Fully 966 students had one-on-one mock interviews this year, thanks to the stellar volunteers of the Portland Human Resource Management Association (PHRMA) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). An additional 100 students were able to participate in workshops on interviewing and resume writing.

“The kids get a great experience and so do the volunteers,” said Pamela Mack, president of PHRMA. As for the Expo itself, she added, “I was impressed that many of the kids were ‘on a mission’ to come and learn about certain jobs.”

In our annual post-Expo survey, educators cited mock interviews as one of the most beneficial parts of the Expo. Fully 100 percent of educators whose students participated in mock interviews rated the experience as “excellent” or “good.”

Here are a few of their comments:

  • “The mock interviews were the best part of the experience. My students always walk away feeling more prepared for the ‘real deal.’ “
  • “The mock interviews {were most beneficial}, but the resume writing center and all of the exhibits were also great!”
  • “The mock interview is essential for our students. It is often their first try at an interview. The opportunity to get that experience and to get scores and feedback is essential. We also use it for IEP {individual education plans} and feedback in goals, etc. Thanks for helping us by having this available!”

Learn more about mock interviews here.

Return to our Expo virtual tour.

Expo 2015: Students sharpen their job-search skills with mock interviews