The first workshop set up by the Science and Employability module was the ‘Interview Workshop’, this was split into two sections with the first hour being a critical thinking task and the second hour being interview practises.
Critical Thinking
After being split into small groups a task was presented to the room. This particular task was to decide on ten items from a list of 35 that would allow the entire group to survive if your plane crashed on a mountain in the Winter with no idea of how long it would take to be rescued. Some of these items were more comical such as the ‘3 x size 8 women’s promotional pink ‘Barbie’ branded fleece-lined tracksuits’ and some were items typically found in survival kits such as the ‘whistle’ and ‘signal flares’.
This task was used in order to show a typical task given at an assessment centre during the recruitment process and to allow feedback from an assessor on how each ‘candidate’ reacted to the task.
Interview Practises
During the interview section of this workshop each ‘candidate’ was asked three typical interview questions. Feedback on the answers given was presented by both the assessor and peers who were asking the questions.
My Thoughts and My Career
Throughout this process it was highlighted by my assessor that I tend to result to humour when I am under pressure, this was presented as both a positive and a negative point as it worked as an icebreaker to put the group at ease in the critical thinking task but is not suitable for interviews. I found this feedback very useful as it pinpointed areas that I need to work on in the future.
I found the critical thinking task very useful as it made me aware of my role within a group and how an assessor may see this. My group was a very inclusive group allowing everyone to voice their opinion and deciding on the items taken based on a majority vote. This was relayed to us as a positive by the assessor as it showed a good ability to work as a group.
The second task, interview practises, I thought was much more difficult as it was a more pressurised situation. I found that as the process moved on I felt more at ease with my second and third answer being much more concise than my first, this was also brought up in my feedback. I also noticed that I am able answer questions more easily if I can link them to topics that I am interested in.
Overall I found that interview practise in a pressurised situation was helpful in giving me realistic feedback that I can use in order to improve for job interviews in the future. I think that this workshop has not changed my career plans but it has given me tools that I can use in the future to succeed in getting a job.
Bethan's Blog 