Members of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, Gilroy Unified School District, volunteers from the business community and educators all came together last Thursday and Friday to conduct job interview training workshops for nearly 200 high school seniors.
The event, called “Rock the Mock,” gave students the opportunity to experience real life interviews with bankers, small business owners, HR personnel, general managers and others.
Giving students this opportunity allowed them insight into what a job interview might be like. The event helped them see there’s more to the interview process than simply sitting down with a prospective employer and having a conversation. Students learned they need to be properly prepared long before the interview occurs.
Rock the Mock consisted of 4 different workshops that lasted about 20-25 minutes each and provided helpful interview hints—from properly greeting someone to researching the company where a student hopes to be hired.
Claudia Rossi, Santa Clara County Board of Education Trustee and Lindsay Turner, Account Manager with Insight Global, an IT staffing firm in San Jose, tag teamed the workshop entitled, “How to Prepare for the Interview.” In it, students learned about researching a company, important information to include on a resume, how hiring managers research potential candidates and why caution should be applied when posting information on social media platforms.
In the workshop, “Dressing for Success,” Linda Mylcreest, a personal stylist and designer clothing consultant for a Los Angeles based clothing line, instructed students on topics such as professional clothing styles, how too much bling can ruin a good thing and not overdoing colognes and perfumes, to name a few.
Brian Bowe, Executive Director of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, showed students how to get a “grip” in his, “What’s in a Handshake,” workshop. Bowe showed participants how to properly extend one’s hand to get a full grip on the other person’s hand, look the individual in the eye and clearly state their first and last name.
The “Interview” workshop placed students squarely in front of adult volunteers who asked various behavioral style questions, causing students to think beyond “yes” and “no” answers. In some cases, a single student interviewed with two volunteers kin order to experience a type of interview panel. Students seemed to hold their own; many interviewers expressed how they were impressed with students’ openness and ability to respond to difficult questions.
Students from Gilroy High School, Mt. Madonna High School and AdvancePath participated on Thursday, March 26 at Gilroy High School, while Christopher High School and Gilroy Early College Academy seniors participated at the Christopher campus on Friday, March 27.
The Business and Education Committee of the Chamber of Commerce began planning and preparing for this event nearly a year ago. Members of the Committee wanted to provide an interactive experience for students that would help them learn the skills necessary to be prepared for all aspects of a job interview.
Dr. Deborah Flores, Gilroy Unified School District Superintendent and a member of the Chamber’s Business and Education Committee, expressed jubilation over the success of the event indicating the planning and preparation paid off. Dr. Flores said, “Learning and understanding these basic skills will help students to prepare in advance and be better equipped for face-to-face interviews.”
Mark Turner is the President and CEO of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce. He can be reached at (408) 842-6437 or
mt*****@gi****.org
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