A group of Old Paradians have returned to the Bundoora Campus to offer their knowledge and expertise in simulated employment interviews with current Year 10 students.

Dino Rebellato (1978) and Andrew Bennett (2000) were amongst the 25 interviewers of 302 students in 10-minute blocks in the Greening Auditorium. Dino is pictured here in the auditorium with Parade’s Systems Accountant Krishanthan Rajendran, who was also involved.

“The most important thing I told students who had braces on their teeth is that their parents have invested a lot of money in a great smile . . . so pay back that investment,” said Dino, now semi-retired after a 40-year career in financial services.

“First impressions, whether in mock interviews or in the service industry, are absolutely important. The people interviewed must create that first impression and that comes with a bright, smiling face.”

Dino, whose older brother Ennio (1977) and sons Daniel (2012) and Adrian Rebellato (2015) are all Old Paradians, recalled being first interviewed for an employment position “and I suspect I botched every interview in which I was part until I got enough experience to realise there were other ways of doing it.”

“So I was quite happy to provide my experience to the boys,” Dino said, “and I try to give back where I can . . . it makes for a better world hopefully.”

Andrew Bennett, a Principal Consultant – Technical and Operations for Veritas Recruitment, backed up Dino’s observation regarding first impressions.

“My advice to all students being interviewed for future employment is that you need to stand out,” said Andrew, pictured at the auditorium with Parade College Deputy Principal Mark Aiello.

“Regardless of the job, and whether it’s your first ever role or otherwise, wear a suit and tie. You can always underdress, but never overdress.

“Always have a copy of your CV and make sure it’s clear and not overloaded - and make sure you prepare for the interview. As much as you’re being interviewed you want to know more about the organization you want to work for.”

In closing, Andrew commended the College and its Careers Coordinator Vivian Sipsas. As he said: “I was impressed with the quality of the students and the (College’s) overall investment in the actual process . . . the students were well-prepared”.

Vivian acknowledged that the feedback from both the interviewers and interviewees was positive.

“The mock interviews provide our students with the opportunity to write a cover letter, create a resumé and participate in an interview in a safe and secure learning environment,” Vivian said.

“The interviews provide students with an authentic experience that they can then apply to their lives outside of the school.”

Those Old Paradians involved in the interview process were Yin Van Beek (2020), Andrew Bennett (2000), Ray Bongiorno (1971), Rylie Cadd (2019), Peter Hudson (1970), Ben Major (2020), Nick O’Kearney (2014), Chris McCue (1994), Jack Nicolo (2020), Dino Rebellato (1978) and Che Watson (2019).

Che, Rylie and Yin are pictured below.