ABCN
ABCN - Interviews 2 Impress
Australian Business & Community Network (ABCN) Innovate Program
This term, students in Years 10 and 11 were provided an opportunity to participate in an ABCN program which is designed to equip students with the practical skills needed to engage in employment options beyond school.
Here are some reflections from our students:
What was the most useful thing you learnt in this program?
“I learnt that visual is one of the most important in an interview, as soon as you go into an interview they judge your appearance as it is the first thing they see.”
“How to prepare for an interview.”
“I learnt the CAR method”.
“How to use different situations in interviews, some key tips on interviews as well as getting great feedback of what we did well and not so great they also taught us how to use our strengths and find what they were.”
“Learning about what an interviewer is looking for from a potential employee and how to communicate well in an interview”
“I learnt that you don’t have to always answer the questions, you can ask the interviewee as well to get the conversation going more smoothly, or if you can’t answer in time.”
“To ask questions to interviewers either about themselves or the workplace, and to have a good presence and allow yourself time to think about questions during interviews.”
What was the most important thing you learnt from your mentor?
“I learnt that you can't control the thoughts that come into your head but you can control how long they stay there which I found was really important.”
“What interviewers are looking for in the interview, being prepared and if you don’t know the answer the best thing is to honest.”
“I learnt to always ask a question at the end of an interview.”
“To always ask questions when you are not sure or need some guidance.”
“To always make sure to be confident when speaking as well as in my body language.”
“The importance of adapting your own experiences into the interview.”
“It's ok to be scared, just focus on staying calm and completing the interview while being brave.”
ABCN – Focus Program
Some of our Year 10 and 11 female students recently participated in three focus sessions which were run in collaboration with ABCN and Ernst and Young. These sessions aimed to provide the students with the essential leadership skills they need to engage in a successful, meaningful career. Our students were mentored by successful female executives, who were generous enough to share their own career journeys and the challenges they have faced.
Here are some reflections from our students:
What was the most useful thing you learnt in this program?
“To use failure to your advantage.”
“That anyone can be a leader if you put in the motivation and hours.”
“That time management is a key to succeeding and reaching your goals.”
“How to utilise my strengths and to build on my weaknesses.”
What was the most important thing you learnt from your mentor?
“That there are ways to incorporate things into your life, even if you don't think you can.”
“That failures are another chance to learn.”
“To focus on your strength and put them into action.”
“That it’s alright to fail, and failure means learning.”
“I learnt that being inspired by other women can inspire me too grow and learn.”
Is there anything you'd like to say to your mentor/s?
“Thank you so much! I loved them and hope to do another program in the future with them”
“I've gained confidence in myself to be a leader. Thank you.”
“Thank you very much for sharing your time and experience with us. Listening to real life stories is really helpful.”
“Thank you so much for being able to take time out of your day to see us and talk to us about leadership.”
“Thank you for taking the time to help engage us and give us helpful life skills that will help ensure our successes.”
“Thank you so much for taking the time to give us this opportunity.”
“Thank you for teaching me new things about leadership.”
What was the most useful thing you learnt in this program?
“My key strength and how to use time-management.”
“I learnt that there are more career opportunities for success.”
“How to be a leader.”
“How I can use my failure to help me succeed.”
“To always practice even if I fail.”
Ms Kathleen Shirer
ABCN Coordinator