In an effort to help relieve pre-job interview nerves, the Commerce Students’ Association (CSA) is set to hold their bi-annual mock interview series from Oct. 4-6.

Over the three-day period, representatives from various companies in Manitoba will be coming to the university to interview commerce students for fake positions at their respective companies. The students are assigned an interviewer based on their area of study.

Jaysa Nachtigall, president of the CSA, said she felt that the mock interviews are one of the most beneficial programs offered by the CSA.

She commented that, for her, doing a mock interview with Manitoba Hydro last year was a real eye-opener as to what to expect when interviewing with a Crown corporation.

While it is too late for commerce students to sign up this month’s mock interviews, another round of interviews will take place Jan. 24-26. Registration for these mock interviews will begin on the first day of the winter term.

For those who weren’t able to squeeze in to the CSA’s latest round of mock interviews, the University of Manitoba provides a variety of resources to help students polish their interview skills through the Career Services office — including their own mock interview program.

The site features a new tool called Webshops, which is a combination of audio and visual advice on how to ace an interview. The online tutorial provides pointers to help students better understand what employers are looking for and how to avoid making common job interview mistakes.

The most common fear going into an interview is not being able to control what is going to happen, said Lynda Peto, an employment advisor at Career Services.
“The biggest thing is preparation,” Peto stressed. “The more prepared you are, the more confident you will be.”

The Webshops feature covers every aspect of preparation, from what kind of questions you should expect to how to dress for an interview.
“First impressions do count,” Peto commented.

“Within 20 second of meeting you, employers are already forming an opinion of you”.

In addition, Career Services also offers job interview workshops and one-on-one advising sessions. The next job interview workshop will be on Oct. 13, which students can register for at the Career Services office, located at 474 University Centre.