Ste. Genevieve High School Students Learn Job Interview Skills

Students in Dr. Tracey Eatherton’s family and consumer science 1 classes had the opportunity to participate in mock interviews last week during an annual unit on career planning and preparation.

In the days leading up to the interviews, the students took assessments for recommendations on specific careers. They then researched those careers and the tools and skills they need, such as creating cover letters, resumes and job applications.

To prepare for the job interviews, Eatherton gave the students three positions from which to choose: food service, office clerk and a warehouse position. They read through the job descriptions, filled out applications and then were randomly chosen to undergo the mock interviews in front of their peers, who scored their performances, keeping in mind the skills they had been learning in class.

“I hope they’re ready to nail interviews as they start to look for jobs, but even if it’s not the job they want to have for the rest of their lives, they need these skills to help build a successful future,” Eatherton said.

Eatherton asked questions such as: What is your greatest strength? What have you learned through working with others? Where do you see yourself in five years? Toward the end of the interviews, the students were given the chance to ask any pertinent questions they had about the position, such as How do you measure success on the job?

Senior Christian Ritter, who applied for the food service position during the mock interview, thinks that he and his peers need the practice before the real experience, because it brings up things they might not have thought of otherwise, such as paying attention to their posture and speaking clearly.

Freshman Camron Hahn is already thinking about how he’s going to use these skills while in high school.

“I think this was a great lesson because it helps prepare us for the world. It really does help when we start looking for jobs,” Camron said. “I plan on finding a job after football season, and I can use what I’ve learned here to help me get hired.”

TalentForce was scheduled to visit the classes to talk about the makings of a good employee and how best to balance work and a personal life.

(Information from the Ste. Genevieve R-II School District.)

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