Be an Active (Not Passive) Participant During the Interview Process

Those who are blessed with the most talent don’t necessarily outperform everyone else. It’s the people with follow-through who excel. — Mary Kay Ash

Picture this scenario. You are awaiting an interview for your dream teaching job. While nervous, you also feel self-assured in your ability to excel in this teaching position. Then the moment comes and your name is called for the interview. Immediately your heart begins pounding, your palms become clammy and you try to hide this unpleasant reality by discreetly wiping them on your pants. You enter into the room, smile, and begin systematically shaking hands. Next, the interviewers introduce themselves, explain the interview process, and then start asking questions. Eventually, the interview ends; again, you smile, shake their hands, and thank them for the wonderful opportunity. Before you know it, you are sitting in your car wondering what just happened, and questioning if it went okay. In retrospect, the whole experience seems a blur.

A few days go by since your interview, and, finally, the phone rings. The principal is calling to tell you the interview team has decided to go with someone else. The principal thanks you for your time and hangs up. You are dumbfounded. Self-doubt begins to creep in and you ask yourself these questions:

• “Why didn’t I get the job?”

• “Did I say something wrong during the interview?”

• “What could I have done differently?”

• “Am I really cut out for this?”

This scenario is problematic for a number of reasons. Namely, the interviewee left the experience in a daze because they were not in control at any point during the interview process. They simply went passively through the entire interview experience. Unfortunately, this state of wondering and self-doubt is not productive when deciding how to move forward. The key lesson in applying and interviewing for teaching positions is to understand that losing is sometimes inevitable, but the trick is not to make a habit of it. There are some simple strategies to remaining in control and wrapping-up the interview in your favor. 

Slow Down

The first step in taking back control, and not “just passing through” the interview process, is to slow down. Pay attention to your breathing by taking deep, controlled breaths before going into the room where the interview will take place. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. This technique will relax you, steady your heart rate, and put you in a better state of mind for your interview.

Another way to slow down and take control is to bring your research notes outlined with your skill sets and in what ways they match with the needs of the school. Review them just before you go into the interview as a quick reminder of some points that you should address. Taking a moment to remember all you have to offer to a potential employer can also give you a last-minute boost of confidence which could help to further calm your nerves. When you go into the interview, and after you greet everyone, ask if you can take some notes while being interviewed. Quickly jot down the names and, if possible, the positions of the interviewers. This will be critical information for writing thank-you notes after the interview.

Throughout the interview, write down any important points made. Likewise, make a note if something you said may have caused confusion or was construed differently than your original intent. You can clarify these points later in your thank-you notes. By applying these simple acts, you become a more active and present participant in the process and less of a bystander. 

Prepare for Phone Interviews

For various reasons (especially with COVID-19), you may have to interview over the phone or using a video-conference service (e.g, Google Meeting, Skype, or Zoom). Here are some suggestions and hints in case you have a scheduled phone interview:

• Smile during your interview, especially in a phone interview. Smiling makes a significant difference in your tone, inflection, and speech on the phone. The interviewers will hear your smile!

• Arrange a quiet area, away from distractions, for your interview. Notify everyone not to disturb you during your phone interview and lock away any noisy pets.

• Dress professionally, especially for video-conferencing. Professional dress put you in the right frame of mind.

• Take notes during the interview—this will help you to better focus and listen.

• Have your resume and portfolio readily available.

• Practice beforehand as if you were preparing for a face-to-face interview. Preparation is even more important if you are using an unfamiliar video-conferencing service for the first time. Try to do a trial run with a friend to acquaint yourself with the technology beforehand. 

Make the Ask

A relatively simple, but highly effective way to close an interview is to ask for the teaching job. In the business world, the most significant factor that contributes to substandard performance in sales is not closing the sale, or in other words, not asking for the sale. The same principle applies to interviewing. In essence, you are selling yourself: your skills and experience. Towards the end of the interview, briefly restate your desire to teach in the target school and outline the 2-3 reasons why you are a qualified candidate. Finally, thank the interviewers for their time.

Ask a Thoughtful Question

Typically, at the end of an interview, you will be asked if you have any questions for the interviewers. Take advantage of this and aim to have one to two thoughtful questions ready to be asked. By asking a question or two, you can show you did research on the students, school, and community, and signal that you are passionate about teaching. Consider inquiring about school or district initiatives, professional development opportunities, or beginning teacher support. Avoid asking questions that you could have easily found through some basic research.

Another question you may consider to ask is, “Do you have any concerns about my candidacy, at the moment, that I could address?” Please note that by purposely saying “candidacy” and not “me”, helps make the question less personal, allowing the interviews to be more open in their responses.

This question is often unexpected and may take your interviewers by surprise. Yet, interviewers may affirmatively answer this question and, by doing so, surface concerns about your candidacy. Be ready if this happens by not becoming defensive. Instead, first, acknowledge the concern and then address the concern in a professional manner. For example, a principal may raise a concern that you live outside the district and worried that after a year or two you will want to leave. You may acknowledge this concern by stating your long-term commitment to the school, and that you are actively looking for housing in the local community. In conclusion, this question allows you to address, in the moment, any issues about candidacy versus having these concerns linger and potentially affect your candidacy.

Follow-up Immediately

Once your interview is complete, further differentiate yourself by sending out thank-you notes to all the interviewers that same day. Bring a stack of thank-you notes and several postage stamps with you to your interview. Then, immediately afterward and while the experience is still fresh in your mind, find a place where you feel comfortable to write thank-you notes, whether that place is your car or a nearby coffee shop. Refer back to the notes you took during the interview and make every effort to personalize each thank-you note. Mention something that will help your interviewer remember you above all the other job candidates. Here are a few suggestions:

• Address an issue that arose during your interview, especially when the topic favors your qualifications. For instance, your EL endorsement was discussed as an asset due to the rising number of EL students in the school.

