A phrase you may hear often if you spend any time at Central Campus is “Future Ready.” It’s a simple expression to sum up the complex work that goes into helping students plan and prepare for what comes after high school, whether it’s enrolling in college, seeking employment, or enlisting in the armed forces.
Over the past month, that work has included a focus on a fundamental yet important component of being future ready: the job interview.
Last month, Central Campus students took two big steps to prepare for the real thing:
- February 8: Students learned interviewing skills taught by Future Ready coaches to help build confidence and prepare for mock interviews later in the month.
- February 19-23: Students took their new skills and had mock interview with adult volunteers from 61 area businesses and organizations, receiving feedback and tips in preparation for future job interviews.
In total, 348 Central Campus seniors took part in the process.
Kelsie Mouchka, an associate principal at Central Campus, said it was an overwhelmingly positive experience for students, with 98% saying it was good practice for their future.
Mouchka also shared stories from students about what this program meant for them: “One student came in saying that because of their disability, they could not interview and would never hold a job. That student left smiling and knowing that they were going to rock their interview with Blank Park Zoo! Another student is going to age out of foster care in the next few months. She left with two new interview outfits and will apply at Unity Point because her goal in life is to serve others.”
More than a hundred students even got a new outfit for their interviews from the school’s clothing closet. What if the clothes didn’t fit right? No problem. The Central Campus fashion program helped with alterations.
Tuesday of this week was the main event: more than 40 employers from metro Des Moines were set up in the gym to interview the students for real jobs. The Career Fair was one more big step in students becoming “Future Ready.”
