Job Interview
Category: Interview
Type: Individual
Grade Level: 12
Deadline/Testing: Submit Resume and Cover Letter by April 1
Competitor Limit: 80% of Seniors registered for SLC
Event Guidelines
Resume and Cover Letter:
- Submit a cover letter and résumé to Blue Panda prior to the conference.
- Competitors, not advisers, must prepare a cover letter and résumé for a business position for which the applicant is most qualified. Examples might include but are not limited to the following: (Accounting Clerk, Administrative Assistant, Publication Design, Assistant Management Intern, Marketing Assistant Network Administrator, Assistant Receptionist, Web page Design Intern, and Data Entry Specialist)
- Each competitor must apply for a business or business-related job with Merit Corporation (a fictitious company) in Washington, DC. Merit Corporation can be any type of business the applicant chooses.
- Merit Corporation benefits include paid holidays and vacation, sick leave, a retirement plan, and health insurance. Salary will be commensurate with experience and education. Merit Corporation is an equal-opportunity employer.
- The job must be one for which the competitor is now qualified or he/she will be qualified at the completion of the current school year.
- Positions may be part-time, full-time, or internship.
- Address one-page cover letter to:
Dr. Terry E. Johnson
Director of Human Resources Merit Corporation
1640 Franklin Place
Washington, DC 20041 - Résumé must not exceed two pages; no photographs are allowed.
- Résumé should highlight the competitor’s work/volunteer experience.
Job Interview Times (assigned prior to conference)
- Submit the cover letter and résumé to Blue Panda prior to the conference.
- Interview times will be assigned prior to the conference. See the schedule posted online by April 1.
Preliminary Interview (Day 1 of the conference):
- Competitors must bring one hard copy of their résumé and cover letter in a folder, to be left with the judges, for each round of interviews onsite.
- Label folders with the event title, competitor’s name, state, and school.
- Complete an interview with a business professional.
- No other job interview materials may be brought into the interview or submitted to the judges.
- Competitors will not know their interviewer’s name prior to the scheduled interview. Interviewers will introduce themselves at the time of the interview.
- Competitors report for the interview at least fifteen(15) minutes prior to the scheduled interview time. If the student is late for the scheduled interview time, he/she will be disqualified.
- Interviews are scheduled at 10-minute intervals.
Semifinal Interview (Tuesday morning):
- Check posting (see SLC app for time) for semifinal job interview callbacks.
- If applicable, report for a semifinal job interview at the time scheduled.
- Competitors interview with one judge.
Final Interview (Tuesday evening):
- Check posting (see SLC program for time) for final job interview callbacks.
- If applicable, report for job interview finals at the time scheduled.
- Competitors interview with two judges.
Competency:
- This event recognizes FBLA members who demonstrate proficiency in applying for employment.
Eligibility:
FBLA members in Grade 12 are eligible to compete.
Judging
The score from the preliminary interview will be used as the preliminary interview score in the Future Business Leader event.
Preliminary Interview
The interview will be conducted and the participant evaluated on the Preliminary Job Interview Event rating sheet. The top student from each judge’s group will be selected for the semifinal interviews.
Semifinal Interview
Competitors selected to be interviewed a second time will be posted on the conference bulletin board at the designated time in the program. The purpose of the semi-final interview is to determine finalists for the Job Interview event. Judges will use the Semifinal/Final Job Interview rating form. The top two students from each judge’s semifinal group (ten finalists) will be selected for final interviews.
Final Interviews
Competitors selected to be interviewed a third time will be posted on the conference app. The final (third) interview will be used to determine the final placings in the Job Interview event. The ten finalists will be interviewed by a panel of judges. Judges will use the Semifinal/Final Job Interview rating form.
All judges’ decisions are final.
Who Goes to Nationals?
The first-, second-, and third-place winners of this event will represent Nebraska in the Job Interview event at the National Leadership Conference.