Student Impact
The results across three studies highlight the four potential impacts of the virtual interview tools on students receiving special education or secondary transition services.
Leveling Up Their Employment
Our study of 605 students receiving special education pre-employment services observed that the more virtual training students completed was related to a greater rate of getting a competitive job in the community by 6 month follow-up.
How? By Leveling Up Their Skills
Our study of 71 students with autism observed that students receiving special education pre-employment services who practiced with virtual interviewing improved their job interview skills more than students receiving special education pre-employment services who did not practice with virtual interviewing.
Students practicing virtual interviewing along with pre-employment services were rated as more likely to be hired by the end of the study; while students who didn’t use virtual interviewing were rated as less likely to be hired.
What Students Are Saying About Their Skills
“It was nice to see how an interview works and to get better.”
“[It helped] me learn how to do an interview and learning what I can improve on for an
Interview.”
Leveling Up Their Comfort
This same study also observed a trend where students receiving special education pre-employment services who practiced with virtual interviewing reduced their job interview anxiety to a greater extent than students receiving special education pre-employment services who did not practice with virtual interviewing.
What students are saying about their comfort after virtual interviewing
“It helped me learn not [to] be afraid for a real interview.”
“It gives you the opportunity to experience a job interview & also helps you be less nervous about interviewing.”
Students who used virtual interviewing found it to be largely acceptable as 90% of students reported that virtual interviewing was easy to use, enjoyable, and helped them prepare for job interviews.
“The experience of the whole program was amazing and it seriously boosted my confidence for a “real deal” interview.”
“…she helped you figure out what would be great to say during an interview.”
“I enjoyed the different options for dialogue & how you could go back & choose even better responses as to impress the employer.”
