Career Readiness and Mock Interviews 

As a senior at Cranberry Jr. Sr. High School, I often worry about my future: where I want to work, how to find a job, and more importantly, how to get the job. However, because of my 12th grade English class, I have been able to put my worries behind me. 

Mrs. Motter, the 12th grade English teacher, has been teaching for the last 22 years, but has only been teaching seniors for the last 10 years. Cranberry High School requires all of their students to complete a graduation project which Mrs. Motter integrates into her senior English class.  We are required to create a resume, reference page, and a cover letter or college admissions essay. The culminating activity is a mock interview that Mrs. Motter schedules for students at the school. They can be college and/or work interviews conducted by people from various colleges, businesses, and organizations from around the area. The interviews were originally for only her general students, but the graduation committee decided that all students deserve a real-world experience that will allow them to prepare for their futures. 

I asked a couple of students how they felt about the whole experience and I got nothing but positive comments. One student said, “It was nerve-wracking leading up to it, but during the interview I remembered what Mrs. Motter taught us. I took a deep breath and just started talking like I was talking to her.”