3. How to Prepare for an Interview
This activity aims to prepare for an interview.
Discuss
We’re going to start something really important—and also kind of exciting. We’re going to practice how to answer some of the most common interview questions. Why? Because one day, whether it’s for a job, a volunteer opportunity, a program, or even something at school, someone might want to talk with you to learn more about who you are and what you can do. That’s what an interview is—just a conversation where you get to show your skills, talk about your strengths, and help others see why you’d be a great fit.
Interviews can feel a little nerve-wracking at first, but the good news is: you can practice! And the more you practice, the more confident and prepared you’ll feel. Today we are going to discuss how to prepare for an interview and review common interview questions.
Resource
Mock Interview Guide and Questions (PowerPoint) - reviews expectations for interviews and includes common questions to prepare for.
- Interview Questions Practice Sheet - students can follow along using this worksheet. The worksheet has a space to write in a job or opportunity the student would be interested in doing a mock interview for and there are two ways to respond to each question. One way uses helpful prompts to guide thinking. The other is fill-in the blanks using their own words. They can choose the one that works best for them or try both.
- Mock Interview Social Story is a printable of the social story for students that may need or want to review interview expectations with others.
[Note to Instructors: Prepare to model answers to these questions to show students ways to answer questions and ways not to answer questions. Review answers with them to help determine if they need adjusted or revised.]
Discuss
Next time we meet we will do mock interviews! Please wear a clean and neat outfit. You don’t need anything formal like a suit or dress—just something casual that looks presentable. Try to avoid clothes with anything distracting or inappropriate on them, so you can feel confident and make a good impression like you would for a real interview.
Interactive Opportunity
Depending on time available students can practice with another student, teacher, school administrator, professor, or other school personnel. If holding this activity in the community, like a library, you can invite a coworker or supervisor from your agency or ask the library administrator to act as the interviewer. This is especially helpful if planning to attend a job fair with students.