(WACO, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Career Services department hosted TSTC students for a two-day interview practicum on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and Thursday, Feb. 22.
“It took a lot of communication between the new program team leads and instructors to let them see the importance of the students getting mock interviews,” said Peter Collier, a coordinator in the Career Services department at the Waco campus.
The practice interviews were done at TSTC’s Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center. Students received up to three opportunities to be interviewed by TSTC staff and representatives of some of the college’s industry partners.
“It’s a good way to get rid of the jitters,” said Cody Wise, of Marlin, a Diesel Equipment Technology student scheduled to graduate in the spring. “They can teach you how to communicate. You can know some of the general questions (for interviews).”
Wise said he talked about his welding experience, along with his time in the U.S. Army, during his practice interviews.
Some of the interview questions focused on whether students liked working separately or in groups, conflict resolution, safety issues, and their educational experience.
Jennifer Torres, a Central Texas recruiter for Caliber Collision, worked with two Auto Collision and Management Technology and three Diesel Equipment Technology students during the event. Some of the feedback she gave students included showing more interest during the interview process and maintaining eye contact.
“You have to make it sound like you are one of the best being interviewed,” Torres said.
Devon Flemming, a second-semester Plumbing and Pipefitting Technology student from Killeen, said he wanted to learn all he could about doing a good job interview. He said one of the people he interviewed with told him to elaborate more on the hands-on work he did in the program.
“I love it,” Flemming said about the plumbing program. “Ever since I started, in every way, it has grown on me.”
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.
