything else related to the job-seeking process? Share your thoughts and tips by commenting down below!