WACC Students Get Job Interview Experience

March 30, 2022 at 11:02 p.m.
WACC Students Get Job Interview Experience
WACC Students Get Job Interview Experience

By Jackie Gorski-

Warsaw Area Career Center students were able to sharpen their interviewing skills during a workshop Wednesday.

There were community-led interviews with the 70 students in the Adult Roles and Responsibilities classes and the 12 students in the Job Achievement Graduates classes. This year, there were 25 various community leaders interviewing the juniors and seniors, said Dena Lancaster, Family and Consumer Science teacher.

Several years ago, Lancaster said the event was started because she wanted the students to learn not only to make resumes, but learn how to do interviews.

“Not only are they dressing for success, they’ve completed resumes, they’ve practiced interview skills. So when they’re meeting with the community leaders, the community leader kind of defined what that interview was going to look like - traditional, am I just going to give them pointers, am I going to act like they’re coming in for a position where I work - just to give them real world, hands-on this is how an interview should look like,” she said.

Every 10 minutes, the students met with a different community representative, so the students were meeting with four or five representatives. Some of the students are getting job offers, while “some of them are getting ‘here’s my card,’ some of them are getting ‘it was nice to meet you,’” she said.

A rubric was given to each representative. Lancaster said in the rubric, she’s not worried about the scoring, she looks more at the highlights: what the student did and didn’t do well and if the representative would hire that student. After the interviews are done, she meets with each student and goes over everything.

She said the event is put on twice a year and has probably been put on about 16 times.

She hopes from the event the student gets more confidence in their interviewing skills.

According to a list provided by Warsaw Community Schools, representatives from area businesses included Warsaw Community Schools, Zimmer Biomet, Work One, Community Grace of Warsaw, Male Fashions, Robinson Construction, Flexaust, Bowen Center, EMT of Warsaw, Work Box Staffing, SB Communications LLC, Wagon Wheel, Grace College, Winona Lake Fire Department, Cable Bullet, Cardinal Center and the Justice Building.

Warsaw Area Career Center students were able to sharpen their interviewing skills during a workshop Wednesday.

There were community-led interviews with the 70 students in the Adult Roles and Responsibilities classes and the 12 students in the Job Achievement Graduates classes. This year, there were 25 various community leaders interviewing the juniors and seniors, said Dena Lancaster, Family and Consumer Science teacher.

Several years ago, Lancaster said the event was started because she wanted the students to learn not only to make resumes, but learn how to do interviews.

“Not only are they dressing for success, they’ve completed resumes, they’ve practiced interview skills. So when they’re meeting with the community leaders, the community leader kind of defined what that interview was going to look like - traditional, am I just going to give them pointers, am I going to act like they’re coming in for a position where I work - just to give them real world, hands-on this is how an interview should look like,” she said.

Every 10 minutes, the students met with a different community representative, so the students were meeting with four or five representatives. Some of the students are getting job offers, while “some of them are getting ‘here’s my card,’ some of them are getting ‘it was nice to meet you,’” she said.

A rubric was given to each representative. Lancaster said in the rubric, she’s not worried about the scoring, she looks more at the highlights: what the student did and didn’t do well and if the representative would hire that student. After the interviews are done, she meets with each student and goes over everything.

She said the event is put on twice a year and has probably been put on about 16 times.

She hopes from the event the student gets more confidence in their interviewing skills.

According to a list provided by Warsaw Community Schools, representatives from area businesses included Warsaw Community Schools, Zimmer Biomet, Work One, Community Grace of Warsaw, Male Fashions, Robinson Construction, Flexaust, Bowen Center, EMT of Warsaw, Work Box Staffing, SB Communications LLC, Wagon Wheel, Grace College, Winona Lake Fire Department, Cable Bullet, Cardinal Center and the Justice Building.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092

e-Edition


e-edition

Sign up


for our email newsletters

Weekly Top Stories

Sign up to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every Sunday

Daily Updates & Breaking News Alerts

Sign up to get our daily updates and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox daily

Latest Stories


Statewide Silver Alert Declared For Woman From Warsaw
The Warsaw Police Department is investigating the disappearance of Melanie Wallen, a 52-year-old white female, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 100 pounds, blonde hair with blue eyes, last seen wearing a brown sweater, blue jeans, brown shoes and carrying a red purse.

Finley & Co Opens Center Street Location
Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting for Finley & Co., 217 E. Center St., Warsaw, Friday.

Hochstetler Chosen As DARE Essay Award Winner
NORTH WEBSTER - Wawasee Community Schools student Angel Hochstetler was selected as the 2024 Indiana DARE essay award winner.

County Council Approves Section Corner Backpay For Surveyor
When researching the salary requirements for the Kosciusko County surveyor this year, the county discovered it’s been in violation of state law for years regarding paying the surveyor for section corners.

Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony At The Village Set For Saturday
WINONA LAKE – The Village at Winona will hold its Christmas tree lighting ceremony Saturday.