Almost everyone at some point goes through an interview process. It could part of applying to college, an internship, a job, or — in the case of my students — high school. Yes, high school.

In the Catholic school system in NOLA, high school begins in 8th grade, and students are not guaranteed spots in a particular school. Each student fills out an application, attends a day of placement testing, and {depending on the school} participates in an interview. Because the idea of an interview with a high school administrator can be overwhelming to a 12 or 13 year-old, I offer mock interviews as a resource for my students.

When it gets close to interview time, I go into each 7th grade class with a sign up sheet for anyone who is interested in a practice interview. From that list, I create a schedule and assign a date and time to each student.

Because I think it builds responsibility {which they will definitely need as they transition into high school}, each student is responsible for showing up on the right day at the right time of his or her scheduled interview. With very few exceptions, my 7th graders do a great job remembering and keeping their appointments, which makes me so proud.

The questions I ask are geared toward high school {i.e. Why do you want to attend _____ school? What extracurricular activities are you involved in? What do you think you could contribute to the school?}, but obviously questions could be adapted to any situation.

After the mock interview is over, I talk to the student about things he/she is doing well and things to work on before the actual interview. I also send them off with a tip sheet of best practices for any interview. {See below.}

Mock student interviews can be beneficial for high school counselors to do with seniors who will either be applying to college or for a job. They could also be a great addition to career lessons in elementary or middle school. After all, teaching these life skills to children can set up a strong foundation for the future.