Preparing Unemployed Youth for Job Interviews

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Abstract
The utility of social skills training for improving job-interview performance of unemployed youth was investigated in an applied setting. Participants of a broadly focused job-preparation program received social skills training in four-session or two-session format or were placed in one of two control conditions. Training was focused on development of behavioral skills reported as important in preliminary interviews with previous program participants, their counselors, and employers. Impact of training was evaluated in both role-played and actual employment interviews. Social skills training resulted in superior role-play performance as indicated by group differences in overall ratings and on several specific behavioral measures. Similar differences appeared in the analysis of ratings completed by potential employers immediately after actual interviews. Differences in employer ratings occurred most frequently between the four-session social skills training group and controls. Role-play ratings at posttest were found to moderately predict ratings by employers in the actual interviews. Implications for research on job interview preparation are discussed.