Interviewing High School Style

Last week I was invited to participate on a panel to interview ROP students for a mock company. These junior and senior high school students had been provided with sample interview questions, as well as information about the fake company so that they could prepare properly. We were told we didn’t have to stick to the list of questions provided… we were to ask whatever we thought would be helpful and appropriate based on how the 10-minute interview progressed with each student.

After each interview, the student was asked to step outside while we compared our notes. The student came back in and we gave them our compliments and constructive criticism with the hope that the feedback will give them a step ahead of the crowd entering the summer workforce.

It was fun, encouraging and a little surprising.

I think I saw a range that was to be expected. One student stood out quite a bit, even though he was shy. I would have hired him on the spot. One student needed a lot of guidance with the interview process. The rest did very well in the middle.

Here are some takeaway points that were gathered. This is in addition to the tips we should be providing people on how to answer “why should I hire you” types of questions:

- Boys/Men should wear a belt. Most know that a tie is key to a business look, but not one male realized they should finish the job with the belt. Actually, I didn’t notice this – the men on the panel pointed it out. Once they did, I realized they were right.

- Girls/Women shouldn’t show cleavage. The men either didn’t notice (which I doubt) or didn’t have the nerve to mention it during our note-comparison discussion, but I brought it up. No one was comfortable telling this to the young lady when we debriefed her, so I passed the information on to the teacher and left it up to her discretion.

- Learn how to shake hands! This takes practice. We practiced for a few minutes with one student. The older adults know that the handshake is a critical component of the first impression.

- Learn about the company! Too many students did not have real knowledge about the company, even though they were given the same information the panel was given. That was probably my biggest surprise. All they had to do was read a 2-page document.

- Don’t downplay skills. One student mentioned her typing skills were “only about average… 50 words per minute.” She should have confidently stated that her “typing speed is an accurate 50 words per minute.” Her skills are respectable and not less than people would expect from a 17-year old. Why put it down by calling it average?

In fact, the students tended to downplay their skills. They were nervous and didn’t realize what they really had to offer a company. Some had trouble answering the basic interview questions, which I assume is either because of their nerves or because they didn’t practice. Which leaves me to one last suggestion, which I’m sure they’ve heard before: Practice. Practice with family members, practice in front of a mirror, practice with a video camera, practice with friends, or practice with whoever and whatever will listen.

I have to admit, while sitting there asking questions and listening to the answers of these brave young adults (and they were brave due to the intimidating circumstances – they were getting a grade on how well they performed), I wondered how I was at interviewing at their age. I can’t really know because time skews our memories, but I have a feeling they did a pretty good job in comparison. I really was proud of them.

I don’t know how many high schools offer this kind of training for their entire student population. My next task is going to see how we can expand the training program our high school provides for ROP students to the rest of the student population. I’d like to see all of our local students have the best opportunity to get the job they want.

How’s Your Digital Footprint?

It is estimated that 1.5 million college graduates will be entering the work force this year. Due to the slowing economy, these young workers are going to need to network more than ever.

The good news is that today's graduates have a head start, thanks to online networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn. According to a recent survey by Robert Half International, 62 percent of senior executives believe that these professional networking sites will be a key part of their companies' recruiting efforts in the next three years.

The bad news is that many college students haven't thought ahead to the kind of impression they are making with their profiles on those sites. Wall posts, blogs and photos that depict students drinking and partying can be seen by potential employers as well as trusted friends, leaving a "digital footprint" that may end up hurting their chances of getting hired after graduation.

According to the Pew Internet and Life Project, "One-in-five working American adults (20%) say their employer has a special policy about how employees present themselves online -- including what can be shared and posted on blogs and other websites."

In a recent survey of advertising and marketing executives conducted by the Creative Group staffing agency, 50% the respondents said they search for online information about prospective hires – and that 14% of them chose NOT to hire someone based upon what they found.

Fortunately, teenagers who have grown up with online social networking are a savvy bunch. Pew reports that "Teens with visible profiles make more conservative choices with respect to visibility; just 40% said their profile was visible to anyone, while 59% reported access that was restricted to friends only."

So what do you do if your online life has been an open book? How do you counter information that might turn off a prospective employer?

Creative Group executive director Bob Willmer advises job seekers that "If there is unflattering information about you online that you cannot remove, be prepared to offer an explanation to employers who might inquire about it."

Willmer also suggests that students be selective about who is allowed into their LinkedIn networks and that they make use of forums by commenting and posting information that shows off their professional involvement and qualifications.

How To Help Young Kids Make Money (the Honest Way!)

I'm just kidding about the honest way. I just have sad thoughts when I think of some ways a few of the confused kids in our town have tried to make money.

We (Career Kids) just sent out a newsletter this morning that included a link to a handout for teachers and counselors to distribute to their families. The handout is to help figure out how middle school-aged children can earn some extra money this summer. You can read the handout here.

As a parent of a 7th grader, I am in the thick of it. She wants to make money, but she has limited choices at her age. The obvious, babysitting, is OK for my daughter, but I know she would like to do more. When her big brother was in middle school, he used to come up with so many schemes to make money, it gave me premature gray hair. I never knew what I was going to come home to after work. We're talking saws, ovens, bicycles and more. Use your imagination.

The handout for the counselors included brainstorming ideas, as well as a list of "jobs" for young students. After all, some kids have great talents that just won't be included on a "list". But, here is what we did include:

Babysitting
Pet sitting
Yard workers
Bicycle repair
Camp counselor
Referee and umpires
Computer tutoring or training (this can be a good resource if you live near a retirement community)
Garage sales
House sitting (pick up mail, packages, feed animals, water plants while neighbors are away)
Car washing/detailing
DVD rental (if the family has a large collection)
Recycle pickup (they make their money when they take the recycling to the service center)
Library pick up and return

Another idea, particularly during the holidays is giftwrapper, but recommended only for the truly coordinated!

Any other ideas? I could use them myself!

A New Adventure... Blogging!

Welcome to our the new Career Kids blog. While we often have conversations with teachers, counselors and administrators, writing this blog will be something very new. I am told I can write about anything I want. Hmmm.... that can get me into trouble if I'm not careful.

Working in marketing and publishing was not my personal career path when I started college. But, here I am.

I am also at that age where my friends' kids are graduating from college. Two of my own children are in college. I talk to friends about what their young adult children are going to do after graduation. Everyone is hopeful that a job will be found quickly. One friend of mine has a daughter who lined up a great engineering job before she graduated. This young woman was more than just lucky -- she was determined and a go-getter.

To be honest, I'm not so sure my own kids will be so determined and such go-getters. Will my young graduates move back home for an extended period of time, will they be able to support themselves, will they be happy, etc? When they graduate, it will be the first time they will not be able to write student in the occupation box when filling out questionnaires or medical forms.

I am noticing my conversations with friends whose children are just graduating are involving a lot of discussion about the difficult transition period that many people experience after college graduation. For myself, I can look back at some of the more difficult years in my life and the first year after graduation was definitely one of the hardest. Not planning to go on to graduate school (mainly because I really didn't feel passionate about anything in particular except making money to support myself), what did a degree in psychology really buy me? And what would it buy me now?

Well, the good news is, a college degree in any major still opens doors for you. It may not carry the same weight as it did back in my day, but there are many employers who are looking for the applicants with the four-year degree in any major.

Students usually don't take advantage of all the services a college campus has to offer. If you have a child in college, urge him or her to go to their school's academic and career counseling offices. They can always change their minds and switch careers (or majors). Let's encourage our young college students to be proactive and receive advice and counsel so that their transition into the working world isn't so difficult.