Summary: Last week I was on the phone with a teacher who will soon be interviewing for an assistant principal opening. <br> Just this past week, I have talked to two superintendents and a principal who have openings for principal or assistant principal positions at their schools. It’s that time of year again for hiring and job searches! <br> Whether you are conducting an interview or being interviewed, I have found some common expectations anyone should have when walking into an education interview. If you are looking for sample questions specific to principal interviews, let me encourage you to check out the post, <a href="https://www.williamdparker.com/2015/03/25/30-questions-from-principal-interviews-plus-more/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">30 Questions from Principal Interviews</a>. <br> But if you are in transition or you know someone preparing for their next interview, I want to share some tips to keep in mind for a solid interview experience:<br> 10 Tips for Interviewing for an Education Opening<br> As hard as it is to work through the hiring process, nothing is more important to the success of school than finding quality educators. Although I haven’t kept count, it is safe to say that during the last twelve years, I have interviewed over a hundred individuals for staff or teaching positions. I have also sat on teams interviewing for principal or director positions.<br> In my school leadership roles, I have seen many great and not-so-great interviews. Likewise, I have delivered some of both myself. Because I am a teacher at heart, I sometimes visit with candidates afterwards about ways they could improve their interview skills. Since I find myself coaching the same consistent themes, here are the 10 of them:<br> 1. Write a solid resume.<br> This should go without saying, but a good resume should be neat, concise, and without errors. Display a heading with all your contact information. Skills most pertinent to the position should be prominent and experience should be listed chronologically with most recent experiences first. If possible, limit your resume to one-page. Long resumes are tedious to read and usually unnecessary.<br> 2. Use pre-emptive email or phone call.<br> My advice is to send a short, friendly email to the person(s) you believe will be responsible for the hiring. This is usually pretty easy to figure out by visiting school websites or just calling and asking school staff for contact information. Make sure your inquiry is brief, professional, and without misspellings.<br> If you choose to reach someone by phone or leave a voicemail, rehearse what you will say ahead of time. By all means, do not ramble or give the impression that you are desperate for a job. School leaders want people who are passionate about teaching or leading, not about just finding a job.<br> 3. Research your prospects.<br> With the ease of finding information via the web, there is no excuse for not understanding in advance the lay-of-the-land in respect to the school or community you have targeted. More helpful still is finding someone you may know who lives or works in that community as a source for information. Coming into an interview knowing a few names and faces helps to put you a step ahead and gives you some context for the discussion you will have.<br> 4. Rehearse your introduction (and deliver with a smile).<br> Almost all interviews begin with the opportunity for you to introduce yourself personally, professionally, and in regards to your education. First, express thanks for the opportunity to interview; then, follow-up with a brief introduction of who you are personally and professionally. Sit up straight, smile, and make good eye contact. Avoid crossed arms, clenched fists, or rambling which usually show signs of anxiety.<br> Appearing cool under pressure is important because that is what you will be expected to do every day in a teaching or school leadership position.
