Each year we invite volunteers from businesses, colleges and universities to come in and interview our year 11s. For many of our students, this is the first time they have ever experienced an interview and it helps them prepare for college, university or job interviews that they will have in the future. It gives students the chance to learn from the experience in preparation for their first real interview, which might be for an opportunity that they care deeply about. This year we had volunteers from organisations such as Leeds Arts University, Leeds City College, HW Martin and Leeds City Council’s Employment and Skills team. We received some fantastic feedback from our volunteers:
Sophie Brook, West Yorkshire Combined Authority:
“I visit lots of different schools for mock interviews and Farnley is always the best organised. I was talking with another volunteer yesterday, and we agreed that Farnley students are a rare breed (in the best way)! Every single student put in so much effort for their interview question responses and appeared to genuinely want to do well. When I give feedback during the interview, they take it on board and apply it in their next responses. I didn’t speak to a single student this week who had no idea what they wanted to study in college or why.”
Clare Lucas, Elliott Hudson College:
“It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in the mock interview process. The students were well-prepared and engaging, and I thoroughly enjoyed my morning meeting them. It’s always rewarding to see how positively they respond to the experience.”
