Guest post: Twitter and PENCIL team up for #FridayForGood

Thursday, 22 October 2015

New York City’s Brooklyn Latin School and Manhattan Business Academy looked more like a company’s corporate headquarters than a high school last Friday when over 30 Twitter employees greeted its students. As part of #FridayForGood, Twitter partnered with New York City education nonprofit, PENCIL, to expose 60 sophomores, juniors, and seniors to an afternoon of networking and mock interviews.

Guest post: Twitter and PENCIL team up for #FridayForGood

Guest post: Twitter and PENCIL team up for #FridayForGood

Students and Twitter volunteers were ready for an afternoon of learning at Manhattan Business Academy (top) and Brooklyn Latin School (bottom).

From the opening handshake to follow up questions, students learned the ins and outs of how to make the most of an interview. Whether they are applying for college or looking to start a career, there are skills every student should be equipped with in order to succeed. Skills that prepare you to answer the nerve-racking questions we can all remember asking ourselves at some point: What questions do I ask at the end of the interview? How do I talk about my strengths and weaknesses? How professional do I need to dress?

On Friday afternoon, Twitter volunteers helped sophomores, juniors, and seniors from Manhattan Business Academy and Brooklyn Latin School answer these questions. Students participated in mock interviews, where Twitter volunteers acted as the potential employer and asked a series of questions that ranged from “tell me about yourself,” to “what has been your greatest achievement?” After the interview, students received direct feedback about what they did really well, and what they could improve upon for next time.

I had the pleasure of seeing #FridayForGood in action at both schools, and was truly impressed at the level of enthusiasm and participation from the students and volunteers. All of the students took the opportunity seriously and absorbed the guidance and feedback they received from the Twitter team. We were thrilled to have the chance to partner with Twitter to help prepare students from Manhattan Business Academy and Brooklyn Latin School for college and their future careers.

At PENCIL, we call days like #FridayForGood “PENCIL Points of Engagement,” which are single-day volunteer events tailored to a particular company that directly impact New York City’s public schools. #FridayForGood was a great way for PENCIL to be introduced to Twitter’s work, and for Twitter to take part in PENCIL’s efforts throughout New York City. In fact, a number of Twitter employees are interested in getting more deeply involved with the schools they visited and PENCIL moving forward.

On behalf of PENCIL, I’d like to thank Twitter for helping us continue to transform students’ education. It was tremendous to see employees and students sharing ideas and working together. After Friday’s activities, these students are well on their way to knocking their first interview out of the park.