The Teacher Interview Process – How to Stand Out
By Candace Davies, Global Career Management Professional, Creator of ‘A+ Resumes for Teachers'& Author of ‘Teachers’ Interview Edge’
The teaching interviewing process consists of several different steps. You have your initial, mandatory steps that include showing up to the actual interview and handing in a resume. Then you have the extra steps that a lot of people overlook, because they either do not know it is important or they don’t know how to go them. These extras can count in your favor and may just help you land a teaching job – they will separate you from the rest of the applicants.
The very first thing you have to take care of is your teacher resume. Make sure your resume is organized and up to date. Many hiring professionals like to look at a resume in chronological order, starting from your most recent employment, and then they work their way down. Focus on what you have been doing in the past few years and work within a time frame of around ten years. If you are a career changer moving from the business world to teaching you must uncover relevant skills and accomplishments to showcase your skills.
Once you have your resume in order, you have to outline your cover letter. As soon as you have found a format to follow, it will be easy to modify it to suit each job you apply for, and will overall; this will save you a lot of time as well as hassle. Your cover letter ought to be professional, with a brief description of why you are a good candidate for the job and the skills you possess to be successful. Limit this to 2 paragraphs, as this is just intended to be a brief summary introducing your potential employer to yourself and your resume. Remember, you can alter your career goals and objective to fit the job you are applying for.
When you get a phone call scheduling a date for an interview, make sure you research the company before you go. Undertaking research about the company, allows you to walk into the interview room with a bit more confidence, knowing you will ask intelligent questions and give meaningful answers. By asking informed questions, you are showing your interviewer that you are a serious candidate for the job. If you feel like you are a little weaker than you should be in some skills, then work on them in order to communicate your commitment to the company. Having a positive attitude will show during an interview; and sometimes a committed, positive candidate will be chosen over someone with better skills. Attitude goes a long way.
Once you are through with the interview, a good way to remind your potential employer of yourself, in good taste, would be a thank you letter. As with the cover letter, you ought to keep a thank you letter for your resume brief. Thank everyone involved for taking the time to give you a chance and remind them of your available skill sets for the job that you feel makes you a perfect candidate. A customized thank you letter looks professional and lets your employer know that you are aware of proper protocol.
The interview process is not only about the skills you have to offer, but also about what kind of personality you will be showing up to work with everyday. Taking the right extra steps at the right time, as with a simple thank you letter, will send a positive message and demonstrates that you are serious about your career and serious about the company you are applying to work for.
Find out more exciting interview tips and know-how from an industry professional! It can make all the difference to landing that dream job…
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