Eagle business students shine at mock interview event
Morehead State University takes pride in helping Eagles soar after graduation by ensuring they have knowledge in the classroom and opportunities for real-world experience and career preparation.
MSU business students with the Elmer R. Smith College of Business & Technology were able to display their preparedness for one of the key steps in the hiring process as they participated in a Mock Interview Event with hiring managers from across the region this spring. Hosted by MSU's Center for Career Development & Experiential Education and hosted by Instructor of Business Communication and Management Dr. Christy L. Trent (Class of 2006), the event allowed 33 undergraduate business students to sharpen their interviewing skills in a high-pressure situation.
Regional hiring managers interviewed students and evaluated them on 17 criteria, with the most important being how they used the STAR (Situation, Task/Challenge, Action, Result) method of storytelling during their interviews. The guest interviewers also participated in a panel discussion.
"Most undergraduate students who participate in the Mock Interview Event have never participated in a professional interview using the STAR method of storytelling. This experience provides students with the opportunity to learn more about themselves and what skills need further development to be competitive in an internship or job interview," Trent said. "Hiring managers enjoy the experience because this event gives them the opportunity to help guide the development of students they hope to hire one day. As an educator, it is important to me that I provide my students with experiences that will help them become successful in their future careers."
Several of the regional hiring managers in attendance were MSU alums, including Logan Adkins (Class of 2023), a human resource specialist at Hope Hill Youth Services in Morehead. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in healthcare management and attributes his current success to his schooling and preparation at MSU.
"The students I met with honestly surprised me during their mock interviews. All of their responses were extremely professional, and if it were a real interview, I would consider hiring all of them," Adkins said. "As a Morehead State University alum, I know how helpful the School of Business Administration and the Center for Career Development & Experiential Education are in helping students prepare for the 'real world.' I have no doubt in my mind that the students I interviewed will go on to have successful careers."
MSU's CCDEE is committed to cultivating a network of and supporting students, alumni, faculty, and employers through a comprehensive approach to career development. The Center helps students explore major and career options, build career skills and provides
Experiential education opportunities, including internships, service learning, education abroad programs and undergraduate research.
The CCDEE is also home to the Level UP program. Level UP is an initiative to ensure students can engage in experiences that prepare them for success, including undergraduate research, education abroad, service learning, and internships within the courses in their major. The courses focus on building in-demand career skills such as oral and written communication, professionalism, critical thinking, and teamwork, as well as on effectively implementing the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method to demonstrate what they learned in their Level UP course.
For more information, contact the Center for Career Development & Experiential Education at careerservices@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2233.
