Your first ever job interview can be a nerve-wracking experience. So, to help ease school-leavers’ interview anxieties, 14 Driver Hire Group Services staff spent a day at Dixon’s City Academy in Bradford conducting mock interviews with 160 Year 11 pupils.
“It’s all part of Driver Hire’s community investment strategy,” says Group Marketing Director, Richard Owen-Hughes, who was one of the interview team which comprised staff from all parts of the business. “We’ve been doing the mock interview day for several years. The pandemic put a stop to it in 2020 and 2021. It’s great to back.”
To make the process as ‘real life’ as possible, students prepared a CV which their interviewer perused prior to the interview. Alongside educational achievements and their predicted grades, students listed their strengths, their skills and any outside interests. During a 15-minute interview, Driver Hire’s team challenged students to think about problem solving, teamwork and where they hoped they might be in ten years’ time. Students were also given immediate feedback on how well they’d performed.
“Whilst it means finding time in already busy schedules, everyone agreed that Dixon’s big interview day’ is such a worthwhile thing to do – both for us and for the students. We were impressed with how they presented themselves and how well they conducted their interviews. Whether they choose to remain in academia or go into the world of work, Driver Hire wishes them every success,” Richard concluded.
Tom Lorryman, Dixon’s City Academy’s Head of Careers added: “Naturally some of our students were very nervous ahead of the interview. They were absolutely buzzing afterwards. It’s been a really valuable insight into the world of work and the type of questions they might be asked in a real job interview. That’s so important when it comes to successfully finding a job. From our students and Dixon’s City Academy we send a massive vote of thanks to all the Driver Hire interview team.”