Currently one can find numerous books or web sites suggesting they have "great answers" to interview questions. In them, there are lots of ideas on how to shape answers to some of the questions you might hear at an interview. Certainly, there is something to be gained by a review of such information; however, the truth is you can never be completely certain of the exact questions to be asked at a particular interview. For that reason, you need some general guidelines and advice that will apply to any question asked. That is the focus of today's article.
After years of conducting mock interviews and then counseling participants, I have discovered that most of the advice can be distilled down to just a few simple guidelines. Although most of my advice has been directed to individuals seeking teaching positions, the information is relevant to an interview in almost any field. Let's call these, "rules for interviewing." I will list them here and take them in no particular order.
RULE 1: Listen very carefully to the question and target your answer to the specific elements of that question. I know this sounds so simple and obvious that it should not even be on the list. Yet, I have listened to so many applicants fail to do this that I am placing if first! You must identify what the question actually asks and then craft an answer as close to that requirement as possible. For example, here is a question I asked of applicants for a position at an inner-city charter school in Philadelphia: Tell us what you do with students who constantly put their heads down on the desk and fail to join in the class. Many applicants thought I was asking a question on class discipline, but that was not my interest at all. My question really concerned how they would motivate student involvement and maintain student interest in what they were required to teach! As a result, over two-thirds of the applicants did not do well on this item. Listen, analyze, and then target your answer!
RULE 2: Be concise and do not wander off-topic. The fastest way to lose your audience is to begin rambling and turn a simple answer into a long, drawn-out monologue. Generally speaking almost every good answer can be delivered in less than two minutes. You are far better served with three or four compact points than ten ideas with varying degrees of relevance to the question. A good rule of thumb is that if you hear yourself come back and repeat a point, you are probably out of your best thinking and you should draw the answer to a close. Stay laser focused on the critical elements of the question!
RULE 3: Use practical examples wherever possible. It is one thing to say you know how to provide innovative activities to support learning, but your answer is made infinitely more powerful if you give one or two examples of such activities and how they were used. To add even more authority to the answer, cite quantitative evidence of any success the strategy achieved. For example, you could add: "As a result of this in-class exercise on mineral identification, 21 of the 24 students were able to achieve an A proficiency on the laboratory practicum at the end of the week." By adding examples and quantitative results, you will have risen well above the ordinary candidate who only offers a few basic ideas.
RULE 4: Maintain your energy and enthusiasm throughout your answer. I have seen many very decent answers fall flat because of a weak delivery. If you cannot exhibit a little passion and enthusiasm in your answer, then how in the world is the interview committee likely to feel enthusiastic about your answer? Use your smile, use changes in your tone of voice, and use good body language. Shift eye contact to each interviewer and look as if you are speaking directly to him or her. Hopefully, you have jotted down a little personal information and can occasionally refer to interviewers by their name. Often, in cases where there are several good candidates, the person who gets the position is the person the committee subjectively liked the best. Since you now know this, use it to your advantage and deliver your answers accordingly.
If you use these simple rules and prepare well, you will be able to do well on almost any interview question. Good luck!!
After years of conducting mock interviews and then counseling participants, I have discovered that most of the advice can be distilled down to just a few simple guidelines. Although most of my advice has been directed to individuals seeking teaching positions, the information is relevant to an interview in almost any field. Let's call these, "rules for interviewing." I will list them here and take them in no particular order.
RULE 1: Listen very carefully to the question and target your answer to the specific elements of that question. I know this sounds so simple and obvious that it should not even be on the list. Yet, I have listened to so many applicants fail to do this that I am placing if first! You must identify what the question actually asks and then craft an answer as close to that requirement as possible. For example, here is a question I asked of applicants for a position at an inner-city charter school in Philadelphia: Tell us what you do with students who constantly put their heads down on the desk and fail to join in the class. Many applicants thought I was asking a question on class discipline, but that was not my interest at all. My question really concerned how they would motivate student involvement and maintain student interest in what they were required to teach! As a result, over two-thirds of the applicants did not do well on this item. Listen, analyze, and then target your answer!
RULE 2: Be concise and do not wander off-topic. The fastest way to lose your audience is to begin rambling and turn a simple answer into a long, drawn-out monologue. Generally speaking almost every good answer can be delivered in less than two minutes. You are far better served with three or four compact points than ten ideas with varying degrees of relevance to the question. A good rule of thumb is that if you hear yourself come back and repeat a point, you are probably out of your best thinking and you should draw the answer to a close. Stay laser focused on the critical elements of the question!
RULE 3: Use practical examples wherever possible. It is one thing to say you know how to provide innovative activities to support learning, but your answer is made infinitely more powerful if you give one or two examples of such activities and how they were used. To add even more authority to the answer, cite quantitative evidence of any success the strategy achieved. For example, you could add: "As a result of this in-class exercise on mineral identification, 21 of the 24 students were able to achieve an A proficiency on the laboratory practicum at the end of the week." By adding examples and quantitative results, you will have risen well above the ordinary candidate who only offers a few basic ideas.
RULE 4: Maintain your energy and enthusiasm throughout your answer. I have seen many very decent answers fall flat because of a weak delivery. If you cannot exhibit a little passion and enthusiasm in your answer, then how in the world is the interview committee likely to feel enthusiastic about your answer? Use your smile, use changes in your tone of voice, and use good body language. Shift eye contact to each interviewer and look as if you are speaking directly to him or her. Hopefully, you have jotted down a little personal information and can occasionally refer to interviewers by their name. Often, in cases where there are several good candidates, the person who gets the position is the person the committee subjectively liked the best. Since you now know this, use it to your advantage and deliver your answers accordingly.
If you use these simple rules and prepare well, you will be able to do well on almost any interview question. Good luck!!
My name is Robert W. Pollock. I am the author of 'Teacher Interviews: How to Get Them & How to Get Hired!'. I am an educator with over 34 years experience, a speaker, and consultant. I have spoken to 1,000's of prospective teachers on how to interview and get the job. I have consulted with 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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