Do you believe you interview well or not so well? Do you have certain habits you tend to do on interviews that you need to work on? More comments? I think I do. Strangely (or maybe not), I've always kind of enjoyed interviews because I always had positive aspects going for me, even when I was just 18, graduated from HS & was looking for my very first job. They're good practice for future interviews as well. I never got too nervous on any & am able to express myself the way I want to. I've kind of noticed later as the yrs pass is to make sure I don't interrupt the interviewer. I tend to want to say certain things about myself, as I gain more experience/education. I don't do it often or even sometimes, but I want to keep a handle on it before it becomes a habit.
I interview well...I treat it as a conversation...Aliceacc used to say interviews were like cocktail parties without the adult beverages and nibbles.....I'm like that...I'm relaxed, poised, convey my passion for this profession, highlight my knowledge, share my philosophy and practice. I've been offered pretty much every job for which I've interviewed, but it has been a while since I last interviewed. NJ has historically been a tough, tight market...even more so now. If you are fortunate enough to get an interview, take that opportunity to 'sell' yourself.
It's been a long time since I've interviewed, but I think I interview well. I have the same philosophy as czacza (and Alice).
I get pretty nervous, but I think I interview fairly well. I remember reading about that cocktail party comparison; I wish it worked here!! They do panel interviews in my part of the country. For the job I have now, there was a panel of 12 people interviewing me, reading questions off a piece of paper. It was more like an interrogation than a conversation!
I think I interview really well. I've moved around with my husband (military) and haven't had a break in employment yet, even when we moved mid-year. I'm sure part of it is also luck! It's kind of weird, because I'm usually pretty quiet around people, but I'm able to open up quite a bit in interviews.
Yes, unless I get nervous. Although I think it's good to be a tad nervous. Honestly, I think people who are ultra-smooth in interviews are a little suspect. :lol:
I believe that I interview fairly well. I'm an enthusiastic, extremely optimistic person, and I allow that to show when I interview. This may be a turn off to some interview committees, but that's okay with me. Not only do I want to make sure that I'm a good fit for that school, I also want to make sure that the school is a good fit for me. In my final two interviews, both committees said that they could just tell how passionate I was about teaching just by my attitude. I go in, and I smile and maybe laugh a little. I treat it like a cocktail party without the drinks as other PPs have said. When I started looking at teaching interviews purely as conversation, that is when I noticed that my true personality began to shine. My current P actually told me that my positive personality just blew them away and that's how they knew that they wanted to hire me (on top of my credentials and answers to their questions, of course).
NO. But I've been offered a position for every single interview I'd had in my lifetime, so there must be something charming about my nervous mess of a interview.
Alright I've got to ask - for those of you who say it's like a party or a fun conversation - how many people interviewed you? Is it possible to feel like that with a panel of say, 10-12 people? I am honestly very curious. Also, as far as I've heard and experienced California interviews involve reading off a list of questions. There's very little, or no, straying from the pre-prepared questions. Is that not normal in other states?
I've only been on interviews with 3 to 5 people on the panel. I imagine I wouldn't be so relaxed if I had 12 sets of eyes staring back at me! All of the interviewing committees did read off of a sheet of paper, but I would always elaborate quite a bit which would start some conversation.
The best interview I have had was when I went in thinking I didn't have a shot at the job. I had heard the other teachers credentials and I was the only one with no experience. I had researched the agency (Head Start) and just went in and had a good time. I laughed and answered the questions as best I could. I got the job over teachers with over 8 years experience. One other candidate got an assistant position in the center with me and she said they could hear the interview panel laughing and agreeing with me from the lobby. I guess I need to loosen up in any upcoming interviews and see if that helps me get a public school position.
I do fine in one on one interviews. I'm horrible with names and I always get nervous in panel interviews. One time I had to interview with the principle alone and then the assistant principles together. I forgot the principles name when I was trying to reference the answers I gave to him. I then got even more nervous and proceeded to fumble the rest of the interview.
I think it's much harder to get that cocktail party thing going when it's six or more. Even five is pushing it. So many people make it more formal and impersonal, and they tend to be in more of a hurry with so many more questions. The most I've had is eight on the panel, and I really felt it went horribly, but I got the job. The easiest interview I ever had was two on the panel. It was just the principal and another teacher. It was wonderful, but I withdrew to take another position. I later learned they were planning to offer it to me ((from the teacher on the panel who later worked with my husband--she left the school because apparently it was a hot mess, so I guess my instincts were good).
It is sometimes harder to be interviewed by your peers. As I get older I also find it a little weird to be interviewed by people who are young enough to have been my students (second grade students!). I also find it is harder to interview with people I know, as opposed to total strangers.
I think I'm terrible at interviewing. I hate being on the spot, and I hate having attention on me (clearly unless I'm in the classroom). In 10 years, I've had 6 interviews and landed three jobs, so I guess something is coming through despite my extreme nervousness.
I like a panel interview! I actually sang a song about bugs on a panel interview to help paint a pcture of how I'd integrate a theme across content areas. she checked in recently...after Hurricane Sandy, the devastation here in the NE was unimaginable...In 'regrouping' after that and partly due to some interactions here, she decided to step away from the forums. She's doing well and when I check in on her, always sends her greetings to her friends here.
I always say, if I can get to an interview, I can get the job. So far, it's been true. I'm a great interviewer
I think I interview well. I've gotten about 95 percent of the jobs I applied for throughout high school and college and with both of my teaching interviews so far, I've gotten asked back to do a demo lesson. Demo lessons are a different story though because I'm not used to them so I get so nervous!
I don't interview well, and I think one of my problems is a disconnect I have between my experience and background and generally accepted "good" practices in teaching. Routine questions like, "Describe an ideal classroom environment"... I feel like there are terms (lingo) that I should be citing. or "Talk about a time when something didn't go well and what did you do?"... or "How do you differentiate instruction?" It is not to say that I don't have these experiences (that come with a decade in the classroom). But again, I feel like there are terminologies and protocols and strategies that I'm supposed to refer to. I think the disconnect comes from my mentality as a sub teacher, as it differs from the "learned" process (i.e. credentialing program) of being a teacher. With subbing, you are basically thrust into your role--there is no training. So when you have success in the classroom, it isn't through the implementation of a "strategy" or any other protocol... it's just you figuring out a way to get it done. You also don't necessarily catalogue your "successes" in the classroom (to be cited in an interview), because again... it is simply trial and error over time, that has allowed you to be able to deal with the situation. And you don't look at it as a "success", because you didn't employ a "intervention" of any official capacity.
I think I'm a good interview. I've landed 3 of the 4 teaching positions I've interviewed for. I think that I fake confidence really well. I also have the "cocktail party" mentality.
I interview well. I think part of the reason is because I've been the interviewer so many times, I've seen what not to do. My last interview involved about six sessions, ranging from a typical interview to writing tasks, and watching teaching videos and conducting mock coaching conversations. For one of my interviews a few years ago, I was given a scenario, and had twenty minutes to plan for and conduct a mock PD session.
NO! One time I made a terrible joke. Another time I said something stupid like "When the Common Core is implemented..." My interviewer corrected me saying the CC was adopted already. I don't know what it is. I just get terribly self-conscious in front of adults. If I could write my responses, I would.
