Background
Like many other colleges and universities, Ohio State University’s Athletic Department faces a critical challenge that extends far beyond the playing field. With only a small percentage of athletes moving into professional sports, the vast majority of student-athletes need preparation for careers in the traditional job market.
Each athlete requires individualized support to transition successfully from their athletic careers to professional life — whether that means landing internships while in school or securing full-time roles after graduation.
At the forefront of this effort is the Director of Student Development, who is responsible for helping hundreds of student-athletes build essential career skills, including résumé writing, interview preparation, and employer engagement.
The Challenge
Prior to adopting new technology, Ohio State’s Athletic Department lacked a formalized and scalable interview-prep system. Observational data revealed common issues that negatively affected interview performance, including:
- Reduced eye contact and facial engagement
- Poor posture and nonverbal cues
- Difficulty articulating personal and professional stories
Many athletes also needed preparation for media-facing responsibilities, adding an additional layer of communication complexity.
With dozens of athletes requiring interview practice each day, the workload on staff quickly became unsustainable. Without a scalable solution, the department could not provide individualized, high-frequency coaching for every student-athlete.
“I appreciate that InterviewFocus focuses on answer quality and delivery. It’s important to emphasize the benefit of being personable and taking extra steps to best connect with individuals face-to-face.”
— Kate R., Director of Student Development, Ohio State University
The Solution
After a quick demonstration of the platform, Ohio State adopted InterviewFocus within one week of initial contact.
The platform delivered key benefits that addressed the department’s specific needs:
AI-Powered Mock Interviews:
Student-athletes could practice anytime, receive immediate feedback, and improve continuously — without consuming staff hours for each session.
Comprehensive Performance Analysis:
The system identified strengths and weaknesses across communication, body language, and delivery — helping athletes pinpoint exactly where to improve.
Administrative Dashboard:
Staff could easily monitor each student’s progress, review video responses, and offer targeted feedback when needed.
Human Coaching Integration:
For additional support, InterviewFocus provided one-on-one coaching with industry expert Craig Rosen — combining AI efficiency with human insight.
Results and Impact
Since implementation, Ohio State has seen measurable improvement across multiple areas:
- High Engagement: Dozens of student-athletes use the platform daily for ongoing skill development.
- Scalability Achieved: Hundreds of mock interviews are conducted efficiently during short time frames.
- Cross-Program Adoption: Athletes from more than 15 sports actively use InterviewFocus.
- Career Placement Outcomes: Usage correlates with stronger internship and job placement results.
- Resource Optimization: Staff time once spent on manual coaching is now reallocated to broader development programming.
“InterviewFocus has been a helpful tool to improve efficiency internally and to prepare our student-athletes for internship and job applications.”
— Kate R., Director of Student Development, Ohio State University
