The Stephen Longfellow Academy worked in partnership with The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to arrange mock interviews for Year 10 students. The aim was to prepare students for future college, apprenticeship and job interviews which they would face in Year 11. Normally this would have been face to face but due to Covid 19 the interviews were done virtually.
Prior to the Mock Interviews, students were prepared in form time sessions on what an interview is, possible questions and why are they important to their futures. Both Tier 1 and Tier 2 students were involved. On the day, Tier 1 students were interviewed virtually by three DWP staff members and every student was asked the same set questions. Tier 2 students were interviewed by a single DWP staff member.
Some of the questions included:
Tell me about yourself?
Tell me about any volunteering or work experience that you have done?
Give me three words that your teacher would use to describe you and why?
Where do you see yourself in five year’s time?
As well as their answers, students were judged against eye contact, body language and manners. Each interview lasted approximately 10 minutes. At the end of the interview, students were given individual feedback on how they could improve.
Feedback gained from the Interviewers:
“Students came across well … some were nervous on arrival but left confident” – Stephen France
“Everyone who entered the room showed willingness to engage in the process” – Chris Watson
“They should feel very proud of themselves as everyone gave it a good go” – Alison Weatherstone
Students were really positive about the experience. It was clear to see from the feedback forms that students completed before and after the interview, that student confidence and awareness of interviews had improved. Also from the student feedback forms every student ticked the boxes to say: they had become more aware of the interview process, it was useful to practice questions and the interview helped them become more aware of employer expectations.
Several students also made further comments, which are included below:
“I felt nervous at the start but I felt happy at the end, I did it” – BB
“I’m glad I did it” – ET
“It’s helped my confidence and my braveness, it got me out of my comfort zone.” – BD
“Enjoyed it, prepared me for next time.” – KW
“Helped me figure out what sort of answers employers are looking for.” – LB
“They helped me a lot, they were very kind and gave me a confidence boost.” – CT
The Year 10 Mock interviews were a real success, even though a few of the students found this experience challenging, it helped increase their confidence in facing interviews and understanding the interview process. The Stephen Longfellow Academy will continue to work with The Department for Work and Pensions to support its careers programme.
Raj Gill (Senior Careers Officer)
