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How to Ace a Teacher Interview - Part 2 (142/365)

Updated: Nov 17, 2021

Reading How to Ace a Teacher Interview is a first step in the right direction in a college graduate securing his/her first teaching position. No, we're "not there yet". There's no HOV lane, no easy pass. Buckle your seat belt and adjust you mirrors, because as soon as you approach that on-ramp, before you know it, you'll be cruising on the road to success.


Want to avoid interview potholes, speed bumps, detours?


Set yourself apart from the competition. Be aware of the traffic jams others find themselves in, and instead take the mistakes of others and apply them to your own learning. The problems with the competition?


  • They don't let their resume tell their story.

  • They don't tell their story, based on their resume.

  • They don't extend the conversation or create a memory long after the interview.

Not only have I made these mistakes, I've also seen them, time and time again. Interviewing is a skill to develop and practice. Learn to develop your formula, and you will thrive.





Here are three steps to advance from one round to the next:


Step 1: Ensure that your resume is an impeccable representation of you.


This is not a post about correct spelling and grammar; that's understood. Making those errors will guarantee you don't get an invitation to a screening interview. Show a first-draft to many, many people who know you in various capacities. Seek out warm and cool feedback. Commit to font, spacing, and a format that shows prospective employers who you are, even before they read the very first word. Be mindful of your word-to-idea ratio and considerate, realizing those who are paper screening are seeing hundreds of resumes in one sitting. Be receptive to ideas from others, and use this input to personalize your resume.


Step 2: Consider the story your resume is telling, and make sure it's yours.


If your resume has made it past the paper screen, the next person likely to set eyes on it will skim and/or scan what you've submitted. If you've chosen a reader-friendly font, you will go far. If you've varied your use of bold font, bullet points, and power words, you will go farther. But don't stop there, tell your story. What makes you different...better from all the others? If you've successfully told your story (on one side of one page), you'll be treating a bleary-eyed administrator well, leaving him/her eager to learn more about you, and to meet you.


Step 3: Decide on what's the next chapter being written in your resume.


A word from the interviewer:


Reviewing a quality resume prior to a face-to-face screening starts an inner monologue for me. It gets me thinking, wondering, and asking lots of questions of myself.


"How will this person solve a problem for us?"


"How will they contribute to our school in ways we don't know we need?"


"What is the certification, skill, or an area of expertise that this candidate may deliver to colleagues, and in a way that fits, yet stretches the culture we're building?"


Done effectively, your resume will get (and keep) the attention of your prospective employer, almost immediately. By paying attention to these details, you will accelerate your progress, and stand out in the traffic of those up against you.


Click here to visit the Learning Leadership 365 site, where you may read all posts I've written.

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