My volunteering experience: a day of mock interviews and meaningful conversations

17th July 2025 15:49

All employee Partners at DJS Research have the opportunity to take a volunteer day during the year, but with so many valuable causes, schemes and initiatives to choose from it isn’t always easy to know what to do! In this article Senior Research Executive Erin Warren explains how she decided to put her day to good use and why going back to school was actually less daunting than she first feared…

Article by Erin Warren, Senior Research Manager 

As someone who hadn’t yet used their volunteer day, largely due to uncertainty around how best to spend it and generally overlooking it as a priority to schedule into my year, I was keen to get involved when the opportunity to support mock interviews at a high school close to one of our clients in the Midlands arose. The idea of speaking with Year 10 students (and doubting my claim of just making it into the Genz band) initially felt daunting, but the chance to support young people preparing for the world of further education or future employment felt like a valuable use of the time.

We were given a set of suggested interview questions and the freedom to adapt them based on the student’s aspirations. Each student came prepared with a job or course in mind, even if they hadn’t fully decided on their future plans yet. The conversations were not about testing or assessing but about helping students get a sense of what interviews might involve and encouraging them to think about their future paths and passions.

The students came well prepared and, despite a few nerves, they were extremely engaged and articulate. Many had already put a great deal of thought into their post-school plans and some had gained impressive experience - including two students working towards their pilot licences! It was clear that they had planned for the mock interviews and were taking the exercise seriously.

Our feeling that the day had been a success was confirmed by the school who saw a visible impact on the young people involved: “There was a real buzz from the students after the event, and their feedback was very positive.” For us as volunteers, it was incredibly rewarding to be part of an experience that offered students individual feedback and a boost in confidence as they prepare for real-life interviews.

Hopefully, we were able to show that interviews don’t have to be intimidating and that the process can be a positive, even enjoyable, experience (something I wish I’d realised sooner!).

I left the day with a smile on my face, an understanding of the value these volunteer opportunities bring, and some lovely leftover cookies too. I’d absolutely welcome the chance to take part again next year if the school will have us back.

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