Overview

This supplement contains three GenAI exercises for the 60-minute Interview Preparation and Mock Interview Lesson Plan. They build sequentially — students move from getting structured performance feedback on their Round 1 answers, to optimizing specifically for virtual delivery, to building a full interview portfolio using the AI prompts already embedded in the lesson plan. Each exercise connects to the lesson’s existing GenAI prompts and the Mock Interview Evaluation Rubric

🛠  Recommended GenAI Tools  —  any of these work

• Claude — claude.ai
• ChatGPT — chatgpt.com
• Microsoft Copilot — copilot.microsoft.com  (LaGuardia students: free via CUNY Microsoft 365)
• Google Gemini — gemini.google.com

1. Rubric-Aligned Feedback Coach

Using GenAI to get structured feedback tied to the lesson’s evaluation rubric

Purpose & Faculty Notes

After Round 1 mock interviews, students have an observer checklist in hand but may not know how to act on it. This exercise uses the lesson’s Performance Feedback GenAI prompt — expanded to align directly with the rubric’s five categories — so students receive specific, actionable coaching on the same dimensions used for peer, self, and instructor evaluation. The goal is to bridge the gap between “I know I need to improve” and “I know exactly what to work on.”

⏱  Timing:  Run at the start of the GenAI Coaching segment (minutes 45–50), using the Round 1 mock interview answer students just gave.   💡  Faculty Tip:  Have students write their answer down in rough form — even bullet points — before opening GenAI. Students who paste in written notes receive far more useful feedback than those relying on memory. The observer’s checklist notes from Round 1 are also a useful reference.   📋  Lesson Prompt Used:  Builds on the lesson’s Performance Feedback prompt: “Act as an interviewer. Evaluate this answer for clarity, confidence, and structure. Provide 3 suggestions.”

Student Instructions — Step by Step

Faculty Instruction

Before students open GenAI, ask them to write their Round 1 answer in rough form. Remind them to include the question they were asked.

1. Open one of the GenAI tools above in a new browser tab.
2. Copy the prompt below, fill in the interview question and paste your rough answer at the end.

Act as an experienced hiring manager and career coach.  I just completed a mock interview. The question I was asked: [PASTE QUESTION]  Please evaluate my answer across these five areas and give me one specific, actionable suggestion for each:   1. Response Structure — Did I use STAR clearly? Was my answer easy to follow?   2. Content & Relevance — Was my example specific and relevant to the role?   3. Communication & Clarity — Was I clear and concise, with minimal filler words?   4. Professionalism — Did my tone and delivery reflect professional standards?   5. Reflection — Did I show what I learned or how I grew from the experience?  My answer: [PASTE YOUR ANSWER HERE]

• Read the feedback for each category. For any suggestion that mentions something you didn’t actually do or say, set it aside — GenAI can only respond to what you gave it.
• Choose the ONE category where your score would be lowest. Use that as the focus for your Round 2 answer.
• Record GenAI’s feedback and your improvement focus below.

Student Record: Exercise 1

What to Record	Your Notes
Question I answered
Rubric area that needs the most work
GenAI’s specific suggestion for that area
What I will do differently in Round 2
One suggestion from GenAI I disagreed with — and why

🔗  GenAI Literacy Connection (Module 3 — Prompting): Compare this prompt to the simpler version in the lesson plan (“Evaluate this answer for clarity, confidence, and structure”). Notice how naming the five specific rubric categories produces structured, category-by-category feedback instead of general impressions. Giving the GenAI an explicit framework to work within is a core prompting technique from Module 3 — and it works the same way in interview coaching as it does in career research.

2. Virtual Delivery Optimizer

Using GenAI to refine an answer specifically for the demands of a virtual or recorded interview

Purpose & Faculty Notes

Virtual and recorded interviews require a different register than in-person ones — tighter answers, fewer filler words, camera-directed delivery, and a conciseness that reads as confidence on screen. This exercise uses the lesson’s Delivery Coaching GenAI prompt to help students adapt their answer for virtual format before or after the simulation segment. It also reinforces the ethical reminder embedded in the lesson: GenAI refines communication — it does not replace the student’s real experience.

