Posted 16 July 2018

Thursday 12^th July

All of Year 12 from Bradford Academy were invited to attend a formal conference style event to begin thinking about their future options Post-16 & Post-18.

The morning event allowed students to access their UCAS accounts online and start thinking about what a good personal statement looks like. The students also undertook 2 mock interviews – 1 conducted by a local employer and 1 conducted by an employee of a local HE provider, to give students a comparative experience.

For many students, this was their first formal interview experience, and while some found the questions challenging, I feel that all students came away from the experience feeling positive and motivated. Each student received verbal feedback at the end of the interview, as well as a detailed written copy to take away with them – this is vital for students looking to improve their interview skills. Students were also given a question bank to use at home for practice and preparation for upcoming interviews.

This was a great opportunity for students to network within a professional setting and speak directly to employers and HE colleagues about what they look for in a candidate. The day was topped off with the fantastic news that 1 student was offered a part-time job as a result of his mock interview – the employers were extremely impressed with his performance and they invited him to complete his final section of the application process within the company.

Claire Dean from Bradford College, said “I really enjoyed meeting your students and it was a pleasure to work with them. They were all well-presented, polite and respectful and all keen to learn what they could about HE and how to present themselves at interviews.”

 

Catherine Garbutt

NCOP Higher Education progression Officer

Bradford Academy