Students at Cosumnes River College were given the opportunity to get on-campus preparation for job interviews on Monday in the Orchard Room.

This workshop was held for the third time by Courtnee Mack. She is the facilitator of the career center workshop series and is also the Student Personnel Assistant for the Career Center.

“I created this workshop because I was a hiring manager for a number of years and after interviewing students, I find that they were ill-prepared,” said Mack. “I wanted to make sure our students were prepared when they are going out to the work force.”

The purpose of a job interview is to exchange information with your employer, and a good interview is important and essential to getting a job.

The workshop’s objective was to prepare students for an interview and help them achieve their goals with their academic careers, Mack said.

The workshop provided a fully detailed pamphlet about interviewing strategies, how to successfully deliver in the interview and how to follow up with the potential employer.

“First impressions are the most important because they make or break the decision if you get the job,” Mack said.

Mack gave attendees advice on what to wear and examples on what to and what not to ask to an employer.

The attendees were engaged in the lecture and Mack helped them one by one if they had any questions. She helped teach how to identify students’ strengths and skills and how to use those to their advantage during an interview.

“This workshop was helpful because it provides students information about how to prepare for an interview that we usually don’t think of,” said 29-year-old Adrian Navarro, a history major. “I think it shows that the faculty members care about the students and want us to get jobs that will benefit us in our future.”

Mack also discussed the top questions employers ask and how to answer them.

One of her biggest tips about interviewing was to talk about the past, present and future. Mack said she wants students to use specific examples about their qualifications, education and their current work experience.

Whether the student gets the job or not is not based only on the conversation. Every detail about the interview is important. Mack said the interviewer is assessing your overall appearance and demeanor.

“The college should have these workshops more frequently,” said health information technician major Shaunell Glass, 43. “I think there should be mock interviews set aside and have students have time to practice one-on-one with a faculty member.”  

Mack said her number one tip for students is to see your career specialist and to take advantage of the college’s resources.

The workshop is held each semester – twice in the fall and one time during the spring, Mack said.

There will be a future networking event for students to meet employers. The Career and Future Fair is on April 27th from 10 – 1:30 p.m. in the quad.