⏱  Timing:  Run after the Virtual Mock Interview Simulation (Option A or B) and before or during the AI Coaching segment (minutes 45–55).   💡  Faculty Tip:  For asynchronous classes (Option B), this exercise works especially well as the pre-recording prep step — students use GenAI to tighten their answer before they hit record, rather than after.   📋  Lesson Prompt Used:  Builds on the lesson’s Delivery Coaching prompt: “Rewrite this response to sound concise and natural for a virtual interview. Keep it under 75 seconds.”

Student Instructions — Step by Step

STUDENT

You will use two prompts in sequence — A first, then B. Have your interview answer written down before you start.

1. Open one of the GenAI tools above in a new browser tab.
2. Use Prompt A to get a virtual-optimized version of your answer.

Rewrite this interview answer so it works well in a virtual or recorded interview.  Requirements:   • Keep it under 75 seconds when spoken aloud   • Remove filler words (um, like, you know, basically)   • Keep my real experience and my voice — do not add anything I haven’t said   • Make the opening sentence strong and direct — no slow build-up   • Keep the STAR structure (Situation, Task, Action, Result)  My answer: [PASTE YOUR ANSWER HERE]

• Read the optimized version. Check: is every detail in this answer true? Remove anything GenAI added that you didn’t actually do.
• Use Prompt B to get three specific delivery tips for when you say this answer on camera.

I am about to say the following answer in a virtual interview — on camera.  Give me three specific delivery tips for this answer:   1. One tip about pacing or pausing   2. One tip about eye contact and camera presence   3. One tip about how to start and end confidently  My answer: [PASTE YOUR OPTIMIZED ANSWER FROM PROMPT A]

• Practice saying your optimized answer aloud at least once before your recording or next round.
• Record your takeaways below.

Student Record: Exercise 2

What to Record	Your Notes
What GenAI changed about my answer (structure, wording, length)
Something GenAI changed that I kept — and why it works
Something GenAI changed that I put back — and why it matters to me
My strongest delivery tip from Prompt B
One thing I will focus on when I’m on camera

🔗  GenAI Literacy Connection (Module 2 — Ethics): The GenAI’s version of your answer may sound more polished — but “polished” reflects patterns the GenAI learned from existing professional content, which may favor certain communication styles over others. Your original phrasing, rhythm, and word choices are part of who you are as a candidate. The goal is not to sound like the GenAI’s idea of a strong interviewee. It is to sound like a clear, confident version of yourself. Keep what works; discard what doesn’t sound like you.

3. Interview Portfolio Builder

Using GenAI to develop STAR-structured answers for all three common questions and connect to the assignment options

Purpose & Faculty Notes

This exercise bridges the in-class lesson to all three assignment options. Students use GenAI to build a set of STAR-structured answers for the four common questions from the lesson — not by having GenAI write the answers, but by using it to generate outlines they then write themselves. The process mirrors the Assignment Option 1 workflow (Interview Answer Portfolio) while also preparing students for Option 2 (Mock Interview Recording) and generating material for Option 3 (Career Readiness Discussion).

⏱  Timing:  Introduce during the Reflection & Assignments segment (minutes 55–60). Students complete the full exercise as the take-home assignment bridge.   💡  Faculty Tip:  The “tell me about yourself” question is the hardest for students to STAR-structure because it isn’t behavioral. Walk through Prompt A live with the class using a volunteer’s background — this models how to frame personal history as a professional narrative rather than a biography.   🎯  Assignment Connection:  Students who complete this exercise have all the raw material they need for Option 1 (portfolio), Option 2 (recording prep), or Option 3 (the ethical use discussion is built into the reflection step below).

Student Instructions — Step by Step

Faculty Instruction

Show students the four questions below. Tell them to choose the TWO that feel hardest to answer — these are worth practicing most.

The Four Questions from the Lesson: “Tell me about yourself.””Describe a challenge you’ve faced.””How do you collaborate with others?””Why are you interested in this role?”

1. Open one of the GenAI tools above in a new browser tab.
2. For each of your two chosen questions, use Prompt A to generate a STAR outline based on your real experience.

