Mock interviews were held at Niagara High School for all seniors. From left, seated, are MJ Electric employees Randy McDonald, Joe Champeau and Joe Johnston; standing are seniors, Eastan Holmes, Gavin Neuens and Dante Stachowicz.

NIAGARA, Wis. — Interviewing for a job can make even seasoned professionals nervous. Given the high stakes of an interview, every bit of preparation helps before students go after their dream jobs.

As a result, mock interviews were recently conducted by area business professionals for all seniors at Niagara High School. This is the 25th year that mock interviews have been conducted for NHS students.

Seniors applied for jobs that coincided with possible occupational prospects offered by these businesses and were interviewed for these positions.

Students learned how to prepare for employment in their College Preparatory English IV class by submitting resumes and cover letters to these business professionals before their mock interviews.

Each student also worked on developing a portfolio to show examples of his or her skills. The comprehensive portfolios also included student transcripts, letters of recommendation, career assessment data, and research concerning interviewing techniques.

The job interview was followed by a detailed evaluation from the interviewer(s) that included a 130-point graded rubric with comments about the overall meeting.

The final self-evaluation will take place in the classroom with their instructor, Ginger Anderson, and will focus on what students did well and areas of improvement.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our high school seniors. Many find that the actual interview format is completely new to them,” stated Ginger Anderson. “At the end of the interview, there is a chance for an informal question-and-answer session. Students have claimed that the detailed feedback given by these business professionals has been exceedingly beneficial in preparing them for future employment.”

NHS seniors would like to thank the interview panel for their continued support of this vital career-prep program. This year’s panel included Randy McDonald, Joe Champeau, Joe Johnston, Audrey Fredrick, Robert Sauld, Megen Wagner, Terry Hanson and TJ Liebergen.