Chapter 11 Mock Interviews
The school was a hive of activity on Tuesday as every pupil in Ch11 was invited to take part in a series of mock interviews with a variety of professional volunteers. Utilizing the round robin format, each pupil was lucky enough to have between 4 and 5 mock interviews, enabling them to practice and improve upon this essential employability skill. In total, thirty-four professional volunteers confirmed attendance, including NHS professionals, HR experts, financial managers, solicitors, university lecturer, doctor, corporate affairs manager, property manager, architect, IT executive and several entrepreneurs.
Mock interviews are essential to boost the confidence of pupils and students, to learn how to best sell their abilities and skills and to teach pupils how to remain calm and composed under stress. The pupils found the interviews extremely beneficial and the feedback after the event reflected how valuable they had considered the experience to be. Pupils were provided with a series of common interview questions and asked to practice their answers ahead of time.
After the event, we were contacted by both staff and parents who shared the incredible impact of this event. One email read ...
"I just wanted to email you feedback about today's mock interviews. My child has come back so excited. He has been so nervous this week. He has been practicing his answers every night. He was really anxious that he would crumble under the pressure. He has come back today saying it was one of the best experiences he has had and that he was really proud of himself. He said everyone was so supportive and helpful, with really useful and positive advice given that really helped him. I could physically see in his body language and demeanour that this experience has boosted his confidence immensely. I asked would he be ok in an interview now did he think, and he replied, "I think I'd smash it!" Thank you so so much for organising such an important and valuable event. Please pass on my thanks to all the volunteers and for their kindness and positivity. They have made such a difference and I can't thank them enough"
I think this sums up the value of these events perfectly! We would like to extend our special thanks to every professional volunteer who took time out of their busy schedules to support this incredibly important initiative. I think sometimes we really can underestimate the impact these events have on these young adults, so thank you so much for being part of their journey into adulthood.
Mrs Doran