Mock job interviews at Huntley H.S.

Students in a career development class at Huntley (Ill.) High School participated today in a series of mock job interviews to gain practical experience as they prepare for graduations. Many of the students already had part-time jobs or were participating in serious community service projects, some of which involve a minimum of 12 hours of volunteer time each week.

I was invited to be one of the interviewers and enjoyed 12-14 conversations with five different students. Each arrived with an excellent resume and a portfolio that he or she had assembled during the year. The five whom I interviewed were well prepared, and I heard comments from other interviewers that their experiences had been similar to mine.

One student had just been promoted yesterday at his part-time job at a major grocery chain. He had been working as a bagger and cart collector and described the work rules that must be followed, such as proper bagging procedures (no, Gus, the tomatoes don't go on the bottom and the watermelon on top), limiting the number of carts to be pushed at one time and wearing the reflectorized vest in the parking lot, and offering carry-out assistance to every customer. He had noticed over the past week that new baggers were being hired. And last night management promoted him to checker, for which he will now receive 30 hours of intensive training and supervision.

These students have been very well prepared for next year's college and community college work and for job hunting in the "real" world. My congratulations to teacher Mary Graft at Huntley High School for a job well-done in preparing these students for the next step after high school.