Melksham Oak Community School recently invited IGFH to take part in a mock interview session, offering Year 10 and Year 12 students a valuable opportunity to practice for future job applications. Bradley Tennant represented IGFH alongside 25 other professionals, seated at individual tables to conduct interviews with students on rotation throughout the day.
The interviews were designed to imitate real-life experiences, with each student given 20 minutes to discuss their application and answer a set of questions. Some of the students arrived with clear career aspirations, while others were still exploring their options. The goal was to provide constructive feedback on the students’ performance, covering everything from their tone and speech to body language and confidence. Students received scores out of five for each category, with notes on how they could improve.
As with a real interview scenario, appearance played a role in the impression that the students made, and this was discussed in the feedback process. Students were encouraged to wear either their school uniform or their own interview outfits, helping them to understand the importance of first impressions and self-presentation.
The final session was specifically for the Year 12 students, who had prepared actual CVs in advance. These interviews lasted 40 minutes and allowed discussions to be more in-depth. Bradley and the other volunteers adopted the role of employers within industries that interested each student, offering tailored advice on how to improve their applications.
Beyond the interviews themselves, Bradley used the careers day as an opportunity to introduce sports turf to students as a career path. He spoke to every student he interviewed about the industry, explaining the qualifications and routes available. He also handed out leaflets detailing how to enter the profession.
Speaking about planting the idea of a career many students may not have previously considered, Bradley said: “The sports turf and grounds maintenance sector is still experiencing a labour shortage across the UK, which makes it more essential than ever to introduce these careers to young people. I enjoyed being able to offer practical advice but also open the students’ eyes to opportunities they might not have thought about before.”
Initiatives like this help to broaden young people’s understanding of the job market. The primary focus was on interview preparation, but the event also gave IGFH the opportunity to promote the sports turf industry to the next generation of potential professionals.