Chicago’s WGN Explains How SIMmersion’s Job Interview Training Helps Veterans with PTSD

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In an interview with WGN Television in Chicago, Northwestern Medicine mental health researcher Dr. Matthew J. Smith says veterans with PTSD who trained for job interviews using “Job Interview Training with Molly Porter™” by SIMmersion were far more likely to find a job.

Virtual HR Manager trains job interview skills

Virtual HR Manager Molly trains job interview skills

The veterans that are suffering from PTSD have a greater likelihood of experiencing anxiety in the job interview setting, and to some degree this allows them to practice and reduce that level of anxiety.

It is always interesting to see what somebody else has to say about your work. Chicago television station WGN took a close look at SIMmersion’s job interview training in a feature story. The piece includes an interview with Dr. Matthew J. Smith, a Northwestern Medicine mental health researcher who studied the effects of SIMmersion’s training on veterans with PTSD.

Dr. Smith used SIMmersion’s product “Job Interview Training with Molly Porter™” to provide additional training to one group while putting a control group on a waiting list to receive the training. By using the program, job seekers build skills and confidence with a realistic virtual interviewer and an on-screen coach, learning from common mistakes in a stress-free environment.

Speaking about SIMmersion’s training, Dr. Smith says, “The veterans that are suffering from PTSD have a greater likelihood of experiencing anxiety in the job interview setting, and to some degree this allows them to practice and reduce that level of anxiety.” According to Dr. Smith, the trainees were far more likely to find a job or receive a job offer after completing the training compared to the control group.

The training has multiple levels of difficulty, allowing job seekers to get comfortable with the interview process, then challenge themselves to build better skills. SIMmersion’s PeopleSim® technology makes Molly’s moods and attitudes change between uses, so job seekers get practice responding to different types of personalities. Molly retains memory of everything a job seeker says during the interview, and SIMmersion’s patented emotional model makes her warm up or distance herself based upon how well the interview is going. Training with Molly helps job seekers stay cool and on message no matter how the interviewer behaves, giving them an edge on the competition that can’t be found anywhere else.

Adam Navarro-Lowery, a US Army veteran and study participant, was able to get a job and rise out of homelessness after completing the training. Navarro-Lowery says, “I want to see my fellow veterans participate in programs and studies like this to help us get out of the slump we face when we come home.”

On-demand video of the three-minute story and a transcript are available on the WGN website.

About SIMmersion

SIMmersion’s mission is to train communication skills faster and more effectively by combining the world's most realistic simulated experiences with highly interactive training content and extensive user feedback. For more information, contact SIMmersion online or at 443-283-2555.

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Dale Olsen
@SIMmersion_PR
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