A lot of teachers are preconditioned to fear job interviews, usually because they approach it with the sole intent of pleasing the interviewer. They want to come across as the perfect candidate, which not only adds unnecessary pressure to an already stressful situation but is an impossible feat to achieve.
It is also an unhelpful attitude to take because, although it is ultimately the school’s decision whether you are hired or not, it is up to you whether you accept. The school is in need of a new member of staff and should therefore impress you as much as you impress them.
As the process is always a two-way street, it is essential to ask your own questions before concluding the interview. Agreeing to a new role is an important step for anyone’s career, so make sure every uncertainty, query and doubt is addressed first.
Here are 5 reasons why it is just as important to ask questions in an interview as it is to answer them:
1. You will get a better idea of the role and the school
A teaching role viewed through the eyes of a long-serving member of the school is bound to look different to you, which means the interviewer may inadvertently gloss over some details, forget to highlight certain elements of the school or simply communicate the role ineffectively as they aren’t viewing it from an outsiders’ perspective. After a few questions about the general day-to-day running of things you’ll soon get a clearer vision of what it would really be like to work there.
2. You will get a better idea of who you’ll be working with
Although your interviewer is not going to be brutally honest and list all of the disagreeable members of staff in the school, they will be happy to detail the various skillsets and roles. This will tell you a lot about how the school runs and reveal the unique qualities you could bring to the mix.
3. You can broach subjects the school may be unwilling to
The school will want the role to seem as attractive as possible to its candidates and may decide to omit certain details during the interview process. If you feel something has been purposefully left unspoken, ask them about it directly. It could be something minor but it could also lead to something you would not be willing to compromise on.
4. It shows passion and initiative
Asking questions shows that you are envisioning yourself in the role and are proactive about your career. These are fantastic qualities for any profession but for a teacher it could really earn you some brownie points
5. You might influence the future of the role
If you have any uncertainties about the role, querying them might put them up for negotiation. Don’t be worried about ruining your chances if you ask polite, professional and warranted questions. For instance, if the pay is not quite up to the sort of level you would expect for the role, you could ask if there was any legroom on it. You could also ask about the possibility of training incentives in the future, which may get the interviewer to consider the possibility of it if they hadn’t already.
If you would like to discover the teaching roles currently available at Celsian, contact our consultants today.