1. KACE SWAP SHOP Exchanging Best Practices for Student Mock Interviews
Anne DeLuca, Assistant Director
Dana Nordyke, Assistant Director
Kansas State University Career Center

2. Anne DeLuca Dana Nordyke
INTRODUCTIONS
Anne DeLuca
Dana Nordyke

3. AGENDA Positive learning environments Authentic responses
Tips, tricks, and tools
Open discussion

4. POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Physical Space
Minimal distractions - clean your desk
Make sure your space is accessible or you have immediate access to an accessible, private space
Noise Level
Disclosure
Can be very awkward for students to ask about.
Have handouts within arms reach.
Include information about criminal records,
H1B sponsorship, or accomodations.

5. POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS
Assessment
Have you had an interview before?
What are your goals for this session?
Has anyone ever given you any verbal feedback before?
Adjustment
Can you go through the interview at a normal pace- or should you slow down? Let them drive.
Can you provide criticisms after each question? How much criticism is too much?
How do we react?

6. POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Timeouts (1st mock interview)
Allow the student the opportunity to take a timeout if they get flustered or just want to talk something through
You can also take a timeout
Interrupting
Sometimes a student just needs to work through a few questions - get the nerves out
Try to minimize interruptions

7. AUTHENTIC RESPONSES Strengths- “I don’t have any!” -Help Identify!
“You seem organized, is that true?”
“You work with kids a lot, does that mean you’re patient?”
Ask someone close to you what your strength is. What do people come to you for?
StrengthsQuest
Weaknesses
What would you go to a conference to improve?

8. QUESTION: Why should I hire you?
AUTHENTIC RESPONSES
QUESTION: Why should I hire you?
You’re the owner!!! How would a student convince you to hire them?
Think of 3 reasons.
Remind them- Typically when you read a job description you think “yeah I can do that job!” but it doesn’t matter. It matters if you can ARTICULATE AND PROVE to someone that you can do the job!
What are your unique skills and experiences?

9. AUTHENTIC RESPONSES Conflict Questions
Be careful about WHO you pick as the conflict person.
Be mature and show that you are ABOVE the conflict.
Heading down the slippery slope.

10. TOOLS Repetition and Transitions
“There are three reasons you should hire me”
The first reason is:
The second reason is:
Finally the third reason is:
“That’s why you should hire me”
This helps students start strong and end strong!

11. TOOLS Behavioral Questions PAR = Problem, Action, Result
STAR = Situation/Task, Action, Result
Start strong, end strong
Linear not circular
Evidence
Every claim should have evidence to support it

12. TOOLS Articulation Tools Verbal pauses Newscaster Interviewstream
How to properly use your notes
Managing Nerves
Positive self talk
Think you can you will
Negatives circle in your subconscious
Breathing/Oxygen flow
Fight or flight response

13. QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION
Imagine you were back in your FIRST year of advising/coaching candidates. What is a tip or trick you wish someone would have told you?
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