By: Christopher Smith

Yesterday at the Andalusia Public Library, LBW Community College instructor Eric Lidh gave an interview workshop for high school students and rising college students.

“To be successful in an interview you have to do several things,” Lidh said. “You need to be on time, know what you are applying for, communicate, listen, ask question, be yourself, smile, act confident, have goals and so much more.”

Lidh brought two of his drama students to the workshop to act out how students should not act during an interview.

Gracie Mixon and Grayson Fleming from Kinston both acted out scenes where they arrived late, chewed gum, did not make eye contact, were not prepared, had bad posture and pulled out their cell phones.

“As soon as that cell phone comes out, you’re out the door,” Lidh said. “I look for stuff like this, and if I see these habits I know they won’t get the scholarship or job.”

After the scenes, Mixon and Fleming gave some advice about what they should do during an interview.

“You need to enter the room confidently and calmly,” Fleming said. “Enthusiasm counts for a lot in an interview.”

Mixon said that nervous habits will cause the interview to go badly.

“Don’t pick at your clothes, hair or face because you will seem more nervous than you are,” Mixon said. “And interviewers can catch that.”

Fleming said that the most important thing in an interview is to make sure that you are available for whatever you are interviewing for.

“When I interviewed for my job at Burger King, the first thing they asked was when I was available,” Fleming said. “Make sure that you know when you are available because if things come up where you can’t come into work or go to the thing you were suppose to, you will just be wasting their time.”

Lidh made the comparison between acting and an interview by saying that when someone does both they have to be quick minded.

“You have to take something and make it work,” Lidh said. “In an interview you have to be quick on your feet and your mind has to be working all the time, just like in acting.”

Ava Ramsden was on of the students in attendance at the workshop.

“I came to get information about scholarships because I am a junior in high school,” Ramsden said.

After interviewing to be an Andalusia Ambassador she said that it would have been nice to know some of these skills before that interview.

Tamesha Pryor was another student in attendance, but will be use these skills for job interviews.

“I will be attending LBW in the fall,” Pryor said. “So I am here to get more information about interviewing skills so I can get a job.”

Fleming said that this workshop will definitely help students because they do not teach these skills in school.