Business students get job coaching from industry insiders

Business students received free mentoring from industry professionals at Nescot on Monday (November 26) to help get them ready for their careers.

Second-year Level 3 students were tasked to find a real-life job to apply for at a small firm or large organisation.

Their applications, together with the paperwork for the jobs, were then sent to a team of five members of Ewell Rotary Club, who attended the college to give mock interviews to the ‘candidates’.

Christina Andreou, Curriculum and Standards Coordinator for Business, said the day had been ‘invaluable’ for the students involved.

“The students took the task really seriously,” she added. “They researched the market, found jobs they were genuinely interested in, and then worked hard on their applications and interview preparation.

“It was invaluable for them to have objective feedback on everything from the quality of their written application to how they conducted themselves during the interviews, and that will really help them for the future.

“We’re really grateful to the members of Ewell Rotary Club for giving up their time to help the students, and we know the students will use the experience to prepare for their next steps.”

Student Rochelle Lapina had a mock interview for a job in interior design, and said she will use the feedback she got to help her apply for jobs in the future.

“I spent a lot of time preparing, so I was ready for most of the questions, and I got good feedback overall,” Rochelle said.

“It made me realise that your personal skills are really important too – you need to make good eye contact, answer the questions clearly and be able to think on your feet.”

The team of five Rotarians included Margaret Martin, a human resources professional with her own company, who has been a governor at Nescot since October 2017.

She was joined by a fellow HR director, as well as four other members of Ewell Rotary Club. Together the team of six had experience spanning industries including accountancy, banking and property as well as at companies including BT and Nestle.

“We were all glad to come in to help the students,” Margaret said. “I was impressed by how seriously they took the feedback, and I’m sure they will be an asset to their companies in the years to come.”