What’s Happening at the Academy: Public Speaking – Interviews

Contributed by Luke Kaczynski and Chris Evans —

The Career Center at Owego Free Academy is being utilized this week by a group of seniors who are practicing their interview skills. Public Speaking students are working on a variety of skills, including greeting with a firm handshake and vital eye contact, initial body language concepts, and small talk jargon. 

Following the initial meeting, students are practicing answers to many of the typical questions presented in a formal interview. They are working on backstories, presenting their strengths and weaknesses in a professional manner that suggests a willingness to learn, and an understanding of what it means to be an active listener in the process.

OFA Career Center Director Tom Westcott says, “For the past four years, it has been our pleasure at the Career Center to partner with teachers across multiple curriculum areas to strengthen our students’ readiness for life after high school,” and added, “These efforts include collaborations with professionals like Mr. Evans in our Public Speaking classes, where students learn the importance of interview skills, as well as partnerships focused on résumé development, professional skills, goal setting, and other critical competencies embedded throughout the curriculum.”

The culminating experience will include seniors mock interviewing with a variety of professionals, including teachers. The feedback provided will serve as a catalyst for future interviews and opportunities.