🧭 Module 4: Interview and Career Chat Preparation Using Goldi (Climb Together) | ⏰60 Minutes
Overview
Students practice interview-adjacent career conversations using Goldi, a GenAI coach that focuses on storytelling, professional confidence, and relationship-building. This includes screening interviews, career chats, and alumni conversations. The lesson emphasizes the distinction between formal interviews and career chats, uses Goldi for low-stakes voice practice, and closes with human peer feedback to reinforce that GenAI practice is a bridge to real conversation, not a substitute for it.
Materials Needed
- Student access to Goldi (Climb Together) accounts (instructor provides login link)
- Student devices with microphone capability
- Mock Interview Evaluation Rubric from Lesson Plan 4
- Goldi Quick Start Guide (student handout below)
- Goldi Virtual Mock Interview Prompts (student handout below)
Preparation
Set up Goldi accounts and confirm student access before class. Prepare a brief in-class demo of Goldi so students can see what the interface looks and sounds like before using it independently. Review the Goldi Quick Start Guide and prompts so you can troubleshoot student questions quickly. Consider which assignment option best fits your students’ current stage of career readiness.
Lesson Sequence
| Time | Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Introduction: Interviews ≠ Just Interviews | Many interviews start before the formal interview: informational interviews, career chats, alumni conversations. Most jobs are filled through connections and referrals, not postings. Frame the key distinction: Interview — employer evaluates you; Career Chat — mutual conversation where you ask questions and tell your story. Introduce Goldi: a practice space for these conversations, not a job application tool. |
| 0:10–0:20 | Goldi Demo | Demonstrate Goldi live in class. Show students how voice-based role-play works and what feedback looks like. Faculty talking points: Goldi coaches delivery and helps students articulate real experiences. It does not apply for jobs or invent experience. Goldi provides feedback without judgment, making it a low-stakes place to practice. |
| 0:20–0:40 | Guided Goldi Practice | Students log into Goldi and select one practice scenario: “Tell me about yourself,” career chat with an alum, or interview practice. Students complete one full voice-based role-play and review Goldi’s feedback. Circulate and encourage students to try again using one piece of feedback at a time rather than attempting a perfect answer on the first try. See Goldi Quick Start Guide below. |
| 0:40–0:50 | Pair-and-Share and Human Mock Interview | Students pair up. Each student delivers their revised “Tell me about yourself” and receives peer feedback using the Mock Interview Rubric. Key talking point: “Goldi helps you practice. People help you adapt.” The human feedback round surfaces what Goldi can’t — tone, connection, and the real feeling of being heard. |
| 0:50–1:00 | Reflection and Ethical GenAI Framing | Group discussion using the prompts below. Close with the ethical framing script. Introduce assignment options. |
Group Discussion Prompts
- What feedback from Goldi surprised you?
- What changed between your first and second attempt?
- How is using GenAI for practice different from using it to “fake” answers?
Ethical Framing (faculty script) “GenAI is a coach, not a character actor. The story must always be yours.”
Assignment Options (choose one or combine)
Option 1 — Goldi Reflection (Low-Stakes) Complete 2 additional Goldi practice sessions outside of class. Submit:
- One key improvement you made based on Goldi’s feedback — what changed and why
- One remaining challenge you’re still working on — what you plan to do about it
GenAI Use Note: This assignment is built around Goldi. All reflection must be in your own words. Goldi coaches your delivery, but your observations about your own growth are yours alone.
Option 2 — Interview Transfer Task Use your Goldi-refined response in a mock interview recording or live interview practice session. Submit a short written comparison:
- What did your answer sound or look like before Goldi practice?
- What specifically changed after? What stayed the same — and why?
- What does the comparison tell you about your interview readiness right now?
GenAI Use Note: Goldi may be used to refine your practice responses. Your written comparison and reflection must be your own.
Option 3 — Career Chat Action Plan Identify one alum, professional, or instructor you could have a career conversation with. Submit:
- Who you identified and why you chose them
- A draft outreach message (you may use Goldi to help draft and refine this)
- A reflection on your confidence and readiness: What feels manageable? What still feels uncertain?
GenAI Use Note: Goldi may be used to draft and practice your outreach message. The person you reach out to and the reasons you chose them must be genuinely yours.
Goldi Quick Start Guide (distribute to students)
What Is Goldi?
