Teacher Job Interviews – 5 Critical Things Not to Do During the Interview

By Candace Davies, Global Career Management Professional, Creator of ‘A+ Resumes for Teachers’ & Author of ‘Teachers’ Interview Edge’

Focusing on what to do or say in the teacher job interview is vital to secure a job offer. You worked very hard to get this far – blowing it on failing to understand interviewing basics simply won’t do. While you work on the important aspects you need to do during a teacher job interview, keep in mind the things not to do, like the following:

Don’t Lie. The truth will always come out and it will “bite you in the butt.” Trained interviewers will know something is wrong if you hedge on your answers or fidget too much. Did you tell them you need the job because your aunt or mother is sick? Did you tell them your last job paid you two times what it actually did? Did you lie about the gap you have in your employment section of the resume? Did you lie or cover up your low grad point average? The truth is always the best approach – it never will get you in trouble. For questions that border on personal issues or taboo topics, a simple, polite, but truthful, “I’m not comfortable discussing that at this time” and try to get the conversation back on track.

Don’t “trash talk” previous school districts or any person. It’s a small world – the Internet and more specifically social media sites are being used to screen applicants. It’s best to keep your opinions to yourself. If you do talk “trash” they will either think you are a complainer, gossip, or simply don’t try to get along with others.

Don’t forget to follow up. A simple “thank you” goes a long way. Even if you don’t get a job offer, a well-written thank you letter might keep you on the waiting list or could result in being referred to another district or position. A thank you letter serves three main purposes; it is courteous, puts your name one more time in front of the interviewer’s eyes, and reiterates some of the important attributes you can bring to the school district.

Don’t ignore the importance of understanding the contents of your resume. Did you hire a professional resume service and neglected to fully study and absorb the contents? Nothing spells disaster more than being asked a question about something on your resume and you don’t have an example to back it up or didn’t know what a particular keyword phrase meant. Memorize your resume and take accountability for the information it contains.

Don’t forget who you are interviewing with. When you have several interviews lined up, make sure you know the person’s name and information about the school district, and what position you are applying for, if possible. Walking in and shaking hands with Mr. Smith - when it is Mr. Jones you have an appointment with - will leave a bad impression. In addition, not knowing the details of the school district will show your lack of research, which is critical to successful interviewing.

All teaching job interviews are a test of nerves, knowledge, research, communication skills, and what you can bring to the classroom. In preparation for the hard questions, you should not forget the basics and always show passion and enthusiasm for education and students. Take a deep breath, relax, tell the truth, and remember professional courtesy.

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