English for Work Mock InterviewsMock Interviews

What to expect

Thank you for partnering with us!

Individuals assisting in Hopelink’s English for Work class mock interviews

can expect to:

• Be present for 3 hours and give two or three 25-minute interviews

• Provide written and oral interview feedback after each interview to

help students develop practical interviewing skills.

Although you will be role-playing the hiring manager of a business named in

a job posting selected by each of the students, past employers have found

(and subsequently hired) some strong candidates for their own companies.

About the English for Work Class

English for Work is a class for beginning, intermediate,

and advanced ESL students who are preparing to work in

the U.S. In this class, students learn to speak about their

skills and experience, search for jobs, write a resume and

a cover letter, perform a job interview, communicate via a cover letter, perform a job interview, communicate via

email, navigate U.S. work culture, and more!

Classes meet twice a week for one quarter. The class

moves quickly to prepare students to get a job in the U.S.,

and includes weekly online homework and one-on-one

coaching.

Who are the students?

Our students are adult immigrants and refugees who have come from all over

the world, and from all walks of life.

Some are highly educated and have been professionals in their native

countries; others may have come from more limited circumstances. countries; others may have come from more limited circumstances.

Some join the class nearly ready to enter the U.S. workforce, while others need

to improve their English and will need additional classes before they can begin

working.

All of them come with the hope of making a life in their new homeland.

Preparing students for an interview

Typically our students say that the interview is the most difficult/most feared

part of the job search process. Students often lack confidence in their oral

English communication skills.

The English for Work class seeks to help students build confidence in their The English for Work class seeks to help students build confidence in their

interview skills by offering two mock interview days.

The first of these is a short informal practice with volunteers.

The second is their opportunity to interview with real employers.

Employer Mock-interview Day

We expect each student to:

• come dressed appropriately

• provide a hard copy of their resume

• do two one-on-one interviews.

Students review questions and practice together

in a waiting area until they are called to do an

interview.

Room set-up

Hopelink is a busy, multi-purpose,

community action organization, so we use

a variety of rooms and shared spaces for a variety of rooms and shared spaces for

our mock interviews.

A staff member or volunteer will guide you

to your space.

The interview process: step by step

1. You will receive an interview time schedule,

and for each student you interview, we will

A staff member will go through the following information with you step by step prior to the interviews.

and for each student you interview, we will

provide a folder containing the student’s

resume and a job posting, along with copies

of the interview questions and of the

feedback documents*

*We will send an email with copies of the

questions and feedback forms for you to

preview before the mock-interview day.

The interview process: step by step

2. Once you have reviewed the information in the

folder, go to the waiting area. Call the name of the

student. Greet him/her and introduce yourself. Ask

a small talk question -- for example, “Did you have

any trouble getting here today?” Take the student any trouble getting here today?” Take the student

to your interview station and ask him/her to sit

down.

3. Ask the interview questions in any order, taking

notes as needed. You can ask any additional

questions you feel are needed to ascertain the

student’s ability to perform the job. Please stay

within the time allotted on your schedule.

The interview process: step by step

4. End the interview with a polite closing and ask the

student to wait while you fill out the feedback

forms.

5. Talk about the results with the student. Focus on

the interview. This is not the time to give resume the interview. This is not the time to give resume

feedback.

6. Optional: At this time you are welcome to share

information about any open positions in your

company.

7. Give the folder and all documents to the student

and ask him/her to return to the waiting room.

Be Calm and Confident

On mock interview days, many students

feel nervous. Your calm, friendly, composed

demeanor can provide just the encouragement

and support they need to prepare them for

actual job interviews. actual job interviews.

Thank you for your willingness to help

our English for Work students develop

confidence in their interviewing skills.

Your time and expertise make a difference!