Goldi is a GenAI coach that helps you practice:
- Introducing yourself professionally
- Career chats and informational interviews
- Screening and virtual interviews
- Talking about your skills and experiences with confidence
Goldi is a practice partner, not a replacement for real interviews.
What You’ll Use Goldi For
- Practicing answers out loud
- Getting feedback without judgment
- Building confidence before real conversations
- Preparing for virtual interviews and career chats
What Goldi Does NOT Do
- Apply for jobs for you
- Invent experience you don’t have
- Speak during real interviews
Getting Started (5 Minutes)
Step 1: Log In
Use the Goldi link provided by your instructor. Sign in with your school email.
Step 2: Choose a Practice Scenario
Look for options like:
- “Tell me about yourself”
- Career chat / coffee chat
- Interview practice
Step 3: Practice Out Loud
Use your voice (recommended). Speak naturally. You do not have to be perfect. You can pause, retry, and practice as many times as you want.
How to Get the Most Out of Goldi
Before you start, think about:
- A job, internship, or career you’re interested in
- One experience from school, work, volunteering, or daily life
During practice:
- Speak clearly, not quickly
- Focus on what YOU did, not what “we” did
- Keep answers between 60–90 seconds
After feedback:
- Don’t aim for perfection — aim for clear and confident
- Try again using one suggestion at a time
Using Goldi Ethically
✅ Do:
- Practice explaining skills you actually have
- Use feedback to improve your real experiences
- Use Goldi to grow
🚫 Do NOT:
- Make up jobs or skills
- Copy Goldi’s answers word for word
- Use Goldi during a real interview
You are the interviewer’s focus — not the GenAI.
When You’re Ready for Real People
Goldi helps you practice so you feel more comfortable:
- Interviewing with employers
- Talking to alumni and professionals
- Connecting on LinkedIn
- Speaking confidently on Zoom or Teams
Virtual Mock Interview Prompts for Goldi (distribute to students)
Use these prompts inside Goldi or say them aloud when prompted. They are designed for virtual interviews on Zoom, Teams, or recorded platforms.
Prompt 1: “Tell Me About Yourself” (Virtual Interview)
“Act as an interviewer for an entry-level or internship role. Ask me to introduce myself. After my response, provide feedback on clarity, confidence, and length for a virtual interview.”
Focus: Clear structure · Professional tone · 60–90 seconds
Prompt 2: Behavioral Question (STAR Practice) “
Ask me a behavioral interview question about handling a challenge. After my answer, tell me if I used the STAR method clearly and how I can improve for a Zoom interview.”
Focus: Situation · Action · Result · Calm delivery
Prompt 3: Virtual Communication Skills
“Evaluate my response as if this were a virtual interview. Give feedback on pacing, clarity, and how confident I sound on camera.”
Focus: Speaking speed · Filler words · Confidence
Prompt 4: Concise Answer Practice (Recorded Interviews)
“Help me shorten this interview answer so it sounds confident and natural for a recorded video interview. Limit it to 75 seconds.”
Focus: Brevity · Strong opening and closing
Prompt 5: Career Chat / Informational Interview
“Pretend you are an alum in my field. Practice a career chat with me and coach me on how to ask thoughtful questions and make a good impression.”
Focus: Asking questions · Professional curiosity · Conversation flow
Prompt 6: Final Polishing
“Act like a career coach. Give me one strength and one improvement for this answer. Keep feedback encouraging and specific.”
Focus: Targeted refinement · Encouraging tone
Feeling nervous means you’re learning. Repeating answers builds confidence. Every practice session is progress. Goldi helps you practice — you do the growing.
Facilitation Notes
Goldi works best when framed as a practice space and confidence builder — particularly for first-generation students, career changers, and students with limited professional exposure who may feel intimidated by real interview scenarios. The Pair-and-Share section after Goldi practice is essential: it reinforces that GenAI practice is a bridge to human conversation, not an end in itself. The ethical framing close — “GenAI is a coach, not a character actor. The story must always be yours” — is worth stating directly and returning to during the debrief if students raise questions about where the line is.
Differentiation / Accessibility Suggestions
Students who are uncomfortable using their voice for Goldi practice can type responses instead. Goldi supports both modalities. For students who are anxious about the peer feedback round, offer the option to share with the instructor rather than a classmate. Students who finish Goldi practice early can attempt a second scenario. The career chat prompt (Prompt 5) is particularly valuable for students who are still building their professional network.
