Da Vinci Connect High Students Sharpen Interview Skills with Real-World Feedback from Industry Partners
“I feel well prepared for the future” - Donald Thomas (11th grade, DV Connect High)
Da Vinci Connect High students participated last week in a transformative Mock Interview Session at Belkin Headquarters, thanks to the Portal Learning program, which bridges education with real-world career experiences and professional development.
Students from Da Vinci Connect participated in mock interviews, made possible by our industry partners at Belkin, Fabletics, and Techstyle Fashion Group. To prepare for their interviews, students began the morning with interview preparation workshops that integrated interviewing workshops, role-playing exercises, and peer-to-peer constructive feedback sessions to build students' confidence and enhance their communication skills.
Students learned how to make effective introductions, focusing on key communication skills such as handshakes, eye contact, facial expressions, and more. They practiced introducing themselves to one another and discussed what made each introduction successful. This exercise allowed them to identify areas for improvement in presenting themselves in professional settings, such as job, scholarship, internship, and college interviews.
The session also covered the key components of the interview process: preparation, the interview itself, and post-interview steps. Preparation involves researching the company, interviewer, and role, practicing responses, reviewing the job description, and using the S.T.A.R. method. The S.T.A.R. method—Situation, Task, Action, and Result—helps candidates structure their answers clearly and concisely, while avoiding unnecessary details.
After the presentation, students watched an instructional video from Indeed on interview best practices, where they learned about posture, active listening, eye contact, and providing thoughtful responses. The session emphasized why certain behaviors are encouraged or discouraged in an interview setting. Students then broke into small groups to practice formulating and asking questions for their interviewers. They were reminded that asking questions demonstrates genuine interest in the role and helps candidates assess if the company is a good fit. In a role-playing exercise, students alternated between interviewer and interviewee roles, answering on-the-spot questions and receiving constructive feedback. Common areas for improvement included taking time to think before answering, maintaining eye contact, and speaking with confidence.
After the role-play session, students prepared for their mock interviews with industry professionals from Belkin and Fabletics. While waiting, they shared their thoughts on the mock interview experience:
Jose Corriteno, an 11th grader, commented, "It’s very instructive and fast enough to help you think and respond on the spot. But, it’s also slow enough for them to break it [the interview components] down and offer tips on how to improve for the real thing."
Mateo Marrujo, a 12th grader, reflected on his past interview experiences, saying, "I’ve had many interviews before, but I’ve never been hired. I really appreciate this opportunity because it’s helped me prepare for the questions and for being put on the spot—sometimes, you just don’t know how to answer."
We are enormously grateful to the industry partners who invested their time for this event: Ernie Roberts (Belkin), GiNiele Rietzell (Fabletics), Marina Natichioni (Fabletics), Christianne Johnson (Fabletics), Julianna Driskel (Belkin), and Milo Dodson, Ph.D. (Belkin). When asked why they chose to volunteer, many shared that they had never received formal interview training themselves and wanted to offer students the guidance they wished they had received.
The professional partners also shared valuable insights into the factors that helped them stand out in their own job interviews.
GiNiele Rietzell emphasized the importance of authenticity, stating, "Something that made me stand out as a candidate was being my authentic self. So not having scripted answers but being prepared and showing my authentic personality, which ended up being a really good fit for the company."
Christianne Johnson highlighted preparation, saying, "I really looked at the job description in detail and made sure I had a project I could speak on for every point in case it came up in the interview."
Milo Dodson added, "I view humility as a big strength, so being able to say, ‘Hey, I might not know this 100%, but this is my commitment to working towards this and making it a strength,’ really helped me stand out."
Julianna Driskel discussed the strategy of understanding the company’s hiring needs: "A job description isn’t always perfectly written to the role they’re hiring for. So the best practice in interviewing is remembering that you’re also interviewing the company. You need to understand why they’re actually hiring for the role, whether it’s a new position or a replacement, and how you can uniquely fulfill their needs."
Marina Natichioni emphasized curiosity, saying, "Asking hard-hitting questions and showing that you’ve put thought behind them goes a long way."
Ernie Roberts reinforced the importance of authenticity and self-presentation: "Being your authentic self is really front and center, and also highlighting your strengths is key. Interviewers want to see how you show up for the job so they can understand how to manage you."
Once students were paired with professional partners, the mock interviews began, filling the room with energy and conversation. As students gained more confidence, their initial nervousness gradually faded.
At the conclusion of the interviews, students received feedback from their interviewers. Jose Corriteno, paired with Marina Natichioni, initially hesitated to hand over his resume due to nerves. Marina advised him to confidently present his resume and ask the interviewer questions, but she also praised his engagement, confidence, and professional demeanor.
Donald Thomas, who interviewed with Milo Dodson, was encouraged to strategize problem-solving approaches for future roles. He found the experience valuable and said he now feels well-prepared for upcoming interviews.
To conclude the session, students composed thank-you emails to their interviewers, with guidance from Molly Ford, Director of Youth Program at The Civics Center. She highlighted the significance of sending a follow-up email to make a lasting impression, showcase professionalism, and reinforce positive feedback. The event wrapped up with DV Connect High students feeling more prepared and confident as they step into their professional careers, armed with valuable experience and insights.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Kat Kouot for organizing this incredible event, as well as to our industry partners at Belkin and Fabletics for generously dedicating their time and expertise to make it a tremendous success for the students.
