By Eleanor Wilson
Year 10 students at Pakenham Secondary College had a taste of the job interview jitters this week, as they undertook mock interviews to prepare them for the workforce.
As part of Year 10 Futures curriculum, the cohort prepared cover letters and resumes which they took into practice interviews on 8 and 9 August.
The school invited representatives from Head Start apprenticeships and traineeships, South East Local Learning and Employment Network (SELLEN), the National Food Institute, Duffy and Simon Lawyers, as well former school principals and school council president to conduct the interviews.
“It gives them that opportunity to practice a job interview with an unfamiliar face, that’s why we’ve used community members rather than teachers,” assistant principal Michelle Scheiwiller said.
The program ran at the school several years ago, before Ms Scheiwiller re-incorporated it into curriculum this year.
“Our Futures subject consolidates skills that are actually related to the world and real life situations and I think mock interviews take it to that next step,“ she said.
“Everybody gets nervous in interviews, so the more you do it the better you get at it, and these questions are common questions across the board, so it gives them the opportunity not only to prepare for them, but also to get feedback on what they’ve said during their responses to improve for the future.“
Students were able to choose to practise interviewing for a casual or part-time position, or one modelled around their ideal profession, from which they were assessed on a series of criteria, including presentation, punctuality, level of preparation and ability to answer questions provided.
Year 10 student James said he enjoyed the pragmatic nature of the assessment task.
“This gives us practical experience, as well as the interviewers not being teachers and being from different work fields, it feels more realistic so I know what I’m going for in the future.“
Interview volunteer Jody Yandle, from Head Start, said she was impressed with the level of preparation displayed by the students.
“I’ve been really impressed by the number of bilingual or multi-lingual students, how prepared the students have been and how clearly they were able to articulate the answers to the interview questions,“ she said.
“It’s been a pleasure to actually speak to young people who are starting on their career journeys.“
Ms Scheiwiller said she was proud to see the students grow in pride and confidence from the exercise.
“It’s been awesome to watch them in that situation, and see them shaking hands with the interviewers and making eye contact, all those skills we all need and do in interviews.
“Some of the kids have been a bit nervous, some have been very enthusiastic…I’m pretty proud of them.“
Pakenham Secondary College principal Aaron Smith said it was fantastic to see community members assisting the program.
“[The program] provides a great experience for the students, we think it further develops their skills, in and around the job interview process, which has to be helpful for them in terms of their job seeking, but beyond that it also develops confidence, communication, organisational skills, which we think are important attributes as well, so there are many positives attached to their involvement with this program,“ he said.
