Mock Interview Volunteer

Name of agency and statement of purpose:

The Karen Organization of Minnesota’s (KOM) mission is to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.

Purpose/objective:

The volunteer will assist our employment and career training program participants in preparing for job interviews and reviewing resumes. The volunteer will meet with students one-on-one to conduct practice interviews in the classroom during mock interview workshops or at job fairs. *New in 2025: weekly opportunity for programs running January – March (morning, afternoon, and evening options).

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead one-on-one mock interviews with students pursuing careers in various fields (human services, interpreting, trades, etc.) as part of a classroom workshop, or at a station during a job fair.
• Help students review and update their resumes and practice speaking about their experience.
• For weekly volunteering, commit to attending one or more classes in our Apprenticeship and Manufacturing Ready program, or our Commercial Drivers License program for 2-3 months

Time commitment:

For job fairs or mock interview workshops:

• Volunteers will commit to 1-3 hour sessions, usually held on weekday mornings or evenings once a month or bi-monthly. Help one time, or stay on the list for future workshops. Volunteers are welcome to sit in on class preparation days or times before the workshops.

For weekly in-classroom help, commit to at least one class:

• 8-week AMR (Apprentice and Manufacturing Ready) program: January 13th – March 3rd
  • Monday, 3:00pm – 6:00pm
• Diploma AMR: February – April
  • Friday, 8:30am – 12:30pm
• CLD (Commercial Drivers License): January 16th – March 6th
  • Thursday 9:00am – 12:00pm

Location:

Most workshops and classes will be held at the Roseville Adult Learning Center (in the Aŋpétu Téča Education Center building) 1910 County B Rd W, Roseville, MN 55113, or at the Karen Organization of Minnesota’s main office, 2353 Rice Street, Suite 240, Roseville, MN.

Qualifications:

KOM is looking for adults who are friendly, patient and want to help emerging professionals prepare for interviewing in various fields including human services, interpreting, trades, and more. Volunteers must have experience participating in an interview and familiarity with many of the conventions of interviewing. Experience in cross-cultural settings or with English language learners is beneficial. Experience in interviewing and hiring in various fields is a plus.

Benefits:

This position offers an opportunity to work with a group of diverse students and learn about interviewing and hiring practices in various fields.

How to apply/contact:

Please complete KOM’s online volunteer application or contact Suzanne Olive, Volunteer Coordinator, to receive a paper application. The Volunteer Coordinator will then reach out to the volunteer to coordinate details for upcoming workshops and connect them to program staff.