• Overcome objections by responding in detail to an interviewer’s major concern if you were unable to address it during the interview.

• Highlight your skills or experiences that qualify you as a strong candidate and will differentiate you from other candidates.

• Finally, double-check for the correct names and spelling of the staff that interviewed you by looking up their information through the staff directories offered on the district and school websites. Next, relax; all you have to do is drop the thank-you notes in the mail and wait for the all-important phone call.

Handling the Phone Call

The final step in the interview process is the notification of whether you have received the job, or if instead you are scheduled for a second interview. The notification usually comes in the form of a phone call, but sometimes it may be a letter or email. Before you receive that phone call, there are steps you should take to prepare yourself.

Imagine the worst-case scenario: the principal phones you to inform you that you will not be filling the teaching position. While this is a crushing blow, take control of the conversation and learn from it. First, be extremely professional and courteous—you never know when another position may materialize at the same school. Thank the administrator for their time, and ask what specifically you could improve on in the interview or on your resume for next time. Often the administrator will provide honest and constructive feedback. Remember to listen, and, most importantly, be receptive to what the principal is saying. It is not to your advantage to be defensive. As in the teaching process, you can take this advice, revise your approach a little, and confidently prepare for your next interview.

Now, imagine the best-case scenario: the principal phones you to offer you a position. Understand, though, often human resources cannot officially offer you the job until your reference check is complete. Therefore, it is important to have your references lined up, with primary and alternate contact numbers ready if there are any issues. Finally, thank the principal for giving you this opportunity and then, after the phone call, go celebrate—you have earned it!

How I Rebounded from Bombing my Teacher Interview

By Leann Schumacher

As your student teaching practicum begins to wind down, the reality of finding your ideal teaching job may hit you like a ton of bricks. Or perhaps the quest for finding a job has been on your mind for months. In either case, looking for the perfect teaching position will take time and effort. You must be ready to put yourself out there and be open to possibilities. Flexibility is the name of the game. 

During my student teaching, I began my job search in March and was not hired until the middle of July. I watched as many of my peers obtained letters of intent months before we even graduated. I tried not to compare myself to others but a sense of urgency took over as I immediately felt behind the curve. I quickly realized that waiting until my practicum was over to look for employment was not feasible. Searching for a job while you are student teaching can feel overwhelming but there are some proactive steps you can take to ease the stress. 

I watched as many of my peers obtained letters of intent months before we even graduated. I tried not to compare myself to others but a sense of urgency took over as I immediately felt behind the curve.

Preparation

This may sound cliche, but preparation really is the key to success. If you are not sure where to start, turn to the people in your network (Read Pathway to Teaching for networking ideas). When I began my job search, I reached out to my mentor teacher because I was hoping to work for the district where I was completing my practicum. She connected me with several new teachers in the building who had just gone through the application and hiring process. They shared their resumes and cover letters, and met with me to discuss the interview process. This was immensely helpful in understanding what recruiters and hiring committees are looking for in job candidates. If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to your mentor teacher or others in your building, start by connecting with a career counselor in your university program or even a trusted professor. 

Interviewing

Once I had perfected my resume, I started applying for any and all jobs I was interested in. Within about a week, I received the call for my first ever teacher interview. I was so excited and incredibly nervous. I remembered thinking that even though I had never interviewed for a teaching position before I had tons of other job experience and always did really well when talking to people. I glanced over some sample interview questions and I thought “oh yeah, I got this.”

Well, I completely bombed my first interview. 

Feeling defeated and worried about throwing away another opportunity, I reached out to the principal at the building where I was student teaching. She agreed to meet with me and gave me some valuable insights, including the four main areas that are always brought up in an interview: classroom management, communication with families, recognizing diversity, and differentiation techniques. Armed with this new information, I began to write out my interview responses so I could frame them in a way that was clear and concise (See the article on How To Frame Your Response to Interview Questions). I then practiced my responses in front of the mirror until I felt confident with my answers. 

Practice and Attend Job Fairs

A great way to get more real-life interview practice is by attending a job fair. Truth be told, I was not a huge fan of job fairs because I always felt intimidated by the crowds. However, they can be a great resource for getting yourself out there, rehearsing interview questions, and networking. My district of interest was holding several job fairs that hiring season and I went to all of them. Each time I talked with a different recruiter thereby getting multiple chances to practice different interview questions. The first time I was incredibly nervous but by the third time I had started to get into a rhythm. Plus, they made a note in my file that I had come and spoke with recruiters multiple times.

After attending these job fairs, I was called in for two more interviews. I did not get picked for either position, but I felt proud of how far I had come in just a few weeks. I left each interview knowing I answered the questions thoroughly and to the best of my ability. 

Keeping an Open Mind

Lastly, you must keep an open mind on where you may teach and at what grade-level (or subject). Despite all of the job fairs and interviews, I left my practicum without a job lined up for the fall. I felt discouraged but I knew I had to expand my options. I began applying for jobs in locations and grade levels that weren’t ideal, but I could live with. In July, I got a call to interview for a first-grade position. The school and the grade-level (first grade) were not my top preferences, but I went ahead with the interview.

As I walked into the main office, I didn’t feel the familiar dread and nerves I'd had at every other interview, rather I felt a sense of calm and belonging. My interviewees were kind and they put me at ease right away. I left feeling like it wasn’t the greatest interview, but I still had a good feeling about it. Two days later, they called and offered me the position. I am now completing my second year teaching first grade, and while I’ve had some days of uncertainty, there is nowhere else I'd rather be teaching. Preparation, practice, and keeping your mind open will put you in a better position to recognize a good fit and the right opportunity when it comes along.