Mock Interviews and Company Meetings Teach Students Real Life Lessons

Students gathered inside the Great Hall on this overcast Tuesday morning for their mock interviews. All throughout the hall were chairs set up for curious interviewers and nervous interviewees. Students dressed up in suits, ties, skirts, and dresses to impress their interviewer. Students described their attributes to the interviewers that would make them most attractive for the job they applied for. The mock interviews are a great opportunity for students to learn about the interview process and gain an edge for their future in the workplace. These interviews not only help students to know what to expect when applying for a job, they show the students that interviews aren’t as scary or intimidating as they think. Many students who applied for jobs were awarded their job and a valuable experience of practicing their speaking skills.

After the mock interviews were complete and students filled up on the delicious food at the dining hall, the students listened to a Shareholders Address by Jeff Munneke from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Munneke taught the students about the sports business and how to keep fans coming back to the games.

Each company has three sections: marketing, finance, and operations. After the Shareholders Address, the students split up into their sections and went to breakout sessions that taught them in depth about what their part in the company is responsible for. Students learned how to use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to present their finance numbers, to transport goods domestically or internationally in operations, to successfully market their product or service to a target audience, and much more. These breakout sessions encourage the students to work together as teams to figure out the business plan.

Students will continue to work on their business plans in depth throughout the rest of the night. After a few productive hours of company meetings to start up the business plan, the students have options to watch a movie in the auditorium or play basketball in the gym!