OT-PLEASE...Need Help with Interviews Skills

[Love the Mouse]

I have a job interview this Friday and have had a few in the last month. I am HORRIBLE at interviewing. I have a job interview for a teachers position at Kindercare for a Kindergarten Class this Friday.

Any advice, questions that they may ask. I am thinking over previous questions that I have been asked and will be writing down my answers for those, but I am in need.

I had a working interview on Firday along with a Q & A. I told my DH that the working interview went great, I just hope it conpensates for the fact that I feel like a moron when being questioned.

I really need a job! My DH has been working 2 jobs just so I could get out of the casino which is where I was. I wanted to get into the field that I studied for, which is teaching. I have my BS in Elementary Ed, and have substituted and done all of my student teaching. I just never found a job in a school.

Now is the time and like I said, I am HORRIBLE at interviewing. I know there are teachers out there and I am asking for your help. Please give me any advice that you have.

 

[jodifla]

I have a job interview this Friday and have had a few in the last month. I am HORRIBLE at interviewing. I have a job interview for a teachers position at Kindercare for a Kindergarten Class this Friday.

Any advice, questions that they may ask. I am thinking over previous questions that I have been asked and will be writing down my answers for those, but I am in need.

I had a working interview on Firday along with a Q & A. I told my DH that the working interview went great, I just hope it conpensates for the fact that I feel like a moron when being questioned.

I really need a job! My DH has been working 2 jobs just so I could get out of the casino which is where I was. I wanted to get into the field that I studied for, which is teaching. I have my BS in Elementary Ed, and have substituted and done all of my student teaching. I just never found a job in a school.

Now is the time and like I said, I am HORRIBLE at interviewing. I know there are teachers out there and I am asking for your help. Please give me any advice that you have.

Do you have any friends who are teachers? What I used to do with my interns before I sent them to an interview is PRACTICE!

Even if you don't have a teacher buddy, have a friend take your questions, add some of her own, and sit down and do some practice interviews. Ask your friend to critique your responses, demeanor, etc.

This really works! Remember, practice makes perfect!

 

[Jana49]

As a past Human Resources Director, I can tell you that when all other assets are equal, the applicant with a great personality, enthusiasm, a smile, dressed appropriately, that gave me a feeling that she was honest with her answers - no bull - got the job. Good luck!

 

[LadyShea]

In my experience, where most people seem to fall down is in honestly assessing their own strengths and weaknesses, and then conveying that information to the interviewer. I don't know about teaching, but I have been both an interviewee and interviewer and this is always part of the interview.

So I suggest you do a real self assessment and answer the following questions alone, on paper maybe

1. What do you bring to the table that makes you unique and desirable? You can be honest! It is not bragging and an interviewer needs to know why they should hire you!

2. What are your personal "areas that need improvement" and much more importantly what have you done/will you do to overcome them? Knowing your own weaknesses and actively working to overcome them is a very important trait!

 

[cruizie]

This is incredibly long and I could go on and on.....

Monster has practice interviews that you can take online. As a previous poster stated, practice in front of someone and if you don't have someone to practice in front of, practice in front of a mirror. Be prepared for those standard questions of "what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses..." Stay focused on answering the question at hand.

What’s the best way to stay focused? By preparing yourself in advance and staying true to the substance of the interview. In other words, the more you know going in to the interview, the more comfortable you will be answering the questions that come your way. And the more you practice, the more confident you will feel. I think most people have a difficult time saying nice things about themselves, it seems almost "rude" and like we are bragging.

I tell candidates to think in these terms: MADE, SAVED, ACHIEVED. I.E. "When I first started w/ XYZ Co, they were manufacturing 20,000 widgets each quarter. By re-arranging the manufacturing schedule, we increased production by 20% equally increased revenue of $X in less than 6 mo."

Also, anytime a question comes up, try to demonstrate how your experience ties into the situation. For example, question: "How would you handle a parent who was not pleased with the report card little Johnny brought home." You: "In the case of Johnny, I would explain, using examples of his work, why he received an U on his report card. I would have an action plan where we, myself and the parents, working together, could get little Johnny back on track. While I was working at XYZ Casino, we had a similar situation in that I had to compose performance reviews. No one enjoys being told that their performance is lacking and it automatically sets people up to be in a defensive mode. However, if they feel that you are on their team by asking what you can do to help them, they are typically much more likely to HEAR your constructive criticism. I would also end the conversation with little Johnny's parents with something positive to say about him. For example, while there is opportunity to improve his reading level, Johnny has excellent reading comprehension."

When you get to the portion of the interview where the interviewer asks, do you have any questions for me? Do not say NO and do not ask what does the company do, when was it founded, etc. You should already know what the company does, when founded etc from your research that you did prior to your interview.

Of course, some of these suggestions do not exactly apply to a teaching position but you can change them around to suit you. Some sample questions you could ask in this portion are:
What are the specific responsibilities associated with the job under discussion?
What is the scope of the work – how many people are involved?
Who does the position report to?
What is the company or unit management style? Who are the personalities?
Is the position a new one? If not, did the previous person move up?
What is the potential for advancement?
Are there examples of successful employees moving up?
When does the job begin? How soon will a decision be made?
What additional information is needed in order to make a decision?

Also, maybe you could come up with a sample lesson plan? My dd is in kindergarten, maybe I could get from her teacher the lesson plan for this week? I googled "teaching job interviews" and several websites came up. Maybe you can take a look at those for some suggestions. If you want me to ask my dd teacher for a sample lesson plan, email me at lmckeand1 at comcast dot net.

Good Luck!!

 

[GoinToDisney]

I've been out of teaching for 3 years, so I am sure a lot has changed. I would find out as much as you can about the school and their curriculum. If you get to ask questions, I would want to see the room where the class would be held, whether there are any full day kids there or is it half day with some kids going to public K as well. What are the nap/rest time procedures that they use there? It is hard to sell yourself for some people. Just try to be confident and be yourself. Don't think about interviews where you didn't get the job. Be prepared to discuss how you handle discipline situations. For example, will the kids help decide on rules and consequences? You could bring some sample lesson plans or photos of projects you may have done. For me, it helped to show my portfolio so I had something to show and explain when I got stuck.