Interview skills lesson plan - Activity one - What are the different types of interview?

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆

Detailed lesson plan for teaching interview skills to students aged 14-16, structured into core activities and timed sections. The material covers starting the session with group ground rules, using an icebreaker about personal interview experiences, introducing preparation and practice, and using a Virtual Interview Practice tool. Activity one focuses on identifying interview types and purposes, explaining interviews as a two-way process, and applying the STAR method through questions, mind maps, and discussion prompts, including examples of phone, panel, and assessment centre formats.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Activity one: What are the different types of interview?

Activity two: Preparing for an interview

Activity three: Practising for an interview

Before the session: adapting for students with autism

Interview skills Age range: 14-16 Interview skills | 2 Contents | Page | Activities | | | Time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 03 | | Activity one: What are the different types of interview? | 30 mins | | | | | | | | | 06 | | Activity two: Preparing for an interview | 40 mins | | | 11 | | Activity three: Practising for an interview | 60 mins | | | Always start the session by agreeing ground rules with the group. For advice on this and other ways to establish a safe learning environment, download the content guide [at](at barclayslifeskills.com/educators)[ barclayslifeskills.com/educators](at barclayslifeskills.com/educators) | | | | | • If running all three core activities, begin by explaining to students that in this session you are going to discuss how to prepare for an interview and that they’ll have the opportunity to practise and improve their technique • As an icebreaker, you may choose to talk about your own experience of having an interview, citing any memorable interview experiences, whether they are positive or negative. Remember to carefully choose the examples you share to ensure that young people receive positive messages about the interviewing process • The third activity utilises the Virtual Interview Practice tool, a guide to which can be found below LifeSkills is pleased to have worked with The National Autistic Society to ensure the following lesson plan can be adapted to suit the needs of students with autism. If teaching a lesson including students with autism, here are some key considerations when undertaking the following activities: • Often reasonable adjustments will be made in an interview to allow candidates with autism to showcase their skills • When thinking about the ‘I factor’, remember that people with autism may struggle with positive body language and eye contact. Focus on other ways that they can have the ‘I factor’ e.g. showing they are knowledgeable about the career area and using strategies that can help them communicate their strengths • Use concrete language and consider how what you say may be interpreted literally • Students with autism may very literally interpret a question that starts with “can you” – this is a reasonable adjustment that could be asked for in an interview. Make sure that any example questions are phrased “tell me about a time you...” or are broken down into smaller sections, e.g.“do you know how to use Excel?” and “please tell me about a time you have used it in your work” Some activities may take students with autism longer than others and they may need one-on-one guidance Before this session, why not run one of the following lessons: • CV skills lesson one: Writing a successful CV (barclayslifeski[lls.com/successfulcv](lls.com/successfulcv)) • CV skills lesson two: Fine-tuning your CV to stand out to employers (barclayslifeski[lls.com/standoutcv](lls.com/standoutcv)) • Core transferable skills: Lessons focussing on seven skills employers need (barclayslifeski[lls.com/transferableski](lls.com/transferableski)lls) barclayslifeski[lls.com](lls.com) © Barclays 2018 Interview skills – Activity one | 3 Activity one: What are the different types of interview? | Time needed: 30 minutes
Key learning outcomes | | --- | | By the end of the activity students will be able to:
• Understand that interviews help the employer and employee assess their match for one another
• Identify different types of interview and their purposes
• Apply the STAR method to answer some common interview questions
Resources | The resources needed for this lesson are: • Interview skills PDF Presentation Slides barclayslifeski[lls.com](lls.com) © Barclays 2018 Interview skills – Activity one | 4 Activity steps Note that the icons in these margins are not click-able. Slide 1.1 Slide 1.2 1. Discuss how an interview helps an employee showcase their skills • To gauge students’ starting points and enable them

FAQs

How should the session start for interview skills teaching?

Start by agreeing ground rules with the group. Explain that the session will cover how to prepare for an interview and provide time to practise and improve technique.

What is the focus of Activity one in this lesson plan?

Activity one focuses on different types of interviews, their purposes, and helping students understand interviews as a two-way process. Students also explore applying the STAR method to answer common questions.

What adjustments are suggested when teaching students with autism?

Provide reasonable adjustments, use concrete language, and consider challenges with eye contact and positive body language. Phrase questions clearly, for example using “tell me about a time you…” or breaking questions into smaller parts for guidance.

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by nayy☆