Winning The Interview With Powerful Connections

Something I have heard time and again from teacher candidates is they attended an interview, thought they had done well, and never heard back as to why they didn't receive the offer. In fact, there have been times when candidates never heard from the district one way or the other. This is one of the most disheartening things that can occur during the interview process, yet it is all too common. Perhaps it has even happened to you.

So what went wrong? How can we leave the interview feeling so positive, and yet fall short time after time? If you left that school feeling positive, the fact is you probably did do well on the interview. Unfortunately, someone else did a little better; made just a slightly more positive impression. Often the reason someone else came out ahead is that they made just a slightly better overall impact on the committee. In my many interviews with principals across this country, "overall impression" was often cited as one of the primary reasons for selecting one great candidate over another! Since this seems so important to our success, perhaps we need to spend a little time with ways to maximize your overall impact; strategies to make your interview connections. Here are five ways to accomplish that goal.

1. Get started and end with a warm handshake and greeting. Keep in mind that you are being evaluated from the moment you enter the room. Try and get the names of people on the interview team beforehand. Generally, the secretary can help with this if you are not sure. When you are first introduced, shake hands, look them in the eye with a nice smile, and use their name. "Good morning, Dr. Jones. How do you do Mrs. Smith. So nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson." Take whichever seat they suggest, smile, and look right at the interview chairperson. When you end the interview, it is the very same process. You shake hands, thank them for their time, and tell the committee you look forward to hearing from them in the future. Don't forget to thank and say goodbye to the secretary. Make no mistake, favorable first impressions on these key people can make a difference.
2. Use your body language and energy to establish personal connections. You want each committee member to feel as if you are speaking directly to them. You can best do this through eye contact, positive body positioning, and facial expression. When giving each answer, focus your vision on the various members, especially the person who asked the question. Be careful of your body language and position. If you are at a table, sitting toward the table with your hands in front of you is a good base position. In addition, when you are making a transition or special point, lean slightly toward the person to whom you are speaking. This neurolinguistic positioning will add emphasis and contact to that individual. Use your smile and other appropriate facial expressions to convey positive imagery. Deadpan deliveries will kill you! These non-verbal messages distinctly add to your personal connections and likeability.
3. Know the special characteristics of your interview school. If there is anything that is likely to make a positive favorable impression on the committee, it will be your direct knowledge of key initiatives or characteristics of their school. Look for places to underscore important school programs and how you see yourself adding to these agendas. Keep in mind that every school is looking for something called, "fit." They want the teacher who most effectively meets their needs. You can make that person you by simply drawing connections between your skills and their school characteristics. Convey excitement about working on the school's important initiatives because that is uppermost on their list of key characteristics in the person they seek. Energy and enthusiasm on these points transfer directly to every person in the room and can be real difference-makers!
4. Add stories and personal interest to your answers. If you come to your interview with one or two human interest "stories" about yourself, you can often find a good place to slot those into one of their questions. Stories that involve your work with children are the most powerful; especially if there is an element of humor in the way you convey the anecdote. For example, if you were working with a group of students, and you received an unexpected result or comment, these can convey a general feeling tone in your teaching stance. The only word of caution is to use only one or two such stories. You do not want to overly personalize the interview or come off as too casual.
5. Use a well-constructed interview portfolio to show your work with students! Oh-my-goodness! Can I say this often enough? The more evidence you have of great work with students, the greater your chance of stepping in front of other strong interviewees. But, you absolutely need a strong finish that visually and demonstrably shows your great classroom work with students. This is the piece that can easily establish just the kind of powerful connection to principals and other school officials we seek. And be aware, if someone else has that great portfolio and you have nothing, your chances to prevail just went down.

As many principals have told us, the final decision can sometimes come down to just who made the best overall impression. In each such case, it is always an accumulation of small, subjective intuitions that will rule the day; the energy of the candidate, the passion he or she had for teaching, the personable qualities, or simply the way a candidate resonated with the committee. Use these five strategies and maximize your chances of being that person!

My name is Robert W. Pollock. I am an educator, with over 34 years experience, a speaker, a consultant, and the author of 'Teacher Interviews. How to Get Them & How to Get Hired!. I have spoken to 1,000's of prospective teachers on how to interview and get the job. I have consulted with numerous schools around the country. Currently I am a professor of Education at Tusculum College, Knoxville, TN, where I also serve as the president of their alumni board.

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