San Jose, CA – Around 100 of San Jose’s East Side Union High School District 11th-graders who are members of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics programs (STEAM) participated in a Career Day on Friday, March 17. The students will learn best practices for finding a job and interviewing for success.
A diverse range of students from San Jose’s Independence High School and the Electronics Academy at Overfelt High School gained exposure to the interview process and learned how to search for jobs, the do’s and don’ts of interviewing, how to make a good impression and tips on how to get hired. They will use what they learned and participate in mock interviews. Students wore business attire to the event.
“We wanted to make this day as realistic as possible for these students. Many of them had never been exposed to the interview process and how to present themselves. We want to support the next generation of career-minded students,’’ said Ken West, CEO of Regional Medical Center. “What better way than connecting them with professionals and letting them practice”
Regional Medical Center partnered with the East Side Union High School District to provide this opportunity to the teens. Volunteers from the local business community and Regional Medical Center were on hand to conduct the mock interviews with the students.
Only 30 percent of San Jose students complete any post-secondary program within six years of high school graduation, according to data from the California Department of Education, San José Evergreen Community College District, and San José State University. Low-income students are twice less likely, with Latino and African-American students three times less likely than their peers to earn a bachelor's degree.
ESUHSD, Student Industry Connections and Regional Medical Center co-sponsored the day at the hospital’s main lobby and conference center.