Local teacher preps students to become future professionals

A part of stepping into adulthood is finding a job, b ut how early should children start preparing for job interviews?

As we move further into the digital age, the job market is ever-changing.

So, the students of today must be ready to adapt.

One local middle school teacher is already setting her students up for success.

Dressed in their professional clothes, with resumes in their hands, students of Ms. Alyison Waldrop’s career class at Crane Middle School prepared to wipe away their nerves and sit down for their first-ever job interviews.

Ms. Waldrop introduced this project as a way for her students to learn how to articulate themselves to showcase their skills.

She believes it’s important that her students learn interview skills early so that when they have their first real job interview, they feel prepared.

“The careers that are here now, five years from now might not be here. So it’s imperative that our students are able to adapt and be comfortable with the changes that are going to be thrown at them,” said Ms. Waldrop.

Students conducted mock job interviews with local professionals from diverse career backgrounds.

Interview questions ranged from their strengths and weaknesses to, if they were a superhero, who would they be?

One student, Roy Santos, an aspiring animator, said “I did good. It helped me relax. It helped me concentrate, keep eye focus and smile the entire time.”

Students were graded on eye contact, communication, and resume presentation.