1. Be your best self—this is the time to sell yourself without selling out. The job must be a good match for you —as well as the employer—or ultimately you’ll be spending all your time trying to fit in.

What do the experts say?
Don’t sell or market yourself until the part of the interview where you have answered positively that you want to work there.

2. You only have one chance to make a good first impression. This is the time to be the best you that you can be—looks, punctuality, respectfulness, preparedness, etc. Note on what to wear: Dress at least one notch above how you plan to dress at work and always lean on the side of conservatism for an interview.

What do the experts say?
Interviews are often lost in the first two minutes with a bad impression.

3. Do your homework on the school or company. Know the job description, something about the interviewer or interviewing team, if at all possible, and mission statement, if available. To be an effective school team member you should know about the demographics, staff, test scores, curriculum, leadership philosophy, etc.

What do the experts say?
Although this is listed as one of the top three steps for preparedness, most job-hunters don’t go to this trouble. Other suggestions-- if you’re asking for an interview, request twenty minutes and keep it to that. Finally, remember that more than likely, each question asked will relate to one of the employer’s fears or concerns.

4. During the interview, take your cues on where to go next from what (and how) the employer is saying. This is hard to do if it’s been a while since you’ve interviewed or you don’t have much experience but “reading” the person you’re talking to will help you know where to go with an answer, comment, or example.

What do the experts say?
“Know what you want to ask about the place, and the job. Plan on doing 50% of the talking, and let the employer talk 50% of the time (or more).” Studies show it should take 20 seconds to answer a question and when it’s your turn to speak, hold it to two minutes. When talking, use examples that list the goal, obstacles, solution and numbers so they see you as a resource for their company.

5. If you decide this is your good fit, close the deal—in sales training you hear over and over again, people forget to ask for the business. Ask for the business!

What do the experts say?
“It’s astonishing how many job-hunters have secured a job simply be being bold enough to ask for it.” Other questions the experts suggest:

• Do you want me to come back for another interview, perhaps with some of the other decision-makers?
• When can I expect to hear from you? When might be the latest I can expect to hear from you? Finally, if for some reason you haven’t been able to get back with me by that date, may I contact you?

6. Prepare well in advance on how you can do all of the above. An interview is stressful enough without trying to decide what work example you’ll share or what you’ll wear.

7. Always write a thank-you note right away.

What do the experts say?
It’s the most overlooked step in the entire job-hunting process. Writing a thank-you note demonstrates that you have good people skills and will help the employer share with others who couldn’t attend the interview. Finally, it’s a way to correct any wrong impression.

Source and Recommended Further Reading:
Bolles, Richard. (2007). What Color is Your Parachute? A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career Changers. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. Also, see Bolles’ one-page resource on job interviews at
www.jobhuntersbible.com/articles/article.php?art_item=011

Interview Questions
There are many standard interview questions that are available at numerous websites. The ones that are tough to prepare for are the questions that require on-the-spot thinking. Interviewers will ask some that are specific to the job while others are simply looking to see if the candidate can perform under pressure.

“You have two drums. One is three gallons and the other is five. You have an unlimited supply of water but need to get exactly four gallons. How would you do it.?”

If you have teaching (or job) experience, some will ask you tell them about a complex problem you had to solve and walk them through your thinking as you solved it. Interviewers are looking for details on how you did something—providing specific examples. Many experts say they think past behavior is the best predictor of future performance.

Source:
WSJ.com, CollegeJournal, from the Wall Street Journal, Recruiters Reveal Ttop Interview Questions by Sarah Needleman

“What are your weaknesses?” Strategies for Answering the One Tough Question Employers Love to Ask

1. Cite a weakness that under the right circumstances can prove to be an asset. It’s critical to match your answer to the job. As an example, being a perfectionist might be a desirable quality for a copy editor but not for a teacher.

2. Cite a corrected weakness. For instance, if you received a less than favorable rating in one area on your student teaching evaluation but used the summer before teaching to take a course or attend a workshop in that specific area, you could use that example.

3. Cite a learning objective. If there is an obvious qualification listed that you don’t have—address how you would learn that skill or expertise and how long it would take to get you there.

4. Cite an unrelated skill deficit. For most teaching positions, a weakness in mechanical ability wouldn’t be seen as an extreme negative.

5. Deflect. If you’re not comfortable answering the question—or if you honestly feel that you aren’t aware of any weaknesses that would interfere with the job—say so.

6. Address the unspoken question. “Interviewers who ask the weakness question maybe more interested in how you approach the question than in the specific weakness you cite. One approach is to acknowledge the concern, restate your qualifications and then ask if there’s a specific concern you can address more in greater depth.

Source:
WSJ.com, CollegeJournal, from the Wall Street Journal, Answering Questions About Your Weaknesses by Arlene Hirsch
For more information, check out this website www.collegejournal.com/jobhunting/interviewingt/20051122-hirsch.html

Check back at www.newteachernews.com for the last article, Article 5, So You’ve Accepted the Job…Now What?