Interviews can be nerve-wracking, especially for students who have never experienced one before. Many bright, capable students graduate without ever practicing how to confidently present themselves in a job or college interview.
This activity provides a hands-on opportunity for students to step into the “hot seat” and develop essential interview skills using their Indigo Reports. By integrating their personal strengths, skills, and values into their responses, students will learn how to highlight what makes them stand out—authentically and effectively.
The Goal
To bridge the gap between self-knowledge and career success by helping students practice real-world interview scenarios. By leveraging their Indigo Reports, students gain the confidence to showcase their value to potential employers or college admissions teams in a professional and impactful way.
Materials:
- Indigo Report
- Three chairs
Note: Emphasize that students should rely heavily on their Indigo Report for this exercise. Regardless of their skill level, everyone can benefit from incorporating Indigo language into their interview strategy. Encourage them to explore sections like Strengths, About You, and Value To A Team to find vocabulary that authentically highlights their unique qualities in a positive way.
Step 1:
Divide students into pairs—one is the interviewer, one is the interviewee. Have students answer any of the following questions (you can use your own too):
- Why are you interested in this job?
- Why would you be good at this job?
- How will you work on a team?
- What is a weakness that may show up?
- How do your skills fit this job?
- Who is your ideal manager?
- What is your key strength that you bring to the table?
Step 2:
Now, as the teacher you are the interviewer—have three student volunteers come up to the front of the room and sit in three different “hot seats.” Pick a couple questions to ask them and see how each responds.
Feel free to rotate students as many times as possible if a lot of students want to volunteer. You may ask the same questions that they went over in pairs or use your own questions. The more practice, the better!
Encourage students to look at their Indigo Summary Page and use some of the language on the Strengths, Skills and Value To A Team sections while on the hot seat to enhance their answers! This will give them practice using strong language to describe themselves.
Step 3:
Close by asking students for ideas on how they could use the Indigo Report to prepare for job interviews and college applications.
- How can you show what you are passionate about through motivators?
- How have your top skills come up in your life?
- How can you use the language from the Strengths, Skills, and Value To A Team sections more?