CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Job Seekers Receive Help from Bell's Virtual Reality Job Interview Training Program

Psychiatry: You have a job interview scheduled. You’re stressed. You don’t know what questions to ask the interviewer, or how to properly frame your answers. Fortunately, Molly Porter, a virtual hiring manager, is available to help.

3 comments:

Carly Tamborello said...

I think this is a really great idea. A lot of job interview preparation doesn’t account for the anxiety that occurs when you actually enter the interview room. Writing out questions or working with someone who may not be as familiar with what will be asked doesn’t really prepare you for sitting across from someone and having to build a rapport. So it’s great that there’s a program that helps with these specific skills. I know I’ve definitely struggled with knowing what to say or feeling awkward in interviews, so it’s nice that the program isn’t a real person but is still able to adapt and adjust to work on whatever things you need. That way rather than simply practicing formula answers to certain questions, you get used to interacting with another person and basing your answers and responses on that. I’d be curious to try it.

Ellie Yonchak said...

Personally, I know that practicing interviews has always been something that has been tremendously helpful to how I present myself to potential employers. It gives me time to anticipate questions, and to categorize my thoughts so that I can best communicate them to others in an effective manner. I think the fact that there is a training program that helps provide framework for practicing interviews is incredible. It will provide amazing exposure therapy to make people more themselves in interviews. I think that there is another thing that is an amazing about this program and it is that it has the potential to provide employment help and practice to those who normally couldn’t afford something of the sort. Programs like these can give people who would normally not have a leg up on the employment market even footing. Money can’t always get you a job, but it does provide you the tools that you need to ace the interview, to have the resume, etc.

Megan Hanna said...

While I have only had a couple of job interviews, like everyone else in the school of drama I got very used to interviewing for college. The points this article makes are absolutely right, especially when I think back to my first interview ever and my last. It’s interesting because I was very prepared as well with a journal full of hypothetical questions and stories I could reference but nothing could prepare as much as just doing it. That is why this is such a great option to help people get used to interviewing in a very low pressure environment. Interviews truly are a hurdle for many people that costs them getting a job even though they are fully capable. I’m glad someone is addressing this issue in a way that is accessible and easy. I also love how the program offers very clear feedback to the participants to teach them how to get better along with just getting more comfortable.