Help me build a STAR outline for this interview question: [PASTE QUESTION]  Here is the real experience I want to draw from: [DESCRIBE A SPECIFIC SITUATION FROM YOUR LIFE — part-time job, class project, volunteer work, family responsibility, sports, campus activity, etc.]  Give me a STAR outline only — bullet points for each section. Do NOT write the full answer. I will write it myself using the outline. If my experience doesn’t fit STAR perfectly, suggest how to adapt it without adding anything I haven’t described.

• Write your full answer for each question in your own words, using the STAR outline as a guide. This is your draft — write it as if you’re saying it out loud.
• Use Prompt B to check the ethical framing of your use of GenAI — this connects directly to Assignment Option 3.

I used GenAI to help me outline and refine my interview answers today. Specifically, I used it to: [BRIEFLY DESCRIBE WHAT YOU DID — e.g., generate a STAR outline, improve clarity, practice feedback]  Based on what I described, help me answer this question: “How can GenAI be used ethically in interview preparation and job searching?”  Give me 3 key points I could make in a discussion or written response. Then ask me one follow-up question that pushes me to think more deeply about responsible GenAI use in professional settings.

⚠  Before You Submit Your Portfolio or Record Your Video: Read through every answer. Does every sentence describe something you actually did or experienced? If the GenAI added details you didn’t provide, remove or replace them with what actually happened.Your answers should sound like you — not like a polished template.For the recording option: practice saying each answer aloud at least twice before you record.

Student Record: Exercise 3

What to Record	Your Notes
Two questions I chose and why they felt hardest
Real experience I used for Question 1
Real experience I used for Question 2
Something GenAI added to an outline that I removed
Assignment option I chose and how this exercise helped me prepare
One key point I will make about ethical GenAI use in interviews (from Prompt B)

🔗  GenAI Literacy Connection (Module 1 — How GenAI Works): Prompt A asks GenAI for an outline only — not the finished answer. This is intentional. GenAI predicts likely helpful content based on patterns; it cannot know what you have actually done or how you would genuinely describe it. The more specific and accurate the experience you put in, the more useful the outline. The full answer, written in your own voice, is what will actually succeed in a real interview — and in your portfolio submission.

Faculty Facilitation Notes

Timing, common challenges, and grading guidance

Timing Flexibility

• Exercises 1 and 2 together fit within the GenAI Coaching segment (minutes 45–55) if students arrive with written notes from their mock interview rounds.
• Exercise 3 is strongest as the take-home bridge — introduce it at minute 55 and assign completion as part of whichever assignment option students choose.
• For asynchronous or virtual classes: Exercise 2 works well as pre-recording prep before students submit their Option 2 recording.

Connecting to the Rubric

Exercise 1 is designed to mirror the five rubric categories exactly. If you use the rubric for peer or self-evaluation, students will recognize the feedback structure immediately. Consider having students compare their GenAI feedback from Exercise 1 to their observer’s checklist notes from Round 1 — differences between the two are worth a brief class discussion.

Common Facilitation Challenges

Challenge	Suggested Response
“GenAI rewrote my whole answer and it doesn’t sound like me”	This is the goal of the exercise, not a problem — the rewrite surfaces what “more polished” looks like, and students decide what to keep. Remind them: your job is to compare and choose, not to accept everything.
“I don’t have any work experience to draw from for STAR”	Reframe: all experience counts. Class projects, family responsibilities, caregiving, sports, volunteering, and campus activities are all valid. Help students see “experience” broadly before they open a GenAI tool.
GenAI feedback conflicts with peer observer feedback	Excellent — use it. Ask: which feedback feels more accurate, and why? This is a genuine critical thinking moment connecting to Module 2 (ethics) and Module 1 (how AI works).
“GenAI said my answer was great — nothing to improve”	The prompt asks for specific suggestions; if the GenAI gives praise, ask students to push back with a follow-up: “What is one thing that could be even stronger?” Teach students that follow-up prompting is a skill.
Students submit GenAI-generated answers without rewriting	The record sheets capture the specific experience students drew from and what they changed. If a submission matches GenAI output exactly, it will lack the personal detail the record sheet requires.