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23 May 2025 | Story Lilitha Dingwayo | Photo Lunga Luthuli
Mock Interview
UFS students shine with confidence at the 2025 Mock Interview Day, ready for career success.

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

Anonymous e-mail campaign
2008-03-14

Statement by Prof. Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State (UFS)

A number of anonymous e-mails have been sent around the country the past couple of days creating a false impression about the situation on the Main Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) in Bloemfontein.

In the e-mail reference is made to the morning of Tuesday, 4 March 2008 when incidents of intimidation by black students occurred on the Main Campus.

In the e-mail it is alleged that a white girl was attacked at the food court, her clothes ripped from her body, thrown off the Thakaneng Bridge (the university’s student centre) and that she had to run back to her residence. This is not true and if it was the case, the matter would have been reported and would have been addressed immediately.

Allegations of chaos and disorder on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein are also made in the e-mail. This is also untrue. Two peaceful protest marches, for which permission was granted, have already taken place yesterday and today (Thursday, 13 March 2008). These marches took place without any incidents.

I regard this as an anonymous campaign to whip up emotions, destabilise the campus and to instill fear among staff and students who are traumatised by the Reitz video and the repercussions thereof.

I urge parents, especially, not to allow themselves to be upset by such false rumours and e-mails.

All the university’s community, including parents, staff and students must come to terms with the Reitz video in a calm and rational way. The UFS management is intensively busy to manage this situation in the interest of the university and all its people. Academic activities are continuing as normal.


Media Release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 3422
Cell: 072 207 8334
E-mail: fishera.stg@ufs.ac.za  
13 March 2008

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