Assessment 2: Mock Interviews! (2 Weeks)

  Assalamualaikum readers!

After we're done with all the resumes and cover letters, we proceed to the second assessment, which is mock interviews. This assessment was created to prepare students for the real job interviews that they would soon go through during their job-seeking process after graduating from IKM. This topic was allocated two weeks, where the first week was for preparation, while the second week was for carrying out the assessment. 

The way the mock interview was carried is as follows; teachers exchange classes, meaning that we are not interviewing our own students but instead become panels for other classes. Then, marks are given by the panels, before it is reviewed by the class teacher to ensure fairness for all students. 

For your information, I was assigned to become the panel of my ex-students, who I taught last semester. What amused me was that these students actually requested that I DID NOT become their interviewer because they said that "Madam Nadia asks so many questions!", and the explanation for this will follow later on.

So, here's the SWOT analysis based on the results of the assessment this week. My analysis is based on the students that I interviewed, as well as the feedback was given by my own students. 

STRENGTH: When students say that I ask too many questions, they were actually referring to the fact that I have the tendency of asking KBKK questions, where students have to answer them based on their own experiences rather than through answer memorization. This means that students will have to think before they speak, besides having to construct their own sentences. This way, I can determine their English proficiency level, as well as their ability to think critically when asked impromptu questions. The fact that I only taught these students for several weeks, and yet was able to leave that kind of impact actually makes me proud because students are able to see the kind of teaching style I am trying to bring forth. I would prefer to see this in a positive light, where students know that they have to learn to think before they speak in my class.

WEAKNESS: Based on my colleagues' explanation, I discovered that my teaching style was actually quite uncommon among IKM lecturers. What I learned from this was that IKM students are usually pampered, where they are spoon-fed with answers to questions and would only be expected to memorize things rather than understand them. For example, during the interviews, when I asked students questions that are commonly asked during interviews, such as "What is your strength/ weakness?", most of their answers were okay, but they did sound rehearsed. The reason I say this is because their ways of answering would shift whenever I ask KBKK questions that require them to answer based on their personal experience, like "Share with me an experience where you managed to handle stress". For this question, most of them who initially sounded confident, became reluctant and even stammered while answering. There were even students who asked me to change my question because they did not have an answer to that.

OPPORTUNITIES: Having experienced mock interviews, students are now becoming more aware of the things they need to improve for their actual job interviews later on. Even though this is a part of the assessment, the main aim is to make students more prepared for the real world and I believe this activity managed to achieve that idea.

THREAT: Even though students are now exposed to the variety of questions that are most commonly asked during interviews, there is still the fact that in this new era, companies have come up with new ways to find candidates, such as through lunch interviews, in which these students have to be way more than prepared for. As much as we can do as teachers, it is still important for students to take their own initiative in bettering themselves, and all that's left to do for us is to pray for the best.

I really hope students will be able to improve as time goes by because as a teacher, it is definitely a dream of mine to see my students succeed in life.

That's it I guess for now.

Thank you so much fro reading up to this point. I truly appreciate it.

Yours, 

Nadia Aqila Roseland

Signing out.