Mock Interview Extravaganza
Upon preparation for this mock interview, I was actually really nervous even though in the back of my mind, I knew that this wasn't a real interview or that I was being interviewed by my friends. I was still very nervous because this was my first "interview" ever. I had to prepare myself for my first interview. I literally googled "Job Interview Tips for Teachers," and located to the left is the chart that I followed. So the night before, I made myself prepared for the next day.
When walking into class, I took a deep breath and I walked in normally as I would for any ordinary day for field work, well dressed and with a teaching mind set. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to achieve my goal which was by being myself and expressing my knowledge on the educational concepts with a smile on my face. I was not prepared for the questions that were asked, but I never messed up. I didn't stall or leave any time for an awkward silence. I answered the questions accordingly and I believed that I did a good job with doing so.
Throughout each of the interviews, I kept my head up with a friendly smile and I was prepared for anything that came my way. Each of the "administrators" were looking for specific teachers and the school that said that they would hire me was the school that was built around Direct Instruction for success. I thought that this was interesting because Direct Instruction is not my favorite style to teach, but I was told that I was logical in the content area. I was relieved when the administrator had said my name because it was like an eye opener that I truly am in the right profession area.
What I specifically liked about this experience was that this type of interview is an engaging and entertaining way to get all of the "butterflies" out of your stomach. After this experience, I felt like I could jump right into a real interview with confidence. I'm looking forward to my interviews in the future thanks to this experience. This is definitely something I enjoyed and would recommend to other students to partake in before actually going on an interview.
Interviews are extremely stressful, challenging, and somewhat exciting. They are stressful because you are of course nervous because you want the job. They are challenging because you don't know exactly what you are getting asked at the time of your interview. And they are exciting because it is a honor to be interviewed because it means someone out there liked your interview/profile and thought you were interesting enough to speak with for a future job in their school. That's a big deal since jobs are few and far between. I was aware of how interviews go because I have watched my sister go on several "real" interviews and it is definitely a nerve-racking experience. The more interviews you go on, the more practice, whether you get the job or not. The mock interviews were great practice for all of us to see a tiny glimmer of what real interviews are like. My suggestions for interviews: have a nice and comfortable suit and heels, straight posture, good hand-shake, look everyone interviewing you in the eye and come prepared. Do your research about the school including its mission, curriculum, demographics and activities going on at the school. This shows the interviewers that you are truly interested in their school and that you do your research. Last note: thank you notes either as an email or hand-written are definitely a must after any interview. This could separate you from the other candidates. As for your blog, I like the picture with the tips on interviews. I felt including where you would want to improve on interviewing would also make a great part of your reflection. This is important because after each interview, we should all evaluate ourselves and see what we did right and where we could improve.
ReplyDeleteKelly,
DeleteI like your points and your advice on interviews. I was actually really stressed out thinking about what to say until the spotlight was set on me. I felt like this mock interview helped out with whatever goose bumps that I had before. I'm also glad that we were able to experience this mock interview because I am actually starting my first job next week and I never had a full interview for it, so I'm sure that on my first day, I will get a million questions thrown my way. I'm starting my first job as the technology director and art director of a day care. Do you have any suggestions for working in a day care? This is my first job after all and I am super nervous.