HOW TO SUCCEED AT INTERVIEW
Interview types and what to expect
Schools sometimes use different types of interviews at each stage of the recruitment process. Interview approach has really changed since the pandemic years and with the advent of new technology, with a move towards remote interviews and pre-recorded video interviews in some cases. Our consultants will tell you what kind of interview to expect, which will be useful for your preparation and confidence.
Here is a variety of ways a school may want to interact with you:
Video, Telephone & Online Interviews (using Teams / Zoom etc)
Recorded video interviews
Face to face interviews (one to one or panel)
The good news is that the preparation for all of them is very similar!
Things to Consider for Virtual Interviews
More and more organisations are using real-time video to select candidates. However, trying to excel via video conferencing software can be a challenge and requires some preparation, especially if you have never used the technology before or downloaded it to your laptop or phone.
Here are some virtual interview tips to reduce the stress and help you get the job:
Prepare your space and technology: Make sure your background is tidy, well-lit, and professional. Test your microphone, camera, and internet connection beforehand to avoid technical glitches. This preparation reduces last-minute stress and allows you to focus on the interview itself.
Think about your eye contact and body language: Even in virtual interviews, maintaining eye contact by looking at the camera is important. Sit upright and smile when appropriate. Remember to address all panel members, not just the hiring manager.
Familiarize yourself with the platform: Whether it’s Zoom, Teams, or another tool, know how to navigate the platform. Ensure you’re comfortable with basic functions like muting/unmuting, screen sharing, and managing sound issues. This way, you’re not thrown off by technical surprises.
Prepare and organize notes: One advantage of virtual interviews is the ability to keep key information nearby. Have bullet points of your experience, skills, and questions and perhaps some possible answers to competency-based questions to hand for the interviewer in front of you. Just make sure not to rely too heavily on them—keep it conversational.
Practice Breathing Techniques: To ease pre-interview anxiety, practice breathing exercises to calm your nerves. A few deep breaths before the interview can relax your mind and help you stay focused.
For some additional tips on how to look your best in the virtual space watch the video below. If you're unable to access the video below, you can also try watching this Getting set up for your video call LinkedIn Learning video.
HOW TO LOOK BETTER ON ZOOM [How to Light & Angle Your Screen to Look Your Best]
How to Prepare for all Interviews
One important key to success is self-confidence and an important key to self-confidence is preparation.
An interview may feel stressful, but here are several steps you can take to prepare yourself for a successful experience. Preparing for an interview primarily means taking time to thoughtfully consider how your experience, skills, knowledge, achievements and qualifications relate to the role and school. To accomplish this, you should perform research on the school and its context and culture (XX insert link to relevant content here on other tabsXX) and carefully review the job description to understand why you would be a good fit. Let’s look at the steps to preparing for an interview.
Step 1
The Job Description (role profile)
It is important to fully understand and evidence how you fulfil the requirements of the job by looking closely at the essential and desirable criteria in the role profile. Most of the interview questions will focus on these criteria if the interview is competency based, so think of a few examples of where you have demonstrated these competencies at work or in your life. You should be prepared to explain your interest in the opportunity and why you’re the best person for the role. In doing this, consider any additional, transferable skills which, with some further development, could be useful too. This is particularly important if you feel you don’t have exactly the skills required.
Step 2
Research
Researching the school you’re applying to is an important part of preparing for an interview. Not only will it help provide context for your interview conversations, it will also help you to consider the questions you may have for your interviewers. Your research should include the relevant key strengths and selling points of the school, the role itself as well as the culture of the team (and any relevant country context) you are applying to.
Step 3
Questions
While you won’t be able to predict every question you’ll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. You might also consider developing an elevator pitch that quickly describes who you are, what you do and what you want.
Many employers feel confident about candidates who ask thoughtful questions about the school and the position. You should take time before the interview to prepare several questions for your interviewer(s) that show you are well-versed about the position, team, and/or the school.
