1. The candidate doesn’t ask questions
2. There is condemnation of their past employer
3. The candidate has an inability to take criticism
4. The candidate has poor personal appearance
5. The candidate appears indecisive, cynical and lazy
6. The candidate is an overbearing, overly aggressive, know-it-all
7. The candidate arrived late to the interview
8. There is a failure to look at interviewer while interviewing
9. The candidate is unable to express themselves clearly
10. There is an overemphasis on money

Take a minute to put them in the order you think would most turn off the recruiter. Now, look at the list below which ranks which factors were actually the biggest reasons why candidates were rejected:

1. The candidate doesn’t ask questions
2. There is condemnation of their past employer
3. The candidate has an inability to take criticism
4. The candidate has poor personal appearance
5. The candidate appears indecisive, cynical and lazy
6. The candidate is an overbearing, overly aggressive, know-it-all
7. The candidate arrived late to the interview
8. There is a failure to look at interviewer while interviewing
9. The candidate is unable to express themselves clearly
10. There is an overemphasis on money

So, are you surprised that they were already in order? That’s right, boys and girls, your job interview, if you’re lucky, will get to the ‘do you have any questions?’ stage, and what you do now controls whether or not you get an offer. Your résumé undoubtedly gets you in the door, but whether you leave as a job seeker or an employee depends on the way you conduct yourself during the interview.

Many candidates, possibly even you are among them, think that when the interviewer says, ‘now then, do you have any questions for us?’ it’s a polite signal that the interview is about to be over and they are winding down. Honestly, they, possibly even you are among them, couldn’t be more mistaken. This question really signals phase two, the important phase, of the interview. Everything that came before was mainly just an aperitif. I am reliably informed that recruiters are unanimous on this point: Job seekers who fail to ask at least a couple of intelligent questions are destined to remain job seekers. My boss has even told me that I got my current job on the strength of the questions I asked at the interview. If you don’t ask questions, you give the following impressions of who you are and what your personal philosophy is:

• You think this job is either unimportant or trivial.
• You’re uncomfortable in asserting yourself.
• You’re not an intelligent candidate.
• You’re easily intimidated.
• You’re bored or, even worse, boring.

Quite clearly, none of these factors work in your favour. Of course, not any old codswallop questions will do. If you don’t think about the questions in advance, you run the risk of missing a critical opportunity by not asking intelligent questions or by sticking your foot in your mouth by asking stupid ones. Good questions show the interviewer that you are interested in the job. Great questions tell the interviewer that you are a force to be reckoned with. I’ll be following up this with a few suggestions in the near future, so stop by again if this sounds of interest to you.

Basically, asking the right questions is your chance to show that you are the best candidate for the teaching job by showing off five different impressions of who you are:

• Interest: You have taken the trouble to investigate the job.
• Intelligence: You really understand the requirements of the job.
• Confidence: You have everything it takes to do to the job.
• Personal appeal: You are the type of person who will fit in well.
• Assertiveness: You ask for the job.

Of course, there is a sixth objective for your asking critical questions: to help you assess whether or not you really want the job. The job interview is a two-way process. You get to assess the quality of the organization as much as the organization gets to assess your credentials. The other important thing is to avoid ‘What do I get?’ questions until after you actually get a job offer, or at very least a very strong expression of interest. ‘What do I get?’ questions are anything that refers to what you, the candidate, receives rather than what you, the candidate, offers. Remember this; you have two roles in the interview: buying into the school and selling yourself as a potential member of the organization. Remember: when the interviewer says, ‘do you have any questions?’ it’s not just a polite signal that the interview is about to be over, here’s when your work begins.

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5 – We expect teachers to work in the school for about 8 hours a day, taking into account lesson planning and meetings. Do you have a problem with that?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

Will you take the job seriously? Are you a workaholic, which can cause more problems than it solves, or a person who requires balance?

Here’s how you could answer:

‘I have no problem working the necessary hours to get the job done properly. When it has proven necessary in the past, I have put in 12 or 14 hour days. What I have found works well for me is to work in a smart, organised way, not necessarily longer. My goal is to get the job done, whatever that takes, in the most efficient manner.’

Let the interviewer know that you’re not afraid of working while at the same time that you will not be taken advantage of.

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6 – When have you been most satisfied in your career?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

What motivates you, or rather, demotivates you?

Here’s how you could answer:

‘The job before the one I am currently at was my most rewarding experience. I worked in a wonderful team environment. There was a lot of camaraderie. I worked primarily within a team of four teachers and we did some really innovative teaching. It is that kind of environment I want to be involved in again.’

Indicate your ability to work with others and that your satisfaction comes from doing something that will also be beneficial to the school. Creating a new teaching program would be a more desirable achievement than, say, having passed the DELTA.

7 – Why do you want this job?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

Are you using the scatter-gun approach to your job search or do you really know what you want? Is there a specific reason you’ve applied to work at this school or will you work at the first place that offers you a job?

