Our Senior Team came up with a new idea to support their whole year group with their upcoming career applications. They requested that volunteers from local businesses visit the school to give mock interviews to everyone in Year 12. This was a big task, as it relied on people giving up their time to support a very large cohort of students. However the local community did not disappoint and we were pleased to welcome 14 very generous volunteers to Barr Beacon School.

The idea behind this was to help student’s become more familiar having formal interviews and help them to learn how to make a good impression with real employers from the world of work. Where possible we tried to match pupils up with an employer from the industry they were thinking of pursuing. Our volunteers were from backgrounds in an array of professions, including engineering, IT, construction, HR, education, psychology, business and finance.

The event received very positive feedback, with over 98% of students saying they found it helpful and 100% of students saying it made them feel more confident about the real interviews ahead of them.  

Some of the student feedback included:

“I was able to get feedback from an actual employer within the field that links to the career option I've chosen and gain an insight of the genuine expectations and requirements to work in that career.”

“Not knowing the interviewer made the interview more realistic.”

“The interviewer was very friendly and gave a lot of information and feedback.”

“I was given tips and tricks for future interviews.”

“The mock helped me to think on the spot about any questions future employers may ask me, improving my critical thinking skills.”