BATTLE GROUND — Members of Lewis River Rotary and Battle Ground Rotary clubs recently joined together to provide mock job interviews for 22 students at Battle Ground High School. Intro to Business teacher Kevin Weeks said his students have been participating in this annual experience with Rotarians for the last 19 years.
Each year, Weeks composes a list of mock employment opportunities, and students choose one to apply to. Students then compose a cover letter and tailor their resumé for the specific position. Twenty Rotarians from both clubs were then given students’ written materials to review and critique prior to the mock job interview.
Rotarians act as potential employers and query the students about their qualifications, education, skills and desire for the mock position. After the mock job interview, Rotarians coached the students on their excelling qualities as well as any shortcomings and how to be better prepared for a real job interview. Rotarians use a scoring sheet and students are also provided with their written feedback about their experience.
Most students said they have never had a sit-down interview before and appreciated having their first experience be a “mock” interview with suggestions on improvement and general feedback.
Conducting mock interviews has been a longstanding Lewis River Rotary tradition for both Weeks’ Intro to Business class as well as for students in ROTC. ROTC students will be provided mock interviews later in the school year.
