Arc prepares students for job interviews at Thursday event
BUTLER TWP — Students looking for a summer job, or even a job to transition to after graduating high school, got practice Thursday, April 18, at The Arc of Butler County’s annual career readiness day.
Cameron Zelinska, a student in Glade Run’s transitional program, attended the session at the Tanglewood Center, where he got to participate in mock interviews, practice using a cash register and get some clothing tips from Dress for Success.
Zelinska, 19, has a job lined up at Dairy Queen, so the practice with the cash register was helpful to him.
“I'm a little worried, but excited,” Zelinska said of starting his first job soon. “What I learned was how to talk to people, get ready for adulthood.”
Marissa Wagner, special projects coordinator for The Arc, said the nonprofit helps young people ages 14 to 21 get ready for employment, which often involves teaching them personal skills and good hygiene habits. Representatives from organizations such as the United Way, Butler SUCCEED, the Butler County Chamber of Commerce and Butler County Community College led the mock interviews, and the Center for Community Resources and Alliance for Nonprofit Resources provided more tips for students entering the workforce.
She said students from Butler Senior High School, Seneca Valley Senior High School, Moniteau High School, Slippery Rock Area High School, Grove City High School and Glade Run’s transition program attended Thursday’s career readiness day.
“The mock interview is to help them prepare for when they do apply for jobs,” Wagner said. “It’s preparing them for jobs, helps them speak up for themselves.”
Clinton Anthony, with the supportive employment program of The Arc, said there are usually about 75 students in his program, and estimated that there would be about that many students at Thursday’s session.
While The Arc helps its students attain jobs at local businesses, Anthony said some students are hampered by barriers like transportation.
“The individuals I work with, a lot of them won't be able to drive,” Anthony said. “They don't consider employment because they don't have a ride.”
Anthony also said The Arc staff may accompany students to their jobs in their first few weeks or months, or throughout their employment with a company. Jobs that the nonprofit helps its clients to get aren’t limited to service jobs, according to Anthony, it also has helped its students get jobs in clerical or office work.
“Depending what their need is, we just help them with the interview process, application process, or we're with them on site to tag along with them on training,” Anthony said. “They're all in different stages, some are doing job shadows, some are eligible for paid internships.”
Andrew O’Day, a student in Glade Run’s transitions program, attended Thursday’s career readiness seminar, and said he was anticipating the mock interview portion of the event. O’Day had a job at Wendy’s before, but is looking at working somewhere else this summer. The mock interviews, he said, would help him attain his job goals.
“It helps me with practice in an interview and what not to do and what to do,” O’Day said of the mock interviews. “I’m not scared, not nervous either, because I've been interviewed for jobs before.”
