NWNY hosts first interview training session of 2017

Written by Daria Kurdyukova

Participants at NWNY’s March 16 mock interview session.

Confidence, power, anxiety, energy, inspiration, help, openness, engagement, empowerment, excitement, positivity, gratitude — these are some of the words that participants of 2017’s first NWNY Mock Interview Session used to describe the event.

Held on March 16 at the Centre for Social Innovation, the event’s main goals were to help immigrant women in NYC gain confidence, improve their job interview skills, and connect with professionals from a variety of industries. 10 graduates and participants of the LEAD program joined as mock interviewees, alongside 9 professionals playing the role of mock interviewers.

After a warm-up led by NWNY founder Arielle Kandel, mock interviewees and mock interviewers slit up for some preparation time.

Mock interviewees sat with  Kathy Kelly, presentation and media coach, and NWNY outreach and development manager Abbey Kurtz, to hear preparation reminders and tips.

Kathy explained how to properly shake hands in the US, a skill that can make a big difference during interviews, and encouraged interviewees to smile and be themselves: “You need to feel that you are the one they want and believe in that,” she explained. Abbey then answered participants’ questions regarding interview questions, time, and feedback.

After this preparation time, Arielle gathered all participants, and paired each mock interviewer with her first mock interviewee. A first round of 40min interviews was conducted, followed by a 2nd round of 30min with different pairs of mock interviewers and mock interviewees.

After the two rounds of interviews, Abbey and Kathy debriefed with LEAD graduates and participants how it went.

Stefania Cruz, a LEAD graduate, said she attended the mock interview session because she wanted to move forward in her career and prepare to find another job. She found this opportunity to refresh her job skills very helpful: “I was surprised that I felt very relaxed — normally it does not happen that way,” Cruz said. “I was happy to get good feedback and I have a few things to change.”

Another LEAD graduate, Larissa Faustino, explained that she currently has a job but in a different field than she would like to be in. She came because she previously knew nothing about job interviews in the US. “I work in the Academy which is a completely different interview process from the real world,” Faustino told me. “I thought it would be a great experience talking to people.”

Following the debriefing, a NWNY volunteer, Monica Foote, also assistant director at Project Renewal, came to explain participants how they could benefit from the employment services offered by her organization: “We really help you to find the right job for you. If you have an idea about your future job, we help you with everything that you need for getting that job,” she said.

At the end of the session, Arielle led an exercise that all participants of the LEAD program already knew. Each person tossed a ball made up of colorful rubber bands and said one word about the experience they just had. The ball, Arielle explained, represented each of the participants — people coming together from different backgrounds.