Lower 6 Interview Day

On Wednesday 15^th June the Lower 6 (year 12) participated in an Interview Day organised by Careers Advisor, Mrs Odell.

The day gives the students the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the interview process and develop their technique. An invaluable day to experience before they begin real-life interview processes, whether for universities or jobs.

The year group were joined in the morning by Natasha S den Dekker (Alumna, 2005), Student Talent Attraction and Acquisition Associate at EY, Rebecca Sinclair and former QAS parent, Fiona Lloyd. Each of our guests  delivered workshops to help students prepare for the afternoon of interviews.

Natasha engaged with students and spoke about her own journey from librarian to UX researcher and revealed tips and tricks on how to prepare for an interview. Students were tasked with analysing an example of a ‘good’ and a ‘bad’ CV, which led them to reflect on the information they had included on their own CV.

Students were encouraged to aim high when it came to applying for jobs in the future and not to only apply for jobs where they met 100% of the job specification.

Rebecca spoke to the students about the different ways an interview can be conducted; face to face, via telephone, online, and in an assessment centre. Rebecca asked the students to think about their individual strengths and how they can be applied to the workplace. She also touched on the preparation for an interview stage and discussed; Developing your knowledge of the company​, Learning about the team you are applying for​, Developing your commercial awareness​, Learning about the wider industry​, Practicing talking about your strengths, and Considering your virtual set-up for your interview​.

Fiona came from a graduate perspective and talked to students about applying for graduate opportunities; a common route into industries for individuals looking for a job once graduating. She spoke about the skills and experience employers look for in their future workforce and how they carry out their assessments.

In the afternoon, students had the opportunity to put everything they had learned into practice by attending an interview with one of our supportive volunteers. Rebecca, Fiona and Natasha were joined for the interviews by:

• Jacqui Adams - Physiotherapist
• Stephen Mbisike - SSE
• Heather Barnes – Johnson & Johnson
• Priyanka Gangishetty - Microsoft
• Emily Lewis – P&G
• Ian Barton - Quantuma
• Emma Cranstoun – Scrubbingtons

Each student spent 30 minutes with one of these industry experts who asked them challenging questions, gave them constructive feedback on their CV and interview performance and spent time answering any questions they had.

Students were quite nervous before their interview, but once it was completed, they each had a huge smile on their face and were happy they had been given the experience.

I used the STAR method successfully without even realising it!

I felt confident and thought I answered the questions well and understood them.

Today’s event allowed me to get a crash course on how interviews can be the leading factor of receiving an offer for a job. The practice rounds for the interviews gave me a great experience and allowed me to practice thinking on the spot. Absorbing the feedback given will propel me to be a better interviewee.

Overall, the event was a big success and students appreciated the opportunity it provided.