SCITT tips: preparing for your first interviews in teaching

Attending your first ever teaching interview can be a nerve-racking experience but there are so many things you can do to prepare for the big day. Here is a list of recommend ‘Do’s’ so you are ready for your first early career teacher (ECT) interview:

Do – plenty of preparation:

• Never leave preparation until the night before, the more preparation you undertake before your ECT interview the more mentally prepared and confident you will feel on the day of your interview. 
• School websites are a great source of information, and this will grant you access to a number of key school policy documents, the website will also reflect the schools’ values and ethos, so it is important to be familiar with this before your interview. Make sure you are familiar with the school’s safeguarding policy.
• Practising through carrying out a mock interview scenario can be a useful tool of preparation. You can access common interviews question through searching the internet too and you could make some notes which you could take with you on the day!
• Re-read the job/person specification prior to the interview and make a list of how your skills, qualities and experience align with what the school is asking for and make sure to showcase this during the interview through your answers. 
• It is also really useful to speak to other trainees/ECTs who have already had their first ECT interview, speak to them and see if they have any useful tips or advice for you.
• Try and find out as much information as possible about the structure of the interview, including who will be doing the interviewing. Most interviews will require you to prepare a lesson so that they can see you in action in the classroom and, importantly, how you engage with the children and young people in the classroom. 
• Prepare your documentation (ID for example) and your GCSE, degree and QTS certificate and keep these as an interview pack ready for the interview day. These documents will always be required when you attend an interview.
• Consider using the STAR technique as you will be asked to give examples of your teaching practice. The STAR method will ensure that you are fully able to answer a question properly and thoroughly get your point across. This method will cover all the basics that you need to cover to give a fantastic interview response:
• Situation – give context for your anecdote
• Task – explain what you were asked to do
• Activity – describe what you did
• Result – explain how the situation played out
• The night before the interview try to get a good night’s sleep, and to ease any stress on the day prepare you outfit as this will save you valuable time on the morning of the interview.

Do – be on time:

It goes without saying that being on time is incredibly important, after all first impressions count! It is useful to trial the journey to the school, and even better if you do this in the morning rush hour traffic so you know how long the journey would usually take. Remember, the minute you arrive at the school your interview begins, every interaction you have with every staff member and pupil counts, you need to remain in interview mode for the whole day.

Do – give eye contact:

When you are in the interview remember to give eye contact. Make sure you address each panel member, do not just look at the head teacher/principal. Also consider your body language, try and express confidence in your stance and mannerisms. Also remember to smile, you need to present yourself as enthusiastic, friendly, and passionate about teaching. Experts believe that at least 70% of communication is non-verbal. This means our body language matters a lot more than we think, which means:

• No arm folding
• Maintain eye contact
• No fidgeting, this can be difficult if you’re nervous
• Smile and have an open posture 
• Maintain a respectful physical distance

Do – prepare a question

At the end of the interview your interviewer will ask if you have any questions. It is advisable to try and ask at least one question. You could consider asking about potential opportunities for progression, leadership, or enquire about support and induction processes.  

Do – end on a positive note

At the end of the interview, thank the panel for taking their time to interview you and express your enthusiasm for the role and for the school in general. Try and avoid talking negatively about previous experiences, past employers, or placements that you have been on. Even if you have had bad experiences in the past, the key here is aways try and stay positive during your interview.