The Art of a Successful Interview

It is that time of year once again. In some parts of our country the snow that remains long ago has turned brown and ugly, but new flurries have sometimes interrupted the winter, and the cold temperatures disturb spring and summer ideations. Complicating the transition is the unbelievable and “Hollywood-like” way of life we find ourselves experiencing. That might be the topic for a whole series of blogs and books, but not today.

Whether on campuses or learning from afar, the yearly rituals of rumors of retirements, transfers, terminations, and promotions fill our minds and crowd our networks. It is a time of dread for some, and a time of hope for others. Resumes are dusted off and brought current; job postings are scoured to find just the right fit or to find a notice of the job one has dreamed of having. Employers and employees are all looking for just the right fit. Hopefully, the process will be pure, honest, and equitable. The questions on the lips of applicants are most often, “Do they already have someone in mind for the position,” and “What can I do to prepare for the interview?”

As with any other topic we explore, opinions are rampant; rumors abound, and suggestions are endless and wide ranging. I can only express my beliefs based on my style, and my record of success or lack thereof. Nevertheless, an intelligent, talented, most impressive future school and district administrator requested a blog addressing, “The Art of the Successful Interview.” I will do my best.

The art of a successful employee interview presents a moving target, and is dependent upon a tremendous number of variables. Like so many trends in our field of education, new descriptors and buzz words abound and there are more than an equal number of opinions about the most effective interview process, how to prepare, what questions should be asked, and how they should be asked. Of course, there are no foolproof templates prospective employers use. The final decision concerning a candidate is dependent upon a careful search, a carefully crafted interview process, a review of references and other variables deemed necessary by the employer. The employee and employer must go into the process understanding that one entity is interviewing the other just as much as the reverse of that equation.

Now turning our attention to the job candidate, what can he/she do to mitigate natural fears and nervousness, and to deliver a dynamic and confident impression. I hope that the information that follows will prepare anyone for a successful interview process. Drawing on the work of Lacshmi Balachandra, in her book, Presence, Amy Cuddy first stresses the importance of, “…passion, confidence, and comfortable enthusiasm,” or, as described by Rohan, from Australia – “confidence without arrogance.” Take heed! Are you reading carefully? Unless superbly disguised, arrogance is the kiss of death! Each interviewer looks for unique characteristics in the course of an interview. He always expects to see that the candidate is happy to be there. Likewise, it is a given that the prospect exhibits humility, ALWAYS, but not to the extent of appearing weak, EVER. The candidates should look the interviewers in the eyes; speak from the heart based on what they genuinely believe, and not assume what the panel wants to hear. He/she should do their best to get “lost” in the spirit of the questions and the interview, and simply ENJOY the experience; project that enjoyment! Have fun! One should get a good night’s sleep and not waste a lot of time trying to prepare in anticipation of what MIGHT be asked. Finally, if one truly speaks from the heart, and from a core of strong beliefs developed over the course of one’s career, developing a firm understanding of what he/she believes and how those beliefs and their non-negotiables guide their actions, is critical to establishing one’s leadership style in order to achieve any measure of success.

Unless told to do so, the interviewee should not bring anything to the interview room. The panel wants to see and hear what the candidate has to say and how he says it; remember, unless the field is narrowed through preliminary screening interviews, time is important and the panel will not have the time to pour over pages of artifacts or portfolios. Using a variety of methods, the panel will have access to a plethora of data and anecdotal information it will use following the interview. Likewise, for some interviews the questions are provided. This often saves valuable time with questions that are not understood; the questions might provide a measure of comfort for the interviewee. Do not waste time taking notes on the questions. If asked to interpret data, you will probably be provided the data to use. I do not recommend attempting to cite data from memory; it is too easily confused, but if data is used to support an answer, choose the data wisely; be extremely careful not to cite it in a manner that could be confused as condescending or critical; look for the positives. What can one contribute?

If the interviewee has followed the suggestions presented, he/she should have a firm grasp of what he needs to respond eloquently and confidently; he should already have a strong grasp on his beliefs regarding the following topics that are commonly measured:

• Customer service

• Leadership style

• School climate

• What to look for during a classroom visit

• Budget

• Parent involvement

• Due process

• Discipline

• Student involvement

• Special education

• One’s strengths and weaknesses

• Presentations given

• Recent readings

• Lesson planning

• Personal accomplishments

• Communication

• Collaboration and how to develop it

• Education goals

• Engagement

• Differentiation

• Loyalty

• Mentoring

• Career highlights

• The sources of one’s greatest pride during their career

• One’s philosophy of leadership

• Professional affiliations and offices held

This list can appear daunting but there is more. Not every person is expected to be an expert on all of these topics; that strength takes time, keen observation abilities, common sense, and experience. Expertise is not developed overnight. Therefore, as explained previously, sometimes we must fall back on our beliefs and the consistency of our actions.

There are many theories and recipes for experiencing the perfect interview; no one technique or strategy is foolproof. There is no one strategy one may adopt for interviewing and what is finally decided might be entirely new. It might also be a hybrid version of all methods at our disposal. The only surefire method is to make the most of a stressful task and take control through honesty, humility and by meticulous understanding of oneself. Preparation is a must and the candidate should find what works best for him and perfect it.

What are your ideas? Disagreement? Give me your thoughts, PLEASE.