Mock Interviews

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We also hope people considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to learn more about the things we are doing. More information about our department, including position descriptions, application information, and graduate and full-time staff profiles can be found on our recruitment website. Today's blog post was written by Gena Stack, Coordinator of Conference Services and part of the advisement team for Future Leaders in Student Affairs. Pictures provided by David Keys, Hall Director of the Wall & Grand Apartments and part of the advisement team for Future Leaders in Student Affairs.

 

As student affairs professionals, one of our most important charges is mentoring and guiding students who aspire to become professionals in the field. One way we address this at SIU Carbondale is through Future Leaders in Student Affairs (FLSA). FLSA helps students at all academic levels, from first-year students to graduate students, learn more about opportunities available to them in higher education and ways to take advantage of those opportunities. FLSA programs are planned by an advisement team; the 2012-2013 team consists of myself; David Keys, Hall Director of the Wall & Grand Apartments; and Jon Gorgosz, Assistant Hall Director in Mae Smith Hall. While not everyone attends all of our programs, FLSA currently has 50+ undergraduate students, 20+ graduate members, and nearly 60 faculty and staff who have expressed interest in involvement.

 

With interview season swiftly approaching, we recognized a need to prepare our students for placement exchanges and on-campus interview processes. On Thursday, February 7, we scheduled a résumé review session. Students brought their résumés and shared them professionals from across campus, including Keri Young, Director of Career Services at SIU Carbondale.

After receiving résumé feedback, our students were ready to hone their interview skills. We hosted two 3 1/2 hour interview blocks on Friday, February 15 and Monday, February 18. Students signed up for one of the Mock Interview sessions, and during their assigned time interviewed with four different professionals (or pairs of professionals) from different campus offices and attended a mock social. Interviews lasted 25-30 minutes, and "employers" were asked to spend the last five minutes of each session giving feedback to the "candidate".

Candidates waiting for their mock interviews

The mock social was a new component we introduced this year. Students in previous years gave feedback about feeling prepared for the interviews but overwhelmed and unsettled by socials, particularly those at placement exchanges. We provided light refreshments (so students would think about food choices and how they work/don't work in the setting) and asked all our participants to mingle for about 30 minutes. For an added twist, we distributed challenges to candidates and employers. Some employers were instructed to attempt to monopolize a particular candidate or avoid talking to candidates altogether; candidates were each given a top employer to particularly try to impress.

 

Mock Social

 

11 students went through the process as "candidates"; 7 graduate students and 4 undergraduates. 14 staff members served as "employers" - we were lucky to have faculty and staff volunteers from Student Involvement & Leadership Development, Fraternity & Sorority Life, Career Services, Residence Life, Student Rights & Responsibilities, Saluki First Year, and the department of Education Administration and Higher Education. The different experiences of our "employers" allowed our "candidates" to answer a wide range of questions and interact with people using a broad variety of interview styles and techniques.

Overall we received really positive feedback from the students who went through this process. Additionally, faculty and staff who were involved said it was a valuable way for them to practice their interview skills (particularly for those preparing to recruit) and a great way to meet and interact with students.