Here’s how you could answer:

‘I’ve been very careful about the institutions to which I have applied. When I saw the advert for this position, I knew I found what I was looking for. What I can bring to this job are my years of experience, my knowledge of the profession, plus my ability to work within the kind of environment which you have in this school. That, along with my flexibility and organisational skills, makes me a perfect match for this position. I see some challenges ahead of me here, and that’s what I thrive on. I have what you need, and you have what I want.’

8 – We are ready to make you an offer. Are you ready to accept today?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

We really don’t want you to go away and think about it and change your mind. We want you. If you don’t want the job, we don’t want to waste time that could be used trying to find another equally good candidate.

Here’s how you could answer:

‘Based on my research and the information I have gathered during the interview process, I do feel I’m in a position to consider an offer, however, I have a personal policy of giving myself at least 24 hours to make major life decisions. I could definitely let you know by tomorrow.’

You need to cover your bases here. Giving a time limit by which you’ll get back to the interviewer should be an acceptable way to deal with this question. If they want you, they’ll wait. If they want you to teach a lesson an hour from now, run and don’t look back.

Of course, there is no way you can completely predict the questions that you will be asked in an interview, but you can be ready and prepared by thinking about the factors that might be of concern to an interviewer before the interview. These eight questions are a good start. Now, the title of this post suggested ten questions, so I’d like you to come up with the other two.

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Having had the rare opportunity to sit down and have lunch with my boss the other day, I took the chance to ask her how she went about choosing staff. What is the point behind the specific questions she ask at san interview, what is she trying to decide about the candidate? Of course, behind every interview question there is a concern or another question. Your job as a person seeking employment is to process the question, thinking about what the interviewer’s concern might be. In other words, why is the interviewer asking you this question? Here are a few of the things I gained from my conversation, plus a few hints as to how you could go about answering such questions.

1 – How did you prepare for this interview?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

Have you a genuine interest in working here? Are you interested enough to do have done some research, or are you winging it? Good interviewers will size you up on the strength of your response to this question.

Here’s how you could answer:

‘When I found this position advertised on the internet, I was instantaneously interested. I took a look at the school’s website and your mission statement, looked at the profiles of the teachers who are working for you, and was impressed. As soon as we’d arranged this interview appointment, I talked with friends and acquaintances in the profession about your organisation. Also, I’m sure I’ll find out a lot more in today’s meeting with you.’

Show you actually have some interest in working for this school, rather than just needing a job at a school somewhere.

2 – What is your salary expectation for this job?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

Can we afford you? Can we get you for less than budgeted? Believe it or not, organisations will look at your qualifications and experience and may be prepared to pay you more than you think.

Here’s how you could answer:

‘I’m sure you understand that I’ll need more information about this job and the responsibilities involved before we can begin to discuss salary. Could you give me an idea of the range budgeted for this position?’

Or…

‘I’m sure we’ll have time to discuss salaries at a later date, should you make the decision that you want to hire me. I’m confident you’ll be offering a salary based on my experience and qualifications and I’d be happy to come back for another meeting to discuss this with you.’

You need to show that your interest in working for the school is the main issue of the interview while also showing that you know what you’re worth and won’t settle for less.

3 – How do you keep current and informed about your job and the profession that you work in?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

Once you get the job, will you continue to learn and grow, in other words, stay challenged and motivated? Are you looking to use this as a way to finance your carefree, partying lifestyle, or do you have a genuine interest in teaching?

Here’s how you could answer:

‘I pride myself on my ability to stay abreast of what is happening in my profession. I do a lot of reading, profession journals and the like. I belong to a couple of professional organizations and often network with colleagues. I’ve taken professional development courses and attend conferences whenever they are of interest, or offer new insights into the profession.’

Show you care and that this isn’t just what you do during the day before meeting your friends in the bar after classes finish.

4 – What kinds of people do you have difficulties working with?

Insight into the mind of the interviewer:

We all know that there are plenty of ‘colourful’ characters in this profession. Do you have the ability to be flexible and work in a diverse environment?

Here’s how you could answer:

‘In my last couple of jobs, I’ve worked with people from extremely diverse backgrounds and cultures. The only time I had difficulty was with people who weren’t entirely honest about work issues. For example, I worked with one man who was taking credit for creating teaching materials that others had also been involved in making. I had an opportunity to talk with him one day and explained how his actions were affecting morale. He became quite saddened that others saw him in such a way, and said he was unaware of either his behaviour or the reactions of others. His conduct changed after our talk. What I gained from that experience is that sometimes what we perceive about others is not always the case if we take the time to follow it up.’

A specific anecdote is a great way of getting across your point. Be sure to link the event to what you gained from it in terms of working with others, showing that you are able to reflect on the daily events that occur in your working environment and benefit from these experiences.

The second half of my suggestions will appear tomorrow.

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