Northwest students sit for mock interviews

Northwest Missouri State University students recently got a taste of what it's like to be out of school and hunting for a job.

The university held its biannual mock interview day on Wednesday, an event that gives students and real-world employers a chance to talk about the right and wrong way to go about selling oneself on the employment market.

In a tough economy, more and more Northwest students, mostly juniors and seniors, have taken advantage of the program in recent years.

Stacey Stokes, Northwest's career development coordinator, said that well over 300 interviews were scheduled for Wednesday. Close to 40 employers participated representing a wide variety of career opportunities.

"The value provided from this event is that the students get face-to-face time with people in their industry," Stokes said. "They get that interaction, and along with it comes very valuable feedback."

That feedback can be very important in a competitive job market full of eager fresh-out-of-college job seekers.

Brandin Bovay, a senior majoring in instrumental music education, had an interview lined up with the Blue Springs school district.

"It really is going to be my first step towards getting into the industry," Bovay said. "It will let me know what they are looking for in interviews and employees."

Seniors Kaleigh Williams and Chandra Shurvington were preparing for their interviews in a lounge on the third floor of the J. W. Jones Student Union.

Shurvington, an art education major, said she saw her mock interview as an opportunity to get the first such encounter under her belt.

"It's great that this can help get all of the interview jitters out that you have," she said.

"It's good practice to work out the nervous feelings and to learn the questions employers will ask. It helps to be prepared."

Williams, who hopes to graduate soon with a middle school teaching degree, shares her classmate's viewpoint.

"I think that this really prepares you for the experiences you are going to face," Williams said. "It takes away that feeling of not knowing how things will go."

Mock interview day has been held at Northwest for a number of years, and Stokes and other university staffers say the experience is valuable for students about to leave the relative security of college life behind.

"It is a wonderful networking opportunity for the students," Stokes said. "It's a great chance for them to see what their industries have to offer and to learn some of the expectations of potential employers."