Step 4
Practice
Just like public speaking, practicing interviews is the best way to relieve anxiety and improve your confidence. Practice may feel tedious, but repeatedly experiencing the interview process will make you more comfortable and help you give the right impression.
If you have friends or family to help, conduct mock interviews as much as you can.
Step 5
Record & Review
The next step is to grab your phone and record yourself answering some questions. When you’re finished, view the recording in three ways.
Audio off. Check the visuals. Are you happy with how you appear on the video? Are you looking at the camera and are you clearly visible? Is there anything about your body language which requires adjustment?
Audio only. Listen to what you say and how you say it. Are you speaking too quickly or quietly. Is your answer and the way you provide it clear, and does it answer the whole question? Is your answer concise and convincing?
Audio and video. Look at how it all comes together and consider a fresh recording if necessary.
Ask a friend, trusted colleague or coach to help you with any of these steps if you need to.
Consultative Approach to Interviewing
If you owned a small consulting firm and were meeting a prospective client for the first time, what would you want to achieve in that meeting? You would probably want to convince them that your skills, talents, sector know-how, and experience are just what is needed. You would also want to do your best to understand that client's needs and identify the challenges and problems you can find solutions to.
As they talk about their needs, you reveal your experience and credentials by explaining how you have handled similar situations. If the conversation goes astray, as a consultant, you steer it back to your core message: What you bring to the table and how it could meet their requirements.
Now imagine handling a job interview in exactly the same way. Consultative interviewing allows you to steer the conversation toward areas where you excel.
How to Communicate Effectively During an Interview
Getting Nervous? You've cleared the application process and landed an interview for your dream job, knowing that you have the skills, and that the school's values and culture are aligned to yours perfectly. However, as you make your way into the interview room, you can feel yourself getting nervous and starting to freeze up...
It happens to the best of us. Being able to communicate effectively is a skill that a lot of us put on our CV, but more than likely it's a skill you never thought to upgrade or become better at. Improving your communication skills will actually help you convey your message a lot more easily.
How we Communicate
We have all seen the components of communication- a sender, a receiver, and a message. What tends to happen in an interview setting is that the person being interviewed becomes nervous. When that happens, we begin to panic and start throwing together in random order the components of the message we are trying to send. As a result, the receiver misinterprets the message and the communication is weakened.
How do we fix those misinterpretations? How can we strengthen that communication again? Let's look at a few tips below:
Be specific and avoid vague answers. For example, when asked a question about what you can do to improve pupil behaviour, give an explanation that allows someone to really understand how you can do that. A response like "I will be a great fit here because I have experience of working in an inner-city state school where I had to manage some really difficult classes" doesn't give a clear picture. A better response might be "during the time I spent working in state schools, I attended several training sessions on behaviour interventions, and I deployed this in the classroom with a specific pupil by doing XX. This led to a reduction in the number of times he was removed from the class, and he was better able to access the learning."
Be an Active Listener. This means hearing what the other person is saying and mentally processing it in a way that allows you to respond effectively. If the message is unclear, ask for clarification. It is better to seek clarity than to provide an answer to a question that the interviewer has not asked. You can also ask the interviewer to paste the interview question into the chat (if using Microsoft Teams) as sometimes this helps to remember the actual question when you are nervous.
Who Are You Communicating with? Choosing your communication style, the language you use, the tone of your voice will vary depending on your audience. This is also true for interviews, are you speaking to a Head of School, someone from the department or pastoral team, the leadership etc, in each case we tweak our style to suit the situation.
Don't be afraid of silence. We often feel a need to fill moments of silence. People sometimes need a moment to gather their thoughts, complete notes, process information so do not rush to fill the silences, use them to your advantage.
Structure your answers. The STAR technique is very useful in structuring your answer in a way that ensures all the information is presented in a clear and logical manner.
The STAR technique
The STAR technique is a well-known technique for structuring interview answers. It breaks down an interview answer into four component parts, the SITUATION or context, the TASK that was required, the specific ACTION you took and the RESULT of that action.
