More than just a mock interview

In this blog, Communications and Policy Manager, Hannah, reflects on a mock interview workshop at HMP Pentonville and how it revealed the power of a strengths-based approach to build confidence, self-worth, and hope for the future.

At 07:15 on a chilly Monday morning we huddled outside the gates of HMP Pentonville, waiting for the last of the volunteers to arrive. It was mock interview day – a highlight of the StandOut course for participants, and for me too.

Mock interviews are one of three opportunities for volunteers to engage with our course in prison, the others being CV writing and graduation. These three sessions provide the time and space for participants to develop employability skills and meet with people in the community who are rooting for them to succeed. But it’s about more than that.

Many of the people we work with haven’t had an interview in years – if ever. The mock interview workshop gives them a chance to experience what it’s like to sit across from someone, answer questions and showcase their strengths. It’s a moment to put into practice some of the skills they’ve developed throughout the course – communication, body language and professionalism – and see themselves through a different lens. One that reflects confidence, capacity, and potential.

This time, the interviews took place in the chapel – a large, welcoming space just off the ‘centre’ of the prison, where the wings converge. Chairs were arranged in pairs, one facing the other, and each volunteer took a seat, waiting to be briefed on their interviewees. We received a pack containing a CV, job description, and a list of questions – and were guided by coaches on whether to stick to the script or stretch the participant with additional prompts.

While we waited for participants to be collected from their cells, we studied their CVs and the job descriptions of the roles they were (mock) interviewing for. I felt a little nervous – I wanted to give those I interviewed a good experience, one that felt real and encouraging.

My first interviewee shook my hand and sat down. He’d run his own business for several years and so hadn’t done an interview in a long time. He did brilliantly. Personable and seemingly confident, with strong body language, he reeled off his extensive experience in construction. Afterwards, as we worked together to prepare several concrete examples he could use in his next interview, he admitted he’d been really nervous. You couldn’t tell.

My second interviewee had clearly come prepared. He had examples at his fingertips from his years in hospitality and, when I pushed him with extra questions, he responded with thoughtful insights that highlighted his teamwork and customer service skills. His positive attitude and dedication would be an asset to any employer. Lacking in confidence, though, we spent the remainder of our time focusing on his strengths.

Then came what is perhaps the most powerful part of the workshop: the feedback circle. Volunteers and participants sit side by side, sharing reflections. Volunteers offered specific, positive feedback; participants responded with their own thoughts on the experience. Smiles tugged at the corners of participants’ mouths as they listened to volunteers recount how well they’d presented themselves, answered questions, and engaged with the process.

That morning in Pentonville wasn’t just about interview practice – it was about possibility. In a place where people are so often defined by their past, the StandOut course creates space for something different: a future built on strengths, not shame. Watching participants sit taller, speak with conviction, and receive genuine praise from strangers is a reminder of what a strengths-based approach can unlock. Confidence. Dignity. Hope.

These moments – whether in the chapel, the feedback circle, or the quiet conversations in between – are where transformation begins. And it’s why StandOut exists: to walk alongside people as they rediscover who they are, and who they could become. Because when someone starts to believe in themselves again, everything changes.

If you’d like to volunteer for a mock interview workshop, join us to write a CV or come to a graduation, get in touch at volunteering@standout.org.uk.