Interview Success Tips

Employers will often use group job interviews, especially when they need to hire a lot of new employees at one time.

Generally, these will be in the form of many candidates being asked the same questions or being led in an exercise by the interviewers.

It is difficult to predict what questions may be asked in these settings. This makes preparation for these interviews somewhat problematic but there are a few steps you can take to be ready for group job interviews.

The company doing the hiring will have already brought in the candidates who they think are the most suitable for the position. Group interviews are a great way for employers to sift out the candidates who do not quite meet their criteria at one time. This saves the company a lot of time, compared to individual interviews.

The exercises or questions will have the goal of seeing how the candidates would react to various situations which may arise in the workplace. Quite often, the group will be separated into teams and assigned a problem to solve, with their solution to be presented to the group as a whole.

Group job interview candidates will also, in some cases, be asked to answer questions which are not work related such as the well known question of which 50 out of 100 people should be rescued from a ship which is sinking. These questions will spark a lot of discussion among the group, letting the interviewer assess the candidates’ negotiation skills and decision making.

Interviewers will observe how the process plays out among the group; asking questions, taking notes, even providing encouragement.

They are watching the group, but will be carefully watching the performance of individuals within it as well, so even when in a group setting, you should do your best to make a good impression on the interviewer.

Interviewers will notice:

• How you interact with others in the group

• Your skill at influencing and persuading the rest of your team

• How well you work in group settings

• How strong your communication skills are

• Whether your decisions are based on logic or on emotion

• If you are a good listener

• How well you handle stress

Interviewers will also be watching to see who emerges as a leader within the groups and how effectively they delegate tasks to the rest of the group. They will also be watching how group members react to the leader.

They will want to know if the leader:

• Includes all team members, even members who don’t speak up on their own

• Takes changing conditions into account and makes changes accordingly

• Listens to and asks questions of their team

• Gives credit where credit is due

There is no way to be sure that you will be prepared for any possible question asked in group job interviews, but these tips can make sure that you are as ready as possible for what may come in this interview process.

Here’s more on group job inteviews.

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This is the climax of several years of hard work. You’ve completed college. You’re through with your student teaching and you’ve passed all of your teacher certification examinations.

All you can do now is sit around the house and wait for the phone to ring, right? Wrong! You should be preparing for your interview!
If there are any tricks, secrets, or shortcuts to success in the interviewing process, I haven’t discovered them. My only sound advice for prospects is to come to the interview prepared.
You should have your teaching portfolio in-hand and you should be ready to talk about anything and everything that relates to you, your background, and your philosophies on education. The best prospects know how to teach, they know how to articulate their teaching beliefs, and most of the time, they already know what types of questions will be asked before the interview even begins.
It’s easy for an interviewer to spot an unprepared candidate. Prospects who have not practiced basic interview questions beforehand are unnaturally nervous. They shift in their seats more. They begin most answers with the word, “uhhhhh.” There are long pauses while interviewers wait for the candidate to process the question and think up an reply. In order to be a prepared candidate, all you have to do is practice answering the most common questions before you go to the interview. If you prepare beforehand, the interview questions will seem routine and familiar. There are no tricks or shortcuts; if you do your homework you’ll perform well.
Body language can show whether you’re a confident, qualified teacher or an unsure one. At the interview, be confident, but not cocky. Smile when you walk in. Greet the people interviewing you with a smile and a nod. Firmly shake the hand of the principal and other interviewers that are within easy reach. When you take your seat, sit up straight with your feet on the floor and your hands in a relaxed position on the desk.
Have a mild sense of humor. For example, if a principal shakes your hand and asks how you are, it’s okay to say, “A nervous wreck!” A whimsical introduction can break the ice. Be sure your sense of humor is clean and appropriate for an interview.
Have a teaching portfolio ready. Your portfolio should contain extra copies of your resume, a copy of your teaching certificate, sample lesson plans, samples of student work, and any other evidence that shows you are a qualified candidate for a teaching position. It should be bound in a neat, professional-looking leather binder. Place the portfolio in front of you when you sit down at the interview table.
Usually, the people interviewing you will not ask to see your portfolio. Don’t wait for anyone to mention the portfolio. Instead, you should use it as a instrument to describe your teaching experiences. The first question at almost every interview will be: “Tell us about yourself.” You should already know what you’re going to say. Keep your reply reasonably brief. You can talk about the college you attended and provide an overview of your teaching experience.
Always be positive. Try not to say, “I don’t know.” Avoid saying, “I’m not really good at…” Don’t say, “That’s one of my weak points.” Always tell the truth, but you don’t want to suggest that you’re not a confident, successful, qualified teacher. If you honestly don’t know the reply to a question, you might ask the interviewer to restate it in a different way, or you might want to give the best reply you can based on your knowledge and experiences.
Use lots of examples when you reply questions. When they ask how you would do something, tell them how you have already done it. This will make you seem more experienced. For example, if an interviewer asks, “How would you you use creative problem-solving in your lessons?” You might reply with, “When I was student teaching, I did a great creative problem-solving lesson when…” When you use specific examples, you’re convincing the interviewers that you’re more than just hypothetical talk.
The final question of your interview will most likely be, “Do you have any questions for us?” Be prepared with a thoughtful question ahead of time. While this is probably not the most important question of the interview, it is your last chance to leave a positive impression. Rather than replying with, “Not really,” you should ask something philosophical or complimentary. You might ask the interviewer why they are proud of their school or what the people you’ll be working with are like. And, think about it: You’ve been on the hot seat answering their questions for 45 minutes. You’ve earned the right to turn the table, even if it is just for a moment.
They’ll be filling out little forms rating your experience, qualifications, communication skills, and personality. At the end of the day, they will have about a dozen of these forms sitting on the desk. They’ll look through them all and the chosen prospects will be the ones who were the most memorable, most qualified, and most prepared for the meeting. With some time and effort, that candidate can be you.
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