On May 14th, 2024, 26 volunteers from Urban Synergy, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering young people, conducted mock interviews with 150 sixth form students aged 16 to 17 at Christ the King Aquinas Campus in Brockley, South London. The event aimed to provide students with practical experience and valuable feedback to prepare them for their future job interviews.
The volunteers, who are career role models, interviewed the students for a hypothetical part-time role and gave them feedback on their performance. Additionally, the students had the opportunity to learn about the company and ask the volunteers about their own careers, gaining valuable insights and tips.
One student shared, “I learned good conversational skills during the mock interviews,” while another said, “I enjoyed being able to engage with people who had different experiences and being able to learn and understand how they overcame these boundaries and setbacks and turned them into a success.”
The students also expressed their appreciation for the experience, with one stating, “It was educational, informative and helped to answer all the questions I needed answers for.” Another student, who had never done a real interview before, said, “I learned the concept of a real-life interview and the style and way to ask questions and what they expect me to cover in my answers.”
Urban Synergy’s Head of Programmes, Dianne Johnson, expressed her gratitude to the volunteers, teachers, and staff at Christ the King Aquinas, and the students for their participation in the event. She stated, “It’s great to see everyone channel their inner Idris Elba or Adjoa Andoh and act out interviews.” Johnson also emphasized the importance of mock interviews in the Urban Synergy programme, preparing young people for their first real interview, which can be a nerve-wracking experience. “Practice, as we know, is the best way to make perfect,” she added.
The event was distributed by pressat.co.uk, a leading press release distribution service, on Friday, June 7th, 2024. The success of the mock interview event highlights the dedication of Urban Synergy and its volunteers to empower and prepare young people for their future careers.
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.