Counseling and Career Services will be holding practice interviews for Simpson students at the end of November to help students become prepared for their real-life job searches.

The interviews will take place Nov. 30 from 12 to 4 p.m. in Camp Lounge.

“These interviews are to help students prepare for the real thing,” said Jill Rossiter, interim director of CCS. “The more practice you have, the better you get.”

These interviews are open to any students, especially juniors and seniors who will be graduating soon and interviewing for jobs. If students are interested, they need to call CCS and sign up in advance.

“It is a 20-minute interview with people in the business industry,” Rossiter said.

There will be employers from departments such as social sciences, laboratory sciences, computer sciences, management and marketing.

“If someone wants a mock interview in some other field, notify us and we will try to make arrangements,” Rossiter said.

Interviewers will include employees from Northwestern Mutual Financial and John Deere Credit. More may be added before the date of the mock interviews.

The interviews will be 20-minutes long with the employer, and then, after the interview, there will be a 10 minute session for feedback, which will review the interviewee’s strengths and first impression as well as some additional tips to work on.

“Each student will have the opportunity to practice their interview skills,” said CCS Career Specialist Jennifer Crow. “The employer will offer feedback and critique the student on areas to work on, as well as areas that they did well on.”

CCS also held an interview workshop Nov. 14.

“The mock interviews are an opportunity to practice interview skills as well as network with employers,” Crow said. “The workshops were informal, informational opportunities.”

Senior Jess Harvey, a communications intern at Des Moines Convention and Visitor Bureau, agrees the mock interviews will help students prepare for actual job interviews.

“I think the program is a very good idea,” Harvey said. “I think any time you give students an opportunity to prepare for what they are going to encounter after graduation, it is a good idea.”