Job interview competition: Heather Harder places third at FFA nationals

Brian Long and Heather Harder at FFA convention in Indianapolis

Colfax senior Heather Harder notched a third place win at the national FFA competition in Indianapolis last week. She received a plaque and a $1,000 scholarship.

Harder placed in the job interview category. She was among 41 other entrants who qualified by winning their state competitions.

“I love to speak in front of audiences,” she said.

The competition requires entrants to submit a resume and then go through a telephone interview, preliminary and final interviews. Heather’s simulated application was for a receptionist position at the Grower’s Guide in Colfax.

Harder, 17, is the daughter of Dan and Tammie Harder of Colfax. She is now wrapping up her applications to two colleges in North Carolina, Wake Forest University and University of Elon. Harder has an eye on majoring in communications and a minor in creative writing.

Harder gave this reporter a sample snippet of her interviewing capabilities at an interview Nov. 2. She made eye contact, enunciated and used words like “adaptability.” And Harder, who is 4’ 11” tall, also happened to be wearing some professionally fetching brown high heels.

“I really like competing,” she said.

Harder said she’d like to continue in FFA after she gets into college.

The trip to Indianapolis was fun too, she said.

FFA vendors had set up in a mall and Harder bought a nice FFA sweater as well as FFA pins to bring back to her home team.

The Colfax chapter of FFA has done very well at the state level in past years, said FFA advisor Brian Long. His students have taken eight first place titles in the past seven years, Long said.

Harder also placed third at nationals creed competition as a sophomore.

The Garfield-Palouse FFA team topped 24 other state entries to win the state land judging contest last Wednesday at Valleyford.

The win kept Garfield/Palouse undefeated in the state land judging contest for the third consecutive year.