MOUNT VERNON — On April 17, seniors at the Knox County Career Center, 160 in all, participated in mock interviews conducted by 22 business and community volunteers. Although job search skills are part of the school’s curriculum, the mock interviews give the students the chance to practice what they’ve learned in a business-like, but less threatening setting.
“We’ve had a great response from the community,” said Jeff Lavin, KCCC supervisor. “It’s been a great experience for the kids. I’ve been talking with some of the interviewers, too, and I’ve heard nothing but positive responses. The interviewers have an evaluation sheet, the same for each kid. They run through it. They interview the students for about 15 minutes. Then they dismiss the students from the room for five minutes or so while they tally everything. Then they bring the students back in and give them an experience you don’t usually get with an interview — they tell the student ‘this is what you did right. This is what you could do better. This is what I would do if I were hiring you.’ It’s really beneficial.”
Charlene Walton, a supervisor at Wal-Mart in Mount Vernon, said she has been a volunteer interviewer for six or seven years.
“I love doing this,” she said.
As part of the mock interview process, she tells the students what she would expect from job applicants at a “real” job interview, and what she expects as a boss when someone is hired. Aside from showing up at work, one of the most important job characteristics in any field, Walton said, is an openness to new ideas and an eagerness to learn new things.
“Don’t box yourself in,” Walton advises. “This may be just a stepping stone to keep going up. Keep your mind open and be aware of your opportunities.”
Aaron Boggs, manager at ECR, was also one of the community participants.
“Mock interviews?” he said. “They don’t know this, but I have three career center students who already work for me. Our business is expanding, and it may be a mock interview for [the students], but I’m really looking for people. I’m taking it seriously.
“This is a very good employee pool for us. I’m very pleased with what the career center is teaching in business technologies and information technology programs, and I want to make sure that these young students who already have the capacity to do what we do, which is diagnose computer issues for our customers, have the chance to do it.”
