Last week saw our Careers Practice Interview evening for our Year 13 students.

The evening was arranged by our Head of HE and Careers, Mr Meadway, who would like to thank those that helped to make the evening a success, from all staff, in particular, our IT department to all the volunteer interviewers from a variety of industries; engineering, chemical, computer science, veterinary medicine, languages, dentistry, architecture, musical theatre, politics, business management, mathematics, physiotherapy, and medicine.

All interviews were conducted via zoom to our volunteers across the country and even one in New York - thanks to Old Hymerian, Henry Morris.

"I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to help with the medical interview practice on Thursday. It reminded me what a brilliant institution Hymers is - turning out pupils who are not only intelligent academically but well-rounded people who have interests outside the classroom and can think for themselves. I'm so pleased to have had the opportunity to re-engage with the school "Jeremy Campbell, OH

Here are some comments from our students:

“Was a very informative night. Learnt lots and feedback was very detailed and good.”

“I felt that it was a rewarding experience. I was able to learn what I was strong at and what I have to work on. The interviewers were helpful and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.”

“The interviewers were all friendly and lovely to talk to. The interview was great and I received lots of good, detailed feedback.”

“Practising with interviewers helped me get over my nerves when talking to people about my-self. Their constructive criticism was also very helpful.”

“It was very good experience to see my weaknesses and I feel much more confident and prepared. Thank you very much.”

“Made me realise I need to do alot more preparation for the real interview and gave me a feel for what it was like.”

“All the interviewers were excellent and gave really good feedback. It’s helped me feel much more prepared for my interviews now.”

“Both of my interviewers were extremely helpful and friendly. I expected the experience to be very intimidating but instead, I found it so helpful and they were very encouraging. It was an extremely beneficial experience and I am so grateful to the school and the interviewers for providing that valuable practice! Thank you.”

“I found the feedback from my interviewers very useful. They were really nice and went through my personal statement, pointing parts out which universities could ask too. Within the feedback, they gave their ideas and extra information on how to answer questions: e.g. Is using children in vaccine trials ethically correct? It was my first time knowing what pharmacy interviews are like. I was very nervous at the beginning, all day, but after this experience, the idea of interviews is no longer nerve-wracking.”

“The interviewers were very knowledgable and gave you in detail feedback on what you need to work on. Also, how to answer difficult questions. They were really nice people but also stimulated what the real experience is going to be like. Very helpful!!”

“I was initially very nervous as I didn't know what to expect and was scared of not answering the questions well. The evening was very organized which helped to ease my nerves. Also, the examiners were kind and made me feel more comfortable. I found that I was able to answer the questions much better than I thought and the feedback given after the interviews were very helpful making my weaknesses clear for me and allowed me to realize which areas I need to work on. I feel much more confident now and feel this experience has helped to show me what to expect in the real interviews.”

“The interviewers were encouraging and helpful, providing invaluable advice on how to tackle common questions and remain calm during the process.”

“The interviews were very friendly and helpful and the interviews have set realistic standards for me.”

“It didn’t feel like an interview. It felt like I was just discussing the profession. She made me feel less nervous about my actual interview.”

“It was very nerve-wracking but it was so so helpful. They helped me so much with my confidence and really showed me that I should believe in myself. Both interviewers kept the interview so professional, so it felt like a real interview. Their constructive criticism was beyond helpful and I have written so many notes. I am so so grateful that we had the opportunity to meet with these practice interviewers as they had so much experience with primary teaching. They were so lovely and encouraging, but also so helpful and kind.”