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UFS Mock Interviews: Shaping career-ready graduates and tackling unemployment

23 May 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Lunga Luthuli

To get senior and postgraduate students ready for the world of work, the University of the Free State (UFS) Division of Career Services’ Placement Preparation Day, which was initiated in 2023, has grown into an annual workshop – Mock Interview Day – with this year’s event taking place in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Held on 14 and 15 May 2025, this UFS initiative – aimed at addressing employability – has evolved through the implementation of several educational subdivisions tasked with the responsibility of assisting all registered students understand the professional environment. One of these divisions is the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s (CTL) ‘Graduate Attributes’ – an initiative that seeks to assess a student’s development of valuable attributes during lectures.

According to Belinda Janeke, Assistant Director of Career Services, “Feedback indicates that most students have no interview experience – a critical factor. It is through these mock interviews that students’ confidence is built and their transition from student to employee is smoothened.”

With the assistance of staff members and employees in conducting the interviews, the two-day initiative has seen evident success in both attendance and reach. “Yesterday we had about 90 students come in for the mock interviews and all of them stated that it was their first time being interviewed,” said Janeke. “Even though our office is situated on the Bloemfontein Campus, we also visit the South and Qwaqwa campuses to ensure accessibility across all three UFS campuses,” Janeke added. Emphasising results, she shared that in the 12 years she has been working in this division, student engagement has grown due to improvements in technology.

Career Services sends out letters and emails on the 11th of each month to recognise the achievements of students who have used their services. In collaboration with the UFS’ Vision 130, more directions are being explored across the three campuses, starting with the cross-campus Shoe Camp project.

This initiative targets all UFS students, prioritising senior individuals on the cusp of job hunting. “As a postgraduate student, I am looking into getting a job next year and I have never been interviewed before, so I needed the trial run to get more information on accurate interview etiquette,” said Aphiwe Mbutuma, an Administration honours student. Mbutuma said the support she received from the staff was crucial in boosting her confidence for her next interview. She further described the experience as an eye-opener, adding that students should seize these opportunities to understand what is expected of them. Zukile Daki, a second-year student in the Faculty of Law, said: “I once bombed an interview, so I came here to improve, and it went well.”

News Archive

Kovsiesport - Results

2009-03-09

Varsity Cup: Shimlas (39) vs Tuks (22) - 2 March 2009
Photo: Hannes Pieterse

1. Krieket:

UV 1 vs Polisie 2

UV 1 maak 216/8 en Polisie 2 87/10

UV wen met 129 lopies

Peshawars vs Rocklands

Rocklands 65/10 en Peshawars kry 67/1

Peshawars wen met 9 paaltjies

2. Hokkie

Wedstryde gespeel op Saterdag – 28/02/09

Kovsie mans vs Tuks
Verloor 0 – 3

Kovsies dames vs Tuks
Verloor 4 – 0

3. Rugby

Wedstryde gespeel op 02/03/09

Shimlas vs Pukke
Wen 39 – 22

Armentum vs Amajuba (Maties)
Wen 61 – 19

4. Atletiek

2 S.A Atlete het deelgeneem aan die Southern Region Cross Country
Championships in Mauritius op 28/02/09 naamlik:

Windy Jonas in die Mans 8km (Tyd – 25:35)
Boy Soke in die Seniors 12km (Tyd – 35:52)

4. Tennis

Het proewe gehad oor die naweek en die volgende spelers is in die onderskeie spanne
opgeneem.

Mans:                                                                 Dames:

1. Reon Henning                                        1. Elrien de Villiers
2. Duke Munro                                          2. Rensia Henning
3. Willem Vorster                                      3. Christine Keyser
4. Robert Kot                                            4. Nicola Dormehl
5. Willem Steenkamp                                 5. Jeanne Du Plessis
6. HB Steyn                                              6. Elizna Barnard
7. Wynand Schoeman                                7. Marna Louw
8. De Villiers Koster                                  8. Belinda Strydom
9. PW Holtzhausen                                    9. Jolene Botha
10.Divan Olivier                                         10.Sumandi Nel
11.Hendri Steyn                                         11.Bernadette du Toit
12.Ruan Olivier                                          12.PETRO TAUTE
13.Renier Van Vreden                                13.Nicolene Gordon
14.Deon Stander                                        14.Lianie Oberholster
15.Pieter Burger                                         15.Melanie Patrick
16.Willie Harber                                         16.Elria Munro
17.Conrad Dormehl                                    17.Sunelle Van Vuuren
18.Gideon Roux                                         18.Some Olivier
19.Andries Swart                                       19.Lize Venter
20.Schoeman Serfontein
21.Marthinus Ras
22.Lyndon V/D Haer
23.Johan Scherrer
24.Phillip Smit
25.Adriaan Oosthuizen
26.Gerhard Olivier
27.Wessel Wessels
28.Pieter Van Rooyen
29.Pierre Lombaard
30.Alex Marais
31.Jacques Krause

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