Mock interviews put students through their paces

Health and Social Care students from Gower College Swansea's Tycoch campus recently attended mock interview sessions with local employers at an event organised by Lucy Turtle, the college's Enterprise Officer, and Gareth Price from Career Wales.

“It was superb to see all the students making such a great effort preparing for the day, which gave them an insight into what a real interview would entail," says Lucy. “They were all very fortunate to receive individual feedback on tips to improve their CVs and interview techniques. The students were thrilled with the outcome and their feedback was excellent."

Ricky-Lee Strawbridge: “At first I was very nervous but once I began to talk to the interviewer I became more confident. It made me think about my future and gave me loads of tips about interviews.”

Ashley Fry: “This experience has helped me so much – the great thing for me was that the interviewer said to ‘think of me as your best friend!’ It really helped me to relax and is great advice for future interviews!”

Hana Morgan: “The opportunity has been so helpful and more students should take it while they can.”

“The students were so proud of themselves and had their confidence boosted so much by the experience," adds Health and Social Care lecturer Tracey Caplin. "I really look forward to engaging even more of our students next year. What a fabulous opportunity for them in preparation for their future careers and what a boost to their theoretical knowledge about interview preparation within the classroom.”

The employers on the day included HSBC, Tata Steel, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Virgin Media and Lloyds TSB.

"It was a pleasure to visit Gower College Swansea to conduct the mock interviews with the students," says Nicola Jones from Tata Steel. "I believe they have now gained more confidence and will be ready for their next interviews with future employers."