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International Teacher Job Interview Preparation Tips and Help

international teacher job interview preparation tips and help

An international teacher job interview requires preparation for meeting with the international recruiters specializing in education. If you’re looking for an international teacher job interview, here are some preparation tips and help to get you started.

Why Prepare for the Interview?

Preparing for the interview process will increase your confidence going into the interview.  It will communicate more professionalism during the interview.

A well-prepared candidate not only is more confident on the inside but appears more at ease to the interviewer. It gives off the impression you take this interviewing opportunity seriously.

Depending on when you get the call for an interview, you may only have a few days to prepare. Ideally, you’ll have at least a week (as is courteous for employers) to research the organization, reach out to any contacts you may have already, verify your references, and polish up your portfolio.

Interview Preparation Tips

Strengthen your interviewing techniques and strategies to perform with excellence at your next interview with recruiters or schools.

Professional Appearance

Don’t think this is a cliché; it is a reminder your appearance will form a first impression with recruiters. Recruiters have traveled a long way to find quality teachers. Convey you are a professional education that can do the job with excellence.

Showing you are a top-notch teaching candidate in every aspect is critical, including how you present yourself.

Tone down any makeup, jewelry, or cologne to an unoffending level. Show you are a serious candidate. You don’t want the interviewer to be distracted by your gaudy pinky ring or 80s-pink lipstick.

Grooming comes into play here as well. Your hair should be kept neat and tidy, fingernails clean, and any facial hair under control.

Regardless of gender, if you don’t own a suit, you should go out and buy one or some clothing that will accentuate your professional image. It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed. At the very minimum, a collared shirt and dress slacks are safe bets if you can’t get access to a suit. If you have an iron or steamer you can take with you, do so. Depending on how long your commute to the interview was, you may wrinkle by the time you arrive.

What to Bring

Take a hard copy of your application package, without the cover letter, with you to the interview. Even though your recruiter will likely have one with them, be prepared with additional copies.

Bring a teaching portfolio containing original certificates and references. Many recruiters will want to see your original documents during the interview.

If you have put together an educational portfolio with evidence of your classroom work, bring this to the meeting. Art teachers and music teachers especially may need a portfolio of their work.

Mock Interviews

It is an excellent