Cleveland Heights-University Heights' Open Doors Scholars Develop Valuable Interview Skills

Feeling prepared for a job interview can be intimidating, especially for a high school student who is going into their first ever interview. But for the students in Heights High School’s Open Doors Academy, they are now a little more confident about the process after experiencing mock interviews.Recently, Heights High’s Open Door Academy (ODA) members have been learning how to build their resumes and how to prepare for an interview. The students also identified which career clusters - occupations in the same field of work that require similar skills - match their interests, activities they enjoy, and personal qualities. Under the guidance and support of Eric Thomas (ET) and DeAnna Wilson, the school’s program coordinators, in addition to Chrissy Howard Smith of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.), the students felt prepared for the mock interview panels that took place on March 9.

And for twenty ODA members, the panels felt like “a real interview” where they were asked about their goals and interests as well as how they plan to reach their goals in the future. The students also learned a lot about the interview process through helpful feedback. “They seemed intrigued by my answers and told me I asked good questions,” said 10th grader Janelle Steiner.The students’ also had the opportunity to ask their own questions to the panel, similar to what they may ask in an actual interview. “I asked them questions about potential job descriptions,” said 10th grader Brookelyn Peacock, “and if there were opportunities to grow in the field.”

Jason Kustron, the Chief Program Officer for ODA, was proud of how seriously Heights High's ODA members took the mock interviews and the valuable feedback they received. “It was a tremendous event, and our scholars were engaged and highly professional throughout the process.” The students’ participation in the mock interview process served as a great way in their preparation for the upcoming application process for ODA/Y.O.U. paid summer internship program or for other summer work experiences.

Open Doors Academy is a Greater Cleveland-based nonprofit organization working to level the educational playing field for scholars by offering comprehensive out-of-school time programs and support for students and families in grades K-12 and at least one year out of high school.