Succeeding at the interview (Part 1)

Vital tips for securing that job!

If you have been invited to interview, you are probably more than 50% of the way towards being appointed. Therefore, it is important to be as well prepared as possible. But, before we look at interview techniques, remember one golden rule:- Always approach an interview with more than an ounce of humility! This, you may say, flies in the face of popular belief that first and foremost you must sell yourself. However, there is no contradiction here. It is perfectly possible, indeed imperative, to project yourself as a warm, friendly, confident and competent candidate without appearing dogmatic, self-opinionated, arrogant or aloof. 

Before the interview 
Do your homework!  Prior to the interview, make sure you know as much about the employing organisation as possible. Who they are, what they do, where and to what extent. What is the organisation culture? What is the management structure? Where does the post in question fit in to the overall picture and what qualities could you bring to that post within that structure?

If the post you have applied for is overseas, find out about the country, city/town in which you would be working; cultural norms, such as appropriate dress and behaviour codes; general learner idiosyncracies, such as strong and weak skills etc. If you have supplied a teaching video or taught a demonstration lesson prior to interview, ensure that you have done a thorough self-evaluation of it in order to be able to answer questions on how it went, what worked well, what might have been done differently and why.

Re-read your resume/c.v. and any other information you have supplied! Your interviewer/s will be familiar with it and will probably base most of their questions on it, so make sure that you refresh your memory on all documentation content, including your portfolio, if you have presented one.

Arm yourself with appropriate questions on the post in question; what would be expected of you; career and professional development prospects; any initial support in the new country, if post is overseas; and anything else you feel it is important to know.

Dress well. A clean, pressed, simple and well co-ordinated outfit will give an impression of care and efficiency. Try to avoid fussy clothing which will detract from your body language which you want to use to good effect.

Greetings
In all your dealings with the organisation, whether in writing, by phone or in person, be courteous to everyone!   When introduced to your interviewer/s, greet them with a warm handshake, a smile and immediate eye contact (unless this behaviour is culturally inappropriate). Sit down when invited to do so and make sure you feel comfortable with your posture without slouching. It is a good idea to have a pen and small notebook with you and perfectly appropriate to ask if you may take notes. Not only will this help act as a reminder both during and after the interview, it also occupies hands which might otherwise fidget through nerves. If it is a panel interview, listen carefully to who the panel members are, their responsibilties etc. and jot these down. This information is important when answering questions as your answers will need to satisfy all panel members, not just the questioner.

"......To see ourselves as others see us."
Try to project a professional image to your interviewers. Look at all interviewers when answering questions, not just the one who asked the question.Try and maintain a friendly, relaxed smile. It is important not to appear over eager or conversely, too relaxed. Speak clearly and relatively slowly, taking reasonable pauses to think of appropriate answers. Try to avoid too many fillers such as "Em" or "Uh"as this makes it difficult to follow what you are saying.

You may wish to use a little humour to lighten a tense situation. This can serve to demonstrate leadership and confidence in handling a tough situation. Too much humour may suggest you are not serious enough.

Answering those questions
Here are some likely questions you might encounter at interview with suggested responses. However, you the interviewee must decide on the appropriate response to each question you are asked and we would stress that it is important never to lie!

Why have you applied for this job?

Stress the positive aspects which attracted you. Demonstrate your knowledge of the organisation by saying how you feel you could fit in to their overall mission, giving examples of how your experience and qualities could contribute to it.

This type of post is new to you. How do you think you will cope?

Emphasise that you are conscientious and determined to achieve whatever you take on and that you are always prepared to do whatever is necessary to get the job done well.

Why do you think we should offer you the job?

Give examples of previous experience and achievements which relate to the job in question and don't be afraid then to ask what they think.

How long do you think it will take you to make a significant contribution to the organisation?

It is probably fair to say that you would hope to from day 1. (particularly if it is a teaching post). You might want to ask them their opinion.

How ambitious are you?

Try not to give the impression that you are ready to compete for their job/s. Stress your interest in professional development and ask what their policy is.

What do you like and dislike about the job?

Cite things like new opportunities and challenges but also concede that there are tedious components to every job which have to be tackled as efficiently as the exciting ones.

Why did you choose TEFL/TESOL as a career?

Be positive about your reasons and make a logical argument for any career change, stressing transferrable skills.

How long have you been looking for a new post?

Be honest and mention anything worthwhile that you have been doing in the meantime.

Succeeding at the interview will be concluded next week.

If you have any additional interview tips you would like to pass on, just enter them below.