They already know how to prepare for a job interview

– – It’s a simulation of a recruitment interview in English, but also general preparation for a job interview, because the better our students learn the principles and structure of such a meeting with an employer, the better they will perform at it in the future, explains Eliza Ostaszewska, an employment counsellor in the BUT Career Development and Alumni Relations Office.

– More and more often job interviews are conducted in English. That’s why it is important for our students to gain self-confidence and freedom in using this language – emphasises Michał Citko, a lecturer of English and the head of the BUT Foreign Language Centre. – The job interview is not a part of the formal English language course, but many of our lecturers, observing the demand from the labour market and students, include it in the course. We introduce the elements of a job interview, how to prepare for it, what questions to ask and how to answer. Mock Job Interview is an opportunity for students to test these skills in practice.

During the Mock Job Interview, the BUT Foreign Language Centre and the BUT Career Development and Alumni Relations Office invited students to participate in workshops and presentations preparing for job interviews. There were small talks and conversations with native speakers, individual consultations with an employment counsellor on LinkedIn profile and creating a valuable CV, as well as simulations of job interviews in English with recruiters from companies cooperating with Bialystok University of Technology: LBPro Sp. z o.o., West Rock, acaisoft, Biawar. Many people took the opportunity to take part in a photo session, which was offered by photographers associated with the Student Photo Agency.

Nearly 120 people took part in today’s Mock Job Interview.

– Thanks to the promotion of the first edition of the event, we can observe increasing interest – students already know what to expect here and are choosing specific events from the programme. Over 80 people decided to register in advance and participate in selected workshops. We also have many students who come during the event. For them we have prepared the so-called small talk with experts who mingle with the participants, or conversations with native speakers. We are glad that students from other Białystok universities took interest in our Mock Job Interview – says Katarzyna Kochaniak from the Foreign Language Centre of Bialystok University of Technology.

– I really liked the workshop “Job interview in puzzles and games”. It allowed me to break through and open up to the language. I also learnt some practical ways of preparing for a recruitment interview – said Gabriela Dec, a student of the Faculty of Engineering Management.

Her classmate Martyna will remember the small talk with Mr Michał Citko. – I did not expect it at all, but that short conversation taught me a lot: how to start a small talk, which topics to avoid and which to stick to, which questions not to ask. It was a very interesting experience.

I consider taking part in the Mock Job Interview as good practice and a form of testing myself. It opens up horizons,” said Robert Piłaszewicz, a logistics student at the Faculty of Engineering Management.

Żaneta and Monika are studying economics and law at the University of Bialystok. They decided to participate in the Mock Job Interview at Bialystok University of Technology mainly because of the opportunity to test their language skills. – We know that English is nowadays the key for applying for a job or going on an Erasmus trip. Here we could see if we can speak English freely.

Mock Job Interview is an example of an initiative that brought together two units of Bialystok University of Technology in joint action for the benefit of students, supporting their entry into the labour market. Experts from the Foreign Language Centre provided for content for the event and organised various thematic workshops. The BUT Career Development and Alumni Relations Office enriched the programme with business trainings. It also invited local companies to simulate job interviews. A panel for exchanging experiences between students was organised for the first time.

The Mock Job Interview took place in the friendly space of the Centre for Modern Education of Bialystok University of Technology.

(mr)