Here’s an example of a common interview question for a teacher vacancy in an international school, followed by a STAR-based answer:
Interview Question:
“Can you describe a time when you had to adapt your teaching style to meet the needs of students from different cultural or linguistic backgrounds?”
Sample Answer Using the STAR Technique:
S - Situation:
In my previous role as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in a diverse international school, I was assigned a class of students from various countries, including Japan, Brazil, and France. The students had varying levels of English proficiency and different cultural expectations regarding education.
T - Task:
My task was to ensure that all students, regardless of their language abilities or cultural background, could engage with the curriculum and succeed academically. It was essential to create a learning environment that was inclusive, where everyone felt comfortable and could thrive.
A - Action:
To address this, I implemented a differentiated learning approach. I divided lessons into smaller, manageable segments and used visual aids and hands-on activities to cater to different learning styles. I also created peer support groups, pairing students with stronger English skills with those who were less proficient to foster collaborative learning. Additionally, I incorporated culturally diverse materials, such as stories and examples from different countries, to make the content more relatable.
R - Result:
As a result, students began to participate more actively in class, and their language skills improved significantly over the term. The culturally diverse materials also made the lessons more engaging, helping students connect with the content. In the final assessments, there was a notable improvement in both academic performance and English proficiency, and the class had a stronger sense of community, despite the cultural and linguistic differences.
This STAR-based answer demonstrates adaptability, cultural awareness, and a commitment to inclusive education, which are key qualities for a teaching position in an international school.
So – it’s time for the Interview!
Hopefully, you are now feeling confident to attend your interview. Here are some additional tips to help you feel comfortable and impress on the day:
•Remember that whilst the school is looking for a candidate who has role specific experience and skills, they are also looking for evidence of the important values and behaviours and for someone who is a good addition to their team in terms of culture too. So, it is important that you are yourself. The interview is also an opportunity for you to explore whether the role is right for you!
Remember to address all members of the panel (where relevant) in a polite and friendly manner rather than simply focusing on whom you presume to be the ‘Chair’ or Hiring Manager.
•It’s natural to be nervous, so take your time, speak calmly and clearly, and take a sip of water when needed.
It’s fine to ask for clarification on a question if you are unsure or to let the interviewers know that you would like to think for a moment.
It sounds simple but smiling is one of the most important things you can do throughout interview.
Make sure you feel comfortable and relaxed during the interview. If you have a disability (or another specific need), ensure that you have requested any required adjustments well ahead of the interview.
After the interview
After your job interview, the first follow-up should be a thank you note. You should always send a note to every person you interviewed with, no later than 24 hours after the interview. Keep these things in mind in your note:
Be brief, friendly, and conversational.
Restate your interest in the job and any relevant details on why you’re qualified.
Thank the potential employer for their time.
Add a meaningful engagement, linking to something you discussed in the interview, possibly share an article/link etc.
The thank you note is also an excellent opportunity to add any significant information you may have forgotten to say in the interview.
What to do if you fail in the interview?
Being rejected after a job interview can severely dent your confidence. Rejection, while not pleasant, can often be blown out of proportion and viewed as a sign of failure. However, by thinking objectively, candidates can use it to build on their core strengths, address development points and ultimately find a job that suits them best.
Here are few strategies you can use to recover from a rejection or bad interview:
Give yourself time
Look for the lessons
Ask for feedback
If you think you've done poorly in an interview, don't just give up. Although there's no sure-fire fix, it's always a good idea to send a thank you email after your interview, and it can't hurt to explain in the note why you were off your game.
Although not all employers have the time or resources for a "do-over," taking the time to email the interviewer, showing the self-awareness to recognise a mistake, and thanking them for the opportunity to interview could still leave a positive impression. This is the perfect opportunity to ask for feedback too.
Even if you can't salvage an interview that went awry, there are things you can do to help alleviate the stress and prepare properly so you can ace the next interview.
Take a deep breath, learn from your mistakes, and move on to the next opportunity.
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