Hemet Unified School District is committed to ensuring students graduate from our schools college and career ready. In October, the District held its annual College and Career Fair to introduce students to various colleges and career fields. Hamilton High School is kicking things up a notch by providing its students an opportunity to prepare for job interviews.
On Thursday, November 16, 2017, students enrolled in the Career Technical Education (CTE) program at Hamilton High School took part in the annual Mock Job Interview Contest. The contest, which is sponsored by the Hamilton High School CTE program, gives students the opportunity to practice the skills of writing a cover letter, resume, and job application in addition to a face-to-face interview with an industry representative.
The CTE team at Hamilton High School, comprised of Ryan Kleinvachter, Jane Recht, Robert Koerner, Alex Williams, Steve Crawford, and teachers and faculty at Hamilton High School set up this year’s Mock Job Interview Contest. As part of the contest, twenty volunteer judges including Board Member Stacey Bailey were invited to mock interview over 110 students for jobs in different industry-related fields including Computer Technician, Food Service, Military, Fire/Sheriff Department, Welding, and Auto Mechanics. Each student had between 10 to 20 minutes with their interviewer.
Before the mock job interviews took place, participating staff worked with students to prepare them for their interview. Staff helped them fill out applications, complete their resumes and cover letters, offered sample interview questions, and advised them how they should dress for the event. Students were given a list of career fields that would be represented and they chose a field they would like to “apply” for.
The Mock Job Interview Contest program has been a staple in the instructional community at Hamilton High School for the past six years and provides students with guidance and the opportunity to prepare for the job process as it gives them a realistic experience. Each student who participates in the contest receives valuable feedback that translates into future skills that they can use later in life during high school, college, and career.
The interviewers also enjoyed this event. After the interviews, they were able to debrief with their group of students. They provided comments, suggestions, and even future interview strategies to help them be successful during a real job interview.
Thank you Hamilton High staff, community members, and representatives of the HUSD community who participated in this year’s event, and a big thank you to Hamilton’s CTE team for creating this event. You all provided an opportunity to better prepare students for life outside of high school!