Jones County High School’s College and Career Academy organized community-led mock interview sessions for students enrolled in third-year career pathway courses to gain real-world experience in preparation for their future careers.
According to the school’s Work-Based Learning & Youth Apprenticeship Program Coordinator Lori Varnadoe, the sessions provided 450 JCHS students the opportunity to engage in one-on-one interviews with local professionals, honing employability skills such as maintaining eye contact, enhancing listening abilities, and articulating their talents effectively.
Varnadoe discussed key elements the students were assessed on to help them learn the professional skills necessary for entering the workforce.
“Emphasis was placed on making a strong first impression, wearing business casual attire, and providing a professional introduction and closing statement. Each interview lasted ten to twelve minutes, with interviewers completing rubrics to provide comprehensive feedback,” the coordinator explained.
Varnadoe shared that student participants came from diverse curricular pathways, including Carpentry, Welding, Food Science, Healthcare, Heavy Equipment, Teaching, JROTC, Agriculture, Marketing, Audio/Video/Technology/Film, Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Programming/IT.
Students Faith Hudson and Emmie Edwards reflected on their experience from their mock interviews.
“The mock interview was a great opportunity to hear feedback on both my strengths and areas for improvement. I learned a lot and now know what I can work on to do better next time. It definitely helped me feel more prepared for future interviews,” Hudson said.
“The mock interview was incredibly helpful because it gave me real feedback I could use to improve. It made me feel more prepared for future job interviews and gave me the confidence to succeed,” Edwards added.
Varnadoe expressed her gratitude for the business community’s support in providing this educational experience for students.
“We are very appreciative of our business partners who actively work with us throughout the year with these programs to help ensure our students are college and career-ready,” she said.
Local business representatives commented on their involvement with the mock interview sessions.
Amanda Worthington from Lynn Haven Health & Rehabilitation has assisted with mock interviews for the past three years and is also a member of the governing board for the College and Career Academy. She shared her thoughts on the benefits of these mock interview sessions.
“From personal experience, my son got his first job by participating in the mock interviews here. He has been with that company for about three and a half years now. I have seen many past students I interviewed successfully enter the workforce,” she said.
She also highlighted the long-lasting impact of the mock interviews, noting the growth she has observed in returning students who have participated in the sessions before.
“I can tell from last year that some of the same students, who may not have been quite as prepared the first time, came back for a second time and were on point,” Worthington said.
Chris Zielinski from BASF and Chris Freeman from Georgia Power discussed the benefits of participating for business representatives and students.
“BASF has been involved in conducting interviews for some time, but this is my first time. It’s a bit nerve-wracking for us both, but we work through it together. This practice helps them and gives me practice for when I hire people,” Zielinski said.
“At Georgia Power, we believe in being a citizen wherever you serve. As part of our giving back to the community, we come and help these students, learning what it takes to be mentors ourselves that help students enter the workforce,” Freeman said.
Freeman also shared how the interview sessions can help students secure job opportunities.
“One of our community service initiatives is involvement, engagement, and helping grow the future workforce. At these interview sessions, we’re out here planting seeds, getting folks ready to come be a part of the Georgia Power family,” she stated.
Mike Parker from First Environmental Nationwide has assisted with the interviews for the past few years. He shared his observations about the characteristics of Jones County students.
“One of the traits that shines through is you have a core group of kids in Jones County who want to do better. They are gifted and have gone through a discipline here and learned some great things. What they need now is practical experience to help them secure a job,” he said.
Parked mentioned that his company previously hired a student from Jones County High School.
“We hired him based on a reference from the Agriculture Teacher and he is one of our best employees,” he said.
The Jones County College and Career Academy as a whole expressed its appreciation to business and industry partners for their expertise in making the mock interviews possible, including Atrium Health Navicent, Lynn Haven Health & Rehabilitation, First Environmental Nationwide, Georgia Power Company, Jones County School System, US Probation Office, BASF, Mid-State Synthetic Walls, Foothills Regional High School, Tri-Co Go, Collins Manufacturing Company, West Clinton Tire, Kamin, Central Georgia Technical College, Research Management Consultants Inc. (RMCI), Prince Service, James Bates Brannan Groover LLP, Triple S Steel, Music Medix, Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Middle Georgia State University, CW Matthews, Reeves Construction, JC Operation Early Intervention, Dairy Queen, and Speir & Associates.
Varnadoe emphasized the importance of community partnership with the school system and its impact on the students.
“Together, we’re building a career pipeline of qualified workers for central Georgia. The time, effort, and input from our partners are incredibly valuable, and we are thankful for the expertise they share,” she said.
Varnadoe also thanked several student helpers for their support in facilitating the interviews.
“A special thank you goes out to Ava Dunlap, Katelyn Hatcher, Malachi McDonald, and Rhett Perry for their professionalism and leadership in making the interviews a success.”
Varnadoe provided a concluding statement for this year’s sessions.
“This experience was a crucial part of preparing our students to be more confident and capable as they take the next steps toward their careers, equipped with the insights they need to succeed,” she said.
Anyone interested in participating in future events like this, guest speaking, or supporting other career development initiatives at Jones County College and Career Academy, can contact Lori Varnadoe at lvarnadoe@jones.k12.ga.us.
