Prepare for your interview
Resume Writing Tips | Interview Suggestions | Interview Essentials | Factors in Obtaining Job | Questions typically asked
Resume Writing Tips
- A resume is an advertisement for you! Market yourself well
- It's your resume, so put your personality in it. But make it professional.
- The purpose of a resume is to get an interview
- Try to hand your resume directly to the person who will be doing the interview
- No "corny" resumes. Most employers dislike gimmicks
- Proof-read your resume. There should be NO mistakes
- Laser print your resume on quality bond paper.
- Paper should be physically clean-no smudges, creases, or marks
- Make your resume easy to read
- Use bullet points
- Standard length is one page per 10 years post college experience.
- Keep sentences short and concise
- Use action verbs
- Leave out unnecessary words such as: I, me, my, and resume of
- Use the bold, underline, or italic function to emphasize particular items on your resume
- Possible sections on a resume include:
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- Left and right margins should be no smaller than one inch
- Make sure the document looks balanced and attractive
- Use a conservative, pleasant, readable font
- Only list items that sell you to your employer
- Unless employer specifically requests them leave off: salary, jargon, age, race, religion, height, weight, marital status, weaknesses, sex, and social security number.
- Highlight your skills and characteristics on your resume and cover letter, using examples and experience e.g.
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Interview Suggestions
1. Research a school system prior to interviewing with them
2. Be prepared to ask intelligent questions about the school system
3. Be sincere and honest in answering questions and expressing your feelings
4. Be on time (i.e. arrive 10 minutes early), it shows that you are interested in the employer
5. Dress up--your clothes don't need to be expensive, but they should be clean and neat.
6. Be yourself in the interview. Don't perform for the recruiter.
7. Be enthusiastic and let the employer know how much you want to be a teacher
8. Be inquisitive about the position
9. Be specific in your answers. If you can't answer a question say so
10. Know what you want and why you want it. (e.g. Method of instruction, grade level(s), life situation)
Interview Essentials
1. Make a positive first impression
2. Communicate your skills
3. Anticipate and answer problem questions
4. Answer "Why should I have you?"
5. Follow up with a thank you letter
Common Recruiter Complaints about Applicants
1. Poor Personal Appearance
2. Shows lack of interest and enthusiasm in interview
3. Lacks sincerity
4. Failure to look at the interviewer while conversing.
5. Displays a lack of initiative
6. Is late for the interview
7. Asks no questions about the job
8. Is too overbearing
9. Inability to express self clearly
10. Poor voice, diction, and grammar
11. Lack of planning for career: has no goals or purpose
12. Has not done research into history and productions of the company
13. Immaturity
Factors in Obtaining a Teaching Job
1. Great student teaching reports go a long way
2. Don't lock yourself into a specific geographic area, unless absolutely necessary
3. When filling out applications, be honest, correct, and complete.
4. You must actively search for and apply for teaching positions
5. You have 20 seconds to sell yourself with a resume
6. Verbal skills are one of the most impressive qualities a candidate can have for a job interview, other than the ability and desire to do the job.
7. 35% of personnel hired by school districts come from unsolicited requests by candidates.
8. Know what sets you apart from any other candidate applying for the job.
9. Present yourself well to the prospective employer in person and on paper.
10. What you have done doesn't matter if you can't convey it to an interviewer
11. Common mistakes in interviewing: talking too much, no enthusiasm, and lack of interviewing skills.
12. All teachers must have some computer skills
13. Real life teaching experience will make you a better teacher.
14. The best parts of the country for teaching jobs are the southwest, south central, and southeast
15. Having more than one area of certification will help greatly in finding jobs
16. Substitute teaching can be a way to get your foot in the door
17. Substitute teachers can represent up to 6% of those teaching on an average school day.
18. Be willing to be involved in extracurricular activities
19. Be prepared for background checks. They are common in today's job market
20. According to one survey 44% of new hires by districts are teachers with no experience
21. Studies show June, July, and August to be heavy hiring months
22. Portfolios are being used by some districts as part of the hiring decision.
23. Factors as reasons for new teachers failing: lack of classroom control, poor interpersonal and communication skills, and lack of academic preparation.
Questions typically asked in teaching interviews
Note: Do not expect to be asked every question. These questions are exampled to use for interview preparation
1. Tell me about yourself
2. How would you develop and maintain positive working relationships with parents?
3. How did you like your student teaching? What were some of your successful experiences?
4. How would you set up your program, if you could have anything you wanted?
5. If the following situation were to occur, how would you handle it?
6. Which is the most important in working with children: academics, self-concept, or citizenship?
7. How do you feel about children?
8. What are your strong points in teaching? Why?
9. What are your weak points in teaching? Why?
10. What are some examples of your classroom creativity?
11. What are your personal interests, hobbies, activities, etc?
12. What is your philosophy of education?
13. What is your philosophy on discipline, on grouping, or on grading?
14. What works best for you in the area of discipline?
15. Why do you want to teach in our system?
16. Why will you make a good teacher?
17. What are your qualifications for this position?
18. How will you allow for individual differences in your teaching?
19. What can you offer your community and school outside the classroom?
20. How well do you accept the extra duties that go along with the job?
21. What do you expect of the students in your classroom?
22. Think of a child who had academic, social, or emotional problems. What did you do to help this child?
23. What do you think of today's educational methods of instruction?
24. Why are you in your field (subject area)?
25. What type of curriculum are you prepared to offer your students?
26. Why should I hire you?
27. How do you feel about living in our community?
28. What new or different ideas would you implement in our system?
29. What is the purpose or place of your subject in the school curriculum?
30. Why do you want to work in our district?
31. What are the qualities of an excellent teacher? Which of these qualities do you have?
32. How do students react to your teaching?
33. How will you fit into our school system?
34. How do you define education?
35. How do you use lesson plans?
36. Which grade level would you prefer? Why?
37. How would you work with students below grade level, especially lower socioeconomic students?
38. How would you handle reading in the content areas?
39. How do you deal with controversial subjects?
40. What is your best quality?
41. What would you do or how would you treat a student who refused to do the work you assigned?
42. Where do you want to be in five years from now?
43. What evaluation techinques do you use?
44. What college courses have you liked best? Least? Why?
45. How will you communicate with parents?
46. What makes a good teacher?
47. What is the best thing about being a teacher?
48. How do you build rapport with students? Parents? Other teachers?
49. What is your teaching style?
50. What is your greatest concern about teaching?
