Lake Zurich High Students Participate in Mock Job Interviews

students got a taste of the job interview process through the Career Advisory Council's annual Reality Interviews on Sept. 30.

Students entered the school library, signed in with a receptionist and then waited in a holding room. One by one, the students were retrieved by their interviewers — local professionals — and taken to tables around the library for their interviews. The students wore professional business attire and presented the interviewers with cover letters and resumés.

Afterward, the students were evaluated both in person and in writing.

The mock interviews give students the chance "to actually experience what a real interview is going to be like," said Cindy Klebba, who served as the event's chairwoman. "They know how they should be presenting themselves."

Klebba, who joined Lake Lake Zurich High School in 1997, said the mock interviews started well before she came to the school. For many years, the mock interviews were held at the , Klebba said. Holding the interviews off-site, she said, gave the students a real-world experience because they had to travel and get to their interviews on time.

"It's the first time in over 15 years that we've had it in our library," said Klebba.

This year, Klebba asked interviewers to choose from a list of 15 career clusters that they felt most comfortable interviewing students in. These clusters included: agribusiness and natural resources; construction technology; communications and media; business and office technology; and marine science.

Students selected their appropriate career cluster, and the students and interviewers were matched up.

"So far, everybody has been giving very positive feedback," said Klebba.

Students spent one to two weeks preparing for their interviews, Klebba said. They talked about job interviews in their business education classes and submitted rough drafts of their resumés and cover letters. They also had to fill out job applications, which also were submitted to their interviewers.

Interviewer Diane Willock said she's happy to be able to help the students learn about the job interview process. She said many of the students are nervous during their interviews.

"It teaches them how they are going to react when they're nervous," said Willock. "Some of them come in and they're ready to be interviewed and hired tomorrow."

Mock interviews will be held again Oct. 7. They're also being planned for March 7 and 14.