A phone interview may seem easier than a regular interview on the surface. The truth is, it can be a bit harder for many reasons. If the conversation is successful, you will secure a second interview, which will more than likely be an in-person meeting.
Phone Interview Tips for Teachers to Land a Second Interview
Having an interview via the phone can happen when you least expect it or scheduled by the school district administrative staff.
Communicating your personality and passion for teaching students without the advantage of face-to-face contact can be challenging for many job seekers. Rely solely on your voice to make a connection with your interviewer(s). Interviewing strategies used in a face-to-face interview will help to some degree.
1. Eliminate ALL distractions.
Ensure you are in a quiet place away from people, TV, pets, or email notifications. If your dog tends to bark a lot, see if you can find a sitter during the interview. Keep 100% focused on the interview meeting.
Find a quiet room in your house away from screaming kids or blaring TVs. You may even have to go out to your garage or car.
No matter where you end up, assure that it’s quiet so you can completely focus on answering your interviewer’s questions. After all, you wouldn’t show up for an interview with distractions, so you should treat a phone interview the same.
If you have it, turn off your “call waiting” feature on your phone; you don’t want to get a beep in the middle of your conversation.
2. Make a conscious effort to be energetic and smile while speaking.
Projecting a voice that is warm and friendly will make a positive impression. One goal of your conversation should be to convey to the interviewer that you are an upbeat and outgoing person.
It sounds crazy, but skilled interviewers can tell when you’re smiling and when you’re not!
Since you don’t have body language and visual cues to project your personality, you may find you have to amplify your energy while speaking on the phone to make up for it.
3. Answer the interview questions uniquely — every word matters.
You are apt to get a lot of scripted questions in a teaching phone interview. Respond uniquely to each question and how it relates to the school or teaching position. Communicate how your set of teaching skills and teaching philosophy will benefit the school community. Know the content of your resume inside and out and speak about all the skills and accomplishments you listed.
As a general rule of thumb, research the school or school district to find out as much about it as possible and “arrive” prepared.
4. Try to make a personal connection with the interviewer.
Doing this is usually harder over the phone but is necessary to make a lasting impression. You are trying to market yourself to the school’s hiring representatives.
Talk about how your teaching skills, unique selling points, and personality will solve problems the school may be facing. Understanding what the school administration is looking for in a new teacher is important.
Communicate how you will fit in with the school’s culture. Attempt to change the interview tone from a question-answer situation to a discussion of the school’s present conditions and what you can bring to the school to improve the community.
5. Be confident and leave the interview with an open invitation to continue talking.
Express your interest in the position and ask what the next step is in the hiring process. Let them know you would enjoy continuing the conversation to get to know the school district better and for them to get to know you better and the value you could bring to their school community.
Don’t underestimate the power of following up via email or phone after the interview.
If you follow these teacher phone interview steps, likely, you will successfully set yourself apart from the other prospective teachers. If you need help preparing for an interview, including scheduling a mock phone interview, be sure to reach out to Candace today via ph0ne at 1 877 738-8052 or email!
Do you have any phone interview tips? Please be sure to share below in the comment section.
