DUBLIN, Ga. — Students at Dublin High School dressed the part — to get the part.
From taking the SATs and ACTs to college acceptances, students are getting prepared for the next stages in life and now they're figuring out their career goals.
Dublin High School students got to sit down with some future employers on Thursday and take part in "Shamrock the Mock Job Interviews."
Students had the chance to practice professionalism, explore their career choices and learn how to stand out as the best applicant for the job when the time comes.
The school says this is all part of their plan to get their students college and career-ready.
Over 20 businesses and employers were there to interview these students and prepare them for life outside of the classroom.
Senior Ayanni Brown wants to become a nurse practitioner and cosmetologist
"It's a lot that comes to after being out of school from high school heading into college," Brown said. "It's different things out there that people can do and it's a lot of talents that people have."
Employers score these students on their introduction, appearance, voice, posture and preparation.
Brown said the interviews are great practice, and now, she knows what to look for.
"This really helps," Brown said. "It's hard to get a job and you're looking a certain kind of way. But that's just the world, and I feel like they're helping us know how to do certain things so we won't have to be judged."
Dwane Bouyer is a sophomore and is looking into becoming an Air Force mechanic.
"I kind of wanted to prepare myself because I really haven't had an interview yet," Bouyer said. "When I go get a job, I want to be prepared for that."
Bouyer said he wanted to get the ball rolling early because first impressions are important to him.
Being able to dress nice and make connections with future employers got Bouyer excited about his plans after graduation.
"A lot of people, when they're out of high school they don't know how to be interviewed, they don't know how to find a job, but this school really helps us for the future," Bouyer said. "I feel like if you're from here, I think you have a level of responsibility of your community. Everyone that comes out of Dublin should come back to Dublin eventually."
Stephanie Harrison is an HR manager for Arcilla Mining and Land.
Harrison is also an alum of Dublin High School, and came back to give these students an opportunity just like she once had.
"Communication has changed so much over the last few years," Harrison said. "A lot of the communication that they do is done not face to face but that's going to be needed. They're going to be interviewed that way, they're going to have to practice their communication skills when working with people every day."
Harrison said it's important that these students know someone is rooting for them and supporting them through this time of growth.
"They should know it is important to build up those connections within your community," Harrison said. "Be mindful that these are people that are right here around us every day so invest in your people and build them up and encourage them because we want to see them be successful."
Whitney Kilgo is the Marketing Director at Morris Bank and also an alum of Dublin High School.
"It's just been so rewarding to see these students and how well they prepare and the power of students that are going into our workforce is encouraging to see," Kilgo said.
Kilgo says she encourages students to dig deep into different industries and opportunities. She says understanding their interests as well as giving them some positive and constructive feedback will help them move forward.
"Practice makes perfect," Kilgo said. "Talking with high school students is an incredible opportunity to encourage them and I think this is just a great way to get them more comfortable and more equipped for those interviews they'll have in the future."
Students who received good scores on their mock interviews got prizes like a free movie and popcorn, an ice cream social and vouchers that let them skip an upcoming test and get a 100% score.