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Preparing for interviews
Interviews are an inevitable part of going for a new job or a promotion. They come in many forms, but no interview is a stress-free occasion. Many find them uncomfortable or even terrifying situations. It seems few of us are entirely at ease talking with a group of strangers about ourselves, our accomplishments and what we see ourselves achieving in the coming years. Writing these things down on an application form is one thing, but for many the idea of facing a panel of educational experts and dedicated amateurs to discuss exactly why you are the ideal person for the job is another matter entirely.
All about the interview process
Having a realistic knowledge of what the interview process entails can
help you to minimise your reservations and use the interview to your advantage.
While interviews may not be a failsafe way of determining who is the right
person for a job, they are what we have to work with within the teaching
profession, at least for the time being.
By their very nature, interviews are intended to identify weaknesses or shortcomings in your personality, skills and achievements. Interviewers will want to press you on what they perceive may be flaws and will question you in such a way as to probe those perceived 'weak spots'.
That said, interviews are also a time for interviewers to give you the opportunity to highlight your skills and achievements, strengths and ambitions. They don't want to trip you up − after all, they want to employ or promote someone by the end of the selection process. That someone, however, will likely be the person who takes advantage of all available opportunities to sell himself or herself.
What interviewers are looking for
The panel interviewing you will be considering, among other things,
the following:
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Who matches the person specification for the job most closely
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Who will fit in with the existing staff most easily
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Who will be able to contribute most effectively to the work of the school
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Your personal motivations and goals
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The way in which you assert yourself
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Your attitudes to senior management and governors
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Your personal philosophy of teaching and education
The panel's success in gleaning this information depends to a great extent on their questioning skills and the ways in which they interpret your answers. Having said this, your responses to their questions as well as the information you supplied on your application form is what they have to go on. This is why re-reading your application form just before you go into an interview is essential. You have to be familiar with how you sold yourself on paper!
Interview rights and wrongs
Despite legal protections against unfair discrimination, there may be
occasions when interviewees are asked inappropriate questions as part of an
interview.
How to respond if you find yourself in this position is ultimately up to you. As a spokesperson from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said: 'Much will depend upon how much the individual wants a particular job, and whether or not she or he is prepared to sacrifice principles in order to obtain a post'.
It's always better to avoid direct confrontation with an interview panel. If you are asked what you consider to be an inappropriate question, it's perfectly acceptable to politely ask how the question relates to the post and whether or not the question is being asked of all candidates.
ATL suggests that if you are unsuccessful in obtaining a post but you suspect that the questions you were asked during the interview stage were inappropriate or discriminatory, the potential may exist for a claim on grounds of discrimination. Should this apply to you, contact your union for further advice as soon after the interview as possible.
Likely issues to be raised in interviews
It's impossible to know exactly what questions will be asked in an
interview. Even if it was possible to know, interviewees would not necessarily
be at an advantage. Teachers generally represent themselves much better if they
respond spontaneously to questions rather than if they simply recite answers
that have been scripted and rehearsed. Remember, interview questions are simply
vehicles for getting candidates to speak.
However, while it's neither desirable nor possible to know precisely what questions will crop up in an interview, there are key themes that will most likely be covered, including:
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The finer details of what the job involves (make sure that you have committed the job specification to memory
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Personality and character traits that suit the ethos of the school
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The National Standards or draft standards (for relevant jobs — click here for more information)
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Key issues facing the school; its strengths and development needs (do your homework on the school — check out Ofsted reports, local paper reports, the school's website and development plan if available, the governors' annual report to parents, exam results, league tables, the school's prospectus, PANDA report and so on)
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Your impressions of the school following your preliminary visit (if at all possible, arrange to visit the school to look around before the interview date)
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Your social perceptions of the world
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Your professional strengths and perceived training and development needs
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Your skills and achievements (make a list of exactly what you've accomplished in your career and read through this just before the interview to help ensure you have plenty of examples to draw on)
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Your transferable skills from experience both within the profession and outside
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The latest hot topics in education
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Your subject knowledge
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Any additional subjects that you can teach and the extent of your knowledge
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Your responses to particular scenarios: how would you deal with certain hypothetical situations?
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What attracted you to the profession?
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What attracted you to this particular job?
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What have you contributed to the profession until this point?
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What has given you the most personal satisfaction in your job?
