The Interview: Selling Yourself

Your interview is scheduled. You have made the first cut. Congratulations. Now, serious preparation must begin.

Preparing for the interview is a dynamic process. It never really ends. You should always be updating your resume and modifying your format. You resume is a work in progress. You should always be professionally reading and participating in professional development activities to stay current and sharp.

Let’s begin here. A question you may be asked in the interview is: what are you currently reading? Personally, I always like to have two books going, one for personal pleasure and one for professional development. Follow-up questions could very easily be: what professional journals do you subscribe to and read? what professional organizations do you belong to? Some interviewers could be looking to see how you remain current and on top of your game. Other interviewers may be looking to see if you read any research based journals that ramp up the intensity of the articles as compared to more common professional works.

Have you thoroughly researched the district and your potential school? Please always remember that you are a teacher in a district first and then a teacher in a designated school. I trust you see the subtle difference. One day you may be called upon to change schools, change departments, or grade levels. An administrator expects that you will do whatever the district needs. This research can be conducted fairly easily today with all of the performance reports and data located online. In addition to traditional test score data, seek other data such as free / reduced lunch participation, percentage of special education students, percentage of ELL learners, graduation rates, and post graduation plans of the district’s graduates. This data can help you form a better picture of any potential job offer. Be careful not to focus too closely on district figures because data can greatly vary within the district’s schools. Having a good understanding of the district will enable you to be an informed participant in your interview. Try to immerse yourself in the district. You do not have to memorize all of this information. Merely gain a working knowledge to allow you to talk intelligently.

Inasmuch as you have gotten this far in the process, namely you have passed the screening of your hard documents such as transcripts, certifications, and your resume, you are about to enter what some may say is the soft side of selling yourself. Do not confuse the term soft with easy. This is the hard part. Please arrive for your interview in a timely fashion dressed to impress. Do not be late! I would suggest that you do a practice drive to the district in rush hour to anticipate real driving time. This may also allow you to see if this is a manageable drive. One hour may not seem like a long drive, but after a long grueling day, are you going to be up for the drive? A long commute is not for everyone.

Please remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Blink speaks in depth about the speed of decision making within the first few seconds of contact. Other research supports his findings. Your interviewer will make some quick decisions whether, either right or wrong in the first few seconds after meeting you. I know in my interview history I was able to make some predictions within the first 30 seconds of meeting a candidate. Most times my prediction turned out to be true. You must make a quick connection. The principal wants to hire a great teacher but he/she needs to make some sort of connection to be able to feel comfortable with you and his /her desire to have you join the team. I cannot minimize the importance of this connection. If a team is hiring you, pick a person to make that connection with because you probably will not be able to connect with everyone. It would be great if you could connect with the power broker on the committee. You should be able to determine who that is. Be aware of your body language. You can speak volumes without ever opening your mouth. Try to be open and pleasant and to smile as you make eye contact. I suggest that you practice this with family and friends prior to your interview.

Believe it or not, many principals do not prepare for the interview. They will basically “wing it.” This is extremely unfortunate for the school and ultimately the profession because if one takes the appropriate time to select a teacher with a thoughtful process a truly effective teacher could be in every classroom. Remember the teacher is the most important determinant in predicting student achievement. (We will talk about that in a future article.) Unprepared principals will rely solely on instinct. They will be right one half of the time. That is not a winning percentage when it comes to teaching our children.

You can find many potential interview questions online. I suggest you familiarize yourself with some of these. Be prepared to talk about yourself and why you want to be a teacher. They are good icebreakers and may ease your tension. Think about and prepare a good answer for the latter question. Be honest and personalize your response. Try to avoid a cookie cutter response. Craft your response in a thoughtful and reflective manner. Be prepared to talk more in-depth about the following topics:

• Planning skills

• Creating a positive learning environment in your classroom and your behavior management plan

• Differentiation of instruction

• Participation in PLCs

• Assessment of students

• Reflection on a lesson that did not go well and how you would adjust it in the future.

Think more globally about how you integrate your content knowledge, your pedagogical skill, and how you build relationships with students. This is an extremely important triad that could prove to be an important discussion piece in your interview. Please understand that if you cannot build relationships with students, all of your content knowledge and great teaching skills will be wasted.

Throughout your interview, you have to convey enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and work ethic. It is all about effort and attitude.

Once you are offered a position do not make the mistake of quickly accepting the position until you are sure it is the right fit for you. The district has selected you. Now you must select the district. Ask to tour your potential school. Talk to teachers. Observe how students interact with one another and the adults in the building. Will you fit into the school’s culture? You could grow into a master teacher one day but because you made a poor choice in selecting your first position, you may never be able to reach your full potential. Sadly, you may leave the field.

Finally, if you are not offered the position, understand it is not personal. You just were not the right fit for what the district was looking for at that time. You may have to interview many, times to find that right position. You also get better at interviewing by interviewing. Stay focused and stay persistent. Maintain your positive outlook. It will be worth it. You will land that special job.

Good Luck.