Interviews Session Plan

INTERVIEWS SESSION PLAN

SESSION: INTERVIEWS
Expected Progress:
è  Young people understand how to prepare for an interview
è  Young people participate in a real or simulated interview / Description: This session will help young people understand what to expect from an interview. They will also learn and put into practice strategies for preparing for an interview.
Resources required:
è  Internet
è  Pens
è  Paper / è  LLN Opportunities:
è  Read and measure time and use timetables effectively;
è  Add units of time;
è  Practise converting between hours and minutes;
è  Practise speaking in formal situations. / STEM Opportunities:
è  Use the internet to look up train timetables and find interview technique advice and helpful services
è 
/ Qualifications Opportunities:
è  Career Planning
è  SCQF Career Planning
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY / RESOURCES / SUGGESTED LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Introduction and icebreaker
Preparing for an interview
Let young people know that they will be taking part in either a real or simulated interview. If young people are able to organise an interview for work experience or employment, this is ideal. Otherwise, arrange mock interviews for jobs that might interest them, with you and other staff members acting as the interviewers.
Ask young people to create a mind-map of what they think an interview is. What would they expect to happen in these interviews? When might they be asked to attend an interview?
Before the interview
Ask young people what they can do to prepare for an interview. Using the interview cards, encourage them to work in groups and identify when each action would take place:
è  When they find out they’ve got an interview
è  The day/night before their interview
è  On the day of the interview
Discuss each group’s answers and ask if there are any other actions they would take to prepare. Use this as an opportunity to ask young people;
è  What do they think they should wear to an interview?
è  How early should you arrive for an interview?
è  Why is healthy eating/drinking and getting a good night’s sleep important?
Learners at higher levels should be able to explain why they would take each action. / Flip chart
Pens
Interview cards
Worksheet / Entry 3/Scotland Level 3
è  Assessment Criteria: Identify appropriate behaviour and clothing for an interview
Level 1/Scotland Level 4
è  Assessment Criteria: List what to consider when preparing for an interview
Level 2/Scotland Level 5
è  Assessment Criteria: Explain what needs to be considered when preparing for an interview
Getting to an interview
Ask young people to research how they are going to travel to their interview. If they are taking part in a mock interview as part of the Achieve club, they could plan their journey from home to here.

Have young people look up train timetables online – what website could they use to calculate their time time/journey quickly? How much money will they need? How much time should they budget for walking? Make an organizational plan
è  Firstly, ask young people to estimate time required to get ready in the morning. e.g 15 minutes to eat breakfast, 30 minutes to have a shower and get dressed - 45 minutes in total
è  Secondly, ask them to work out their journey time. Encourage them to read timetable to obtain specific travel times and estimate any additional walking time at the start and end of the journey. e.g 10 minute walk to bus stop, 20 minute bus journey, followed by 5 minute walk to interview - 35 minutes in total.
è  Thirdly, ask young people to consider adding extra time to allow for bad traffic, delayed buses/trains. Ask young people to consider, taking an earlier bus or train to ensure they arrive in time - 20 minutes.
è  Finally, ask young people to calculate the total time it will take them to get ready and travel to the interview. e.g 100 minutes or 1 hour and 40 minutes
What time will they need to set their alarm clock? What time bus or train do they need to get?
Click here for further resources for planning and measuring time. / Internet
Worksheet / è  Being able to plan a journey to an interview
Preparing for interview questions

Have young people go online to career advice website like The Muse and click around for articles on tips and tricks for interviews
Ask young people to create a mind-map of questions they think they could be asked in an interview. They can use the internet for inspiration if they are struggling to think of possible questions. Once they have done this, young people should spend some time researching questions that are relevant to the jobs they are interested in specifically.
Let young people know that they can get clues to the questions they will be asked in job adverts and descriptions! If an employer is looking for skill or experience they will usually ask something like;
Can you tell me about a time when you’ve done/shown…? OR What would you do if….?
Once young people have a list of questions, ask them to spend time preparing some possible responses to these.
It’s useful to use the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) covered in Cover Letter writing to prepare answers for interviews, so you could revisit this with the group.
Ask young people if there are any questions they would like to ask the interviewer? Explain that this is an opportunity for the young people to figure out whether the job is a good match for them, but they still need to make sure that the questions they ask are appropriate for the situation and give a good impression of the interviewee. You could start a conversation or debate about a few of the trickier areas, perhaps including some of the following common questions:
è  Do the young people think you should ask about pay in an interview?
è  Should they ask about holiday and other benefits?
è  If you are asked about your weaknesses, or times you haven’t achieved something in the past, what is a good way of approaching this? / Pens
Paper
Worksheet / Entry 3/Scotland Level 3
è  Assessment Criteria: Identify questions that you may be asked in an interview
è  Assessment Criteria: Prepare responses to potential interview questions
Level 1/Scotland Level 4
è  Assessment Criteria: Prepare responses to potential interview questions
Level 2/Scotland Level 5
è  Assessment Criteria: Prepare responses to potential interview questions
è  Assessment Criteria: Give examples of questions you would ask at an interview
At the interview
Split your group into twos or threes and ask them to research 10 top tips for interviews. They should prepare to present these back to the rest of the group, either by giving a presentation or making a poster. If any groups are struggling, encourage them to think about;
è  Positive body language
è  Staying calm
è  Taking their time with answers
è  Introducing themselves clearly
è  Relaxing
è  Being confident

It might also be helpful to watch or listen to an example of a good interview, using a video or audio recording, and ask young people to identify what makes it effective.
Have young people research interview help services online, such as Dress for Success (for women) or Tips for Interview Dressing on a Budget / Internet / è  Understanding positive interview behaviour
Interview Practice
Split young people into pairs and ask them to practise interviewing each other. The interviewer should ask the questions that the interviewee has prepared for, and help them if they struggle with some of the answers.
The interviewer should focus on putting their 10 top tips into practice, and in trying to answer questions clearly.
The interviewer should record and provide feedback on the performance of the interviewee, while the interviewee should identify their own strengths and any areas for improvement. / Interview feedback sheet / è  Practicing interview skills
Real/Simulated Interviews
Young people should attend an interview, dressed appropriately, in which they are asked questions that they have prepared for.
Interviewers should complete a feedback sheet, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement for each young person. / Interview feedback sheet / Level 1/Level 2/Scotland Level 4/Scotland Level 5
è  Assessment criteria: take part in a real or simulated interview
Wrap Up
If possible, each young person should have a feedback conversation with their interviewer. After this, ask the young people to write down, or speak about, what they learned as part of this process. What do they think went well, what could have gone better, and how will they apply this learning next time?
Wrap Up questions: What have you learnt as part of this session? How do you feel about it? Do you feel better prepared to go into interviews? / Level 1/Level 2/Scotland Level 4/Scotland Level 5
è  Assessment criteria: identify/review personal strengths and areas for improvement following an interview

5 (April 2017)