Focusing on what to do or say in a teacher job interview is vital to secure a job offer. You worked very hard to get this far – blowing it on failing to understand interviewing basics simply won’t do. While you work on the important aspects you need to do during a teacher job interview, you also need to keep in mind the things not to do.
When interviewing for that all important teaching job, the last thing that you want to do is make a horrible first impression on your potential future boss. In an interview, you want to be likeable and win over your interviewer, so here are five simple things that you should avoid at all costs in teacher interviews.
1. Excessive smiling – It is always a good idea to be pleasant, but don’t go overboard into seemingly dopey. If you smile too much, it can make it evident to your interviewer that you are overly nervous.
2. Sweating – If you have a problem with controlling your nerves and are prone to sweating when nervous, remember to wear lighter clothing. An interviewer will not want to shake your clammy hand or see your sweat stains. Wear a light undershirt that is designed to soak up excess perspiration to help with this.
3. Exaggerating or lying about past performances – Nobody likes an exaggerator. And your potential employer will be able to sniff out your lies. And if you get the job based on the lies you told in the interview, chances are you will end up being over your head. So don’t do it. Period.
4. Jokes – You may think it would be a good idea to lighten the mood with a few jokes, but humour is very subjective and is way too risky to attempt in an interview. Instead, follow your interviewer’s lead, and if they ask you some ‘small talk’ questions, use this as an opportunity to create a rapport with your interviewer instead of risking it on jokes.
5. Paint your past employers in a negative light – You may have intensely disliked your time at a certain school or district, but painting your employer in a negative light can make you come across as a whiner and may make your interviewer want to dig deeper into the situation by calling your employer to find out the truth.
As an educator, you need to come across in the interview as confident, in control, and friendly. These five no-no’s will sabotage your actual worth by taking attention away from your skills and abilities.
All teaching job interviews test your nerves, knowledge, research, communication skills, and what you can bring to the classroom. In preparation for the hard questions, you should not forget the basics and always show passion and enthusiasm for education and students. Take a deep breath, relax, tell the truth, and remember professional courtesy.
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