Job Interviews

Today was our last day of class and Dr. Smirnova had something wonderful planned for us. Today we will be learning all about interviews and what it is like to be interviewed by a principal. I thought this was an amazing opportunity being that a lot of us really have no idea what to expect when going out into the real world and experiencing a face to face interview on our profession for the first time. A group of our classmates were chosen to represent principals of different school districts. They started off by introducing themselves, where they work and a little background information on what the school district they were hiring was looking for. This prepared us for what it would be like to walk into an interview for the very first time. After these individuals were done introducing themselves it was their turn to go from group to group to interview each of us. We formally shook hands and introduced ourselves and then the questions began. You never really realize how hard it is to answer a question right on the spot with no prior knowledge because its being thrown at you for the very first time. It creates a lot of nerves and pressure as this individual asks you the questions then stops and looks at you waiting for your response. A million thoughts are running through your head at this point. You begin to think, what is the right way to answer this? And sometimes, you are even given a question that in your mind you have no idea how to answer. It is important to always stay confident and be confident in your answer. Even if what you are saying is wrong, if you answer the question with confidence and give background information, it shows that you were thinking about the question and put some thought into your answer. On an interview you can be asked almost anything, why do you feel that you are a good fit for this district? How will you accommodate for children with special needs? If you could be a color in the rainbow what color would you be? No matter what question is asked you need to stop, take a deep breath and take  second to think before rushing to answer. Being asked a number of questions was very helpful. If I'm being honest, the first question I was asked I had no idea how to answer. You become very nervous at this point and it is important to stay calm. As the groups went on and it was different individuals turn to interview me, I had gotten a lot better at answering the questions. I became more confident in my answers and I was able to relate my answers to past experiences. I felt that having our last day of class being used for interviews was exteremly  beneficial. In about a year, maybe a little longer for some of us we will be going on Job Interviews to become teachers. It is very important that we get the opportunity to practice hearing and answering questions. It is also important that we practice dressing and speaking professionally. I thought this experience was very beneficial and I am so glad I was given the opportunity to do this.