Students at Washburn can take advantage of a rare opportunity next week as employers from the local area will be at the Career Services office for mock interviews. Nov. 11 until Nov. 15 students can participate in mock interviews to gain invaluable experience regarding how to conduct themselves properly during a discussion with a potential employer. Knowing the best ways to handle an interview will allow them to land a better job once they finish their education.

The mock interviews will be taking place at various times of day depending on student schedules. They will be on Washburn’s campus at the Career Services office located in Morgan Hall Room 105. Contrary to previous years where the event lasted only a day, there will be mock interviews throughout the next week that will last 30 minutes.

Mock interviews are already offered as a service at Washburn during the semester, but these will be with employers from the surrounding area who might also be from job fields that students are interested in joining. To participate in the event next week students will need to register online on Handshake and schedule which employer they want to meet with. Students can find this information on Handshake under the jobs tab where they can see the on-campus interview times. The deadline to sign up for interviews is two days in advance, while the interviews taking place on Monday need to be scheduled by Nov. 7.

The possible interviewers that students can sign up with include Kansas Highway Patrol, Presbyterian Manor and CoreFirst Bank & Trust among many others. Each are willing to give basic interviews to students who sign up online but can also give more in-depth interviews if the student is interested in the job field.

“You can never do enough mock interviews,” said Brenda Cripps, an HR business partner at CoreFirst Bank. “It’s important to just get comfortable in an interview so you can talk and visit with that hiring manager. I want people to be comfortable so both of us can be comfortable with each other. I just think the more you interview the better off you’re going to be at it.”

Mock Interview Week is not recognized as a recruiting event as it is mostly meant to give students feedback on their interview skills, but it can lead to a job if students want to inquire further with the employers. This can also be treated as a networking event where students can ingratiate themselves with local employers and build their list of professional contacts. This being said, students who are both new and experienced in the job market are encouraged to apply for Mock Interview Week due to the opportunities offered in both improving interview skills and building a professional network.

Students need to bring a physical copy of their resume, something to take notes on, something to write with and a confident attitude. They will also need to dress professionally as they will be speaking with professional employers who have expectations of the student body.

“Here’s a good opportunity with no job on the line to get some feedback from an employer who will tell you what you are doing right and what you can improve on,” said Kent McAnally, Director of Career Services at Washburn. “You’re going to get advice straight from the source here at no cost and no risk.”

The time is now for students to begin preparing for their future outside of Washburn. For more information regarding this event, please contact Kent McAnally at [email protected].

Edited by Jessica Galvin, Adam White, Joelle Conway