The Palmetto Education Summit 2026

Preparing students for the workforce requires authentic experiences that parallel real hiring processes. This session will present South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind’s student participation in structured mock interviews with local business partners to build career readiness skills. Information gained from the Advisory Board meetings directed and focused our work with student preparation. Students developed professional resumes and cover letters. Then, with the assistance of their technical instructors, the students research and prepare for interview responses related to their career interests. Students completed preparation activities within their career classes, including peer interviews, teacher-led practice interviews, and analysis of interview videos to identify effective and ineffective interview behaviors. Local business and community partners conducted interviews and completed detailed evaluation rubrics before leaving the campus. These rubrics were copied and distributed to teachers, providing students with timely, meaningful feedback, while providing the administration the opportunity to track data. Students completed self-reflection rubrics after their interviews, allowing them to compare their perceptions with interviewer feedback and better understand their strengths and areas for growth. After the mock interviews, the data collection results were shared with the Advisory Board members again. Findings and new suggestions from the board will be shared and implemented into next year's Mock Interview. Participants in this session will receive practical resources, including planning guides, student preparation materials, interview rubrics, self-reflection sheets, and scheduling tools used to coordinate the event. Learning Objectives Participants will learn how to: Design and implement a schoolwide mock interview event. Partner with local businesses to create authentic career readiness experiences. Prepare students using structured pre-interview activities and classroom practice. Use interviewer rubrics and student self-reflections to provide meaningful feedback. Organize scheduling and logistics for multiple interviews in a school setting. Session Format This interactive session will walk participants through the step-by-step process used to organize and implement mock interviews. The presenter will share planning materials, student preparation resources, interview rubrics, and scheduling templates. Attendees will have time to discuss how the model can be adapted for their own schools and career readiness programs. Materials Provided Participants will receive: Mock interview planning checklist Student preparation handouts Resume and cover letter guidance materials Interview question preparation sheets Interviewer rubric templates Student self-reflection rubric Sample scheduling templates for interview day