It Pays to Be Dairy Queen

Well, I had the "mock job interviews" with three high school students today, and they went quite well. They were well prepared with resumes and cover letters, and overall were poised and articulate. The teacher also gave me good resources in terms of suggested questions and a very useful evaluation sheet. It was rather a fun exercise, and I think I was able to give them helpful feedback in a positive way.

I was struck that the most poised young woman, and the one who was able to give the fullest, most specific answers to my questions, has participated in the Green County Ag Chest Dairy Queen program. Yes, we have them in this area, not the fast food places, but crowned queens. This is not a beauty contest, but a leadership program for young women involved with/interested in the dairy industry. Competition for the title involves essays and interviews rather than pageant walking, and the winner spends a year in visiting local events with cheese samples in hand, riding in parades, writing articles for the local papers, doing interviews with the local radio stations. It really is a crash course in organization, time management, public speaking and social skills. I wish more young women had the opportunity get this kind of leadership training.