Newbie with first interview jitters
Newbie with first interview jitters
My very first Skype interview is next week and I already have butterflies. It's a dream job. Those of you have been hired, is there something you feel really made a difference in your ability to land the job over someone else? I'd really appreciate your input. Happy New Year!
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eion_padraig
- Posts: 408
- Joined: Sat Dec 11, 2010 8:18 pm
First, good luck with the interview.
In my experience it's rare that you get much sense of who you were up against even after you get a job. You'll never get a complete sense of what considerations a recruiter is taking into account though some may be much more upfront than others. I've meet people who I lost jobs to and those I beat out for jobs (awkward!), and even that doesn't provide all that much insight.
I would suggest it's much better to focus on your strengths and what you bring to the job than worry about the other candidates. Being able to clearly articulate your skills, abilities, and knowledge is very important, but ultimately the recruiter will decide if what you have is what they looking for in a candidate. Also being comfortable discussing areas where you want to grow professionally is good. On the hiring committees I've been on in the past, and hearing from my current boss who hires folks, personality and character can be a deciding factor if you are qualified. Will you work well with the students? Colleagues? Parents?
Do your research in advance on the school and the region. Even "Dream Schools" will have their warts, and the interview can be a place to find out if the school as an institution knows where it needs to grow and if it's working towards improving in those areas. I think fit between teacher and school is important. If a school is a place you're excited about, I recommend you let them know during the interview. While some places assume everyone wants to work at their school, every school has had their offers of employment turned down at some point.
Again, good luck. There are somethings you can control in this process, but a lot that you can't.
In my experience it's rare that you get much sense of who you were up against even after you get a job. You'll never get a complete sense of what considerations a recruiter is taking into account though some may be much more upfront than others. I've meet people who I lost jobs to and those I beat out for jobs (awkward!), and even that doesn't provide all that much insight.
I would suggest it's much better to focus on your strengths and what you bring to the job than worry about the other candidates. Being able to clearly articulate your skills, abilities, and knowledge is very important, but ultimately the recruiter will decide if what you have is what they looking for in a candidate. Also being comfortable discussing areas where you want to grow professionally is good. On the hiring committees I've been on in the past, and hearing from my current boss who hires folks, personality and character can be a deciding factor if you are qualified. Will you work well with the students? Colleagues? Parents?
Do your research in advance on the school and the region. Even "Dream Schools" will have their warts, and the interview can be a place to find out if the school as an institution knows where it needs to grow and if it's working towards improving in those areas. I think fit between teacher and school is important. If a school is a place you're excited about, I recommend you let them know during the interview. While some places assume everyone wants to work at their school, every school has had their offers of employment turned down at some point.
Again, good luck. There are somethings you can control in this process, but a lot that you can't.
Two Es: enthusiasm and energy
You really need to justify the said traits with examples from your professional experiences both from inside and outside the classroom. Be honest in your responses, even if you are not sure about technical/subject-specific questions.
Demonstrate, using examples from past experiences, how good a team player you are and how you can walk the extra mile to create an upbeat classroom environment and help every student succeed.
You really need to justify the said traits with examples from your professional experiences both from inside and outside the classroom. Be honest in your responses, even if you are not sure about technical/subject-specific questions.
Demonstrate, using examples from past experiences, how good a team player you are and how you can walk the extra mile to create an upbeat classroom environment and help every student succeed.