Interview Skills

Recently I've been interviewing some people for a part time role as an English teacher in my company, and I'm dismayed that many just can't handle the interview process. In front of a class of students they are quite happy to speak in public, they give good eye contact, their posture is excellent, and performance definitely up to the task.

But sitting in front of a desk being asked questions about their skills, experiences, and hopes for a position with my company eludes them. Job Interview Skills seem to be a real problem for a lot of people.

I try to get them to relax, I joke a bit about common things teachers find frustrating, I ask them a little about their interests outside of work, all of the things an interviewer is supposed to do to break the ice, in fact sometimes I think I should write a book of Jon Interview Answers to help them, but the fact is I want to hear their answers, not what they think I want to hear.

In my line of work I can't afford to employ the wrong person, a teacher's role is a responsible position, and there are legal ramifications if the wrong person is employed. So really getting to know the job applicant is important. Sadly when I interview and teachers don't come across well enough, well they don't get a second interview.

This is why I think preparation coming into an interview is so important, at the very least the applicant should read some Job Interview Tips on how to relax, how to answer honestly without fumbling, how to create an impression that they are the right person for the job.

None of these things require cramming or coaching, they simply require that the teacher asks honest questions of themselves, what do they want out of life, what do they enjoy about their job, what frustrates them about their job, and if they had the chance to change things what would they do. In essence this is what any employer is going to want to know.

People think if they have a different opinion from the employer that they won't get the job, and maybe this is true in some situations, but you know what, I really want to work with people who have the courage of their convictions to argue why they're right, and most importantly, if they have something to offer that might improve my business I want to know about it.

When these rare interviews happen the thought that crosses my mind is "Ah hah, I may have found a future manager or partner", and as an employer that is a golden moment, because people you can trust, and people with potential, seem to be very rare these days.