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Your hobbies and outside interests
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Your career aspirations, motivations and ambitions
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Your work ethic
In a faith school interviewers are also likely to want to establish:
- Why you believe that faith schools are important
- What your faith means to you
- What you intend to contribute to the school and surrounding parish
- Evidence that you are practicing the faith (some dioceses say that they will choose practising candidates over non-practising should they be equal in all other respects)
Make sure that you have thought about possible responses to questions along the lines of these themes and that you have fully considered the person specification for the job. Everything you say in an interview must convey that you are the right person for the job − the perfect match for the specification your interviewers have in mind. Aim to familiarise yourself with this specification and ensure that you can illustrate just how appropriate you are for the job by using relevant examples from both your professional life and life outside teaching.
The importance of presenting yourself as the best match for what a school is looking for in a candidate cannot be emphasised enough. It is not enough to be an excellent teacher in your own right if you do not precisely match the criteria that a school has in mind.
It's also worth bearing in mind that any governors on your interview panel will be approaching your interview from a slightly different perspective than staff members will be. While it shouldn't be necessary to adapt your answers for the benefit of any governors on the panel, do bear this potentially differing perspective in mind as you respond to each question.
Going for a leadership position
If you are being interviewed for a leadership position, do your best
to prepare for questions that might arise on all the issues mentioned above as
well as the following:
- Your views about national testing and league tables
- Your views on the relationship between senior leadership or management teams and governing bodies
- Workforce reform
- The proposed development for the 14-19 age group (if appropriate)
- If going for a deputy position, the panel may want to know what your approach would be should the head suddenly be struck down; how confident are you in your leadership skills to step in and take over?
- Your ideas on how the school can move forward
The most important thing to do when going for a leadership position is to 'read' the governing body as quickly and as accurately as possible. Aim to recognise the competencies of the panel too.
NPQH
Since 1 April 2004 it has become mandatory for all
first-time head teachers appointed to a post in the maintained sector to hold
the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), or to have secured
a place on the programme. You can find out more about this on the NCLS site.
Answering the questions
Regardless of how you think the interview might be going, don't be
afraid to talk when the panel asks a question! That may sound obvious, but long
silences make everyone feel awkward − not least the interviewee. So even
if you're not entirely certain how to answer a question, take a moment or
two to gather your thoughts and then give your answer as confidently as you
can. If you're really not sure how to start your response, try rephrasing
the question initially so that the panel knows how you've interpreted it.
If nothing else, this gives you valuable thinking time. Be sure to keep your
responses relevant and focused rather than rambling.
It's easier said than done, but each and every answer you give needs to sell your skills and abilities. While this might not come naturally, you can make the task easier by referring to any evidence that demonstrates your talents, such as Ofsted reports, appraisals and performance management.
Don't be afraid to offer your opinions. If they don't sit comfortably with the panel, so be it. Far better to establish this sooner rather than later.
Aim to establish a rapport with the panel interviewing you. While they should be putting you at ease, don't rely on that. If you're able to establish rapport with them you give yourself some control over the situation. Use that to boost your confidence.
Dealing with the outcome
Once all the candidates have been interviewed you will have to wait
for the panel to deliberate on who they want to employ. It's likely that
this decision will be made the same day as the interview although occasionally
it may take a little longer.
While the panel is deliberating you should decide whether you would truly like to work at the school should the job be offered to you. Don't forget that interviews are as much about you assessing the school as they are about the school assessing you. Can you visualise yourself happy there? Are you happy with the school's ethos, size, environment, the teaching space you'd have there, the way that the school is managed, the discipline standards and so on? If they offer you the job, would you leap at the opportunity or would you be filled with trepidation? What are your gut instincts about the school and the job itself?
If you are offered the job, make sure that the offer is unambiguous and that you have been told all the relevant details about the terms and conditions of employment there. In particular you need to know what you will be paid. Don't attempt to make a decision on whether to accept a post unless you have all the relevant information about it.
You may feel that you want some more time to think about any offers that you receive. It's perfectly acceptable to ask for a couple of hours or until the next morning to enable you to make up your mind. Be honest if you have any doubts that can be discussed there and then with the panel.
While you may be disappointed if you are not offered the job, you needn't see this as a negative outcome. Try to be positive and recognise that you have gained valuable experience of the interview process and a greater understanding of the kind of school you would ideally like to work in. Accept any offers of a debriefing − and if none is offered then ask for one. Be sure to ask if it could be done in a few days' time so that you are sufficiently distanced from the outcome and get the most out of the debriefing.
The interview experience and feedback from the panel's debriefing will leave you better prepared for your next interview — which might be the one that lands you in your dream job. Remember that in many instances failure can be a blessing in disguise!
Further information
Newly qualified teachers can get extensive advice about interviews in
The NQT Handbook by Elizabeth Holmes — the author of this
article — published by RoutledgeFalmer.
This article was commissioned by TeacherNet's editorial team, independently of DCSF policy teams.
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