Who says a test can't be fun?

One of the classes I am teaching at Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE) is for American Studies and English majors during their final year.  The purpose of the class is to prepare students to feel more comfortable speaking within formal and professional environments (oral thesis defense, workplace meetings, workplace presentations, interviews, etc.).  The last few weeks I focused on resume writing, cover letters and interviewing.  This is something I REALLY enjoy teaching.  Most people dread searching for jobs, but I actually find it to be quite enjoyable, which explains why I am constantly sending people jobs I stumble across that I feel suit them well.

The test for this class ended up being the most enjoyable class to date....yet it wasn't really a class.  For their test I required them to find a real job posting that they would be interested in applying to, and to write a resume and cover letter for that particular job and have it sent to me three days before their test date.  I took the time to take notes on each student's job description, resume and cover letter.  Each student signed up for a different 10 minute time slot and came for a mock interview with me, which served as their test.

I doubt the students had as much fun as I did since they had a grade to be concerned with, but I was so impressed with all of them.  Some students were initially caught off guard when I opened my office door and said "Hello, I'm Jamie Hoversen, it's very nice to meet you." They caught on quickly though and switched from deer in headlights to professional mode almost instantly.  It was fun getting to come up with interview questions on the fly and make up answers to the well thought out questions the students asked about the position or company they were applying to.  There were particular students I would have absolutely hired for the job they were 'applying to' if I had that opportunity.

This test ended up being an interesting way for me to get to know my students better; to understand what their goals are, what experiences they have had and what they are passionate about.  Although they are all American Studies and English majors at ELTE, they have such a range of interests and experiences that go far beyond what they are studying.  I am proud of these students and have a good feeling that most of them will be able to find a good  job soon upon graduation.  And I do think that what they learned from me in relation to interviewing, resume writing and cover letters will actually be something they use again...and that makes me feel good.

No time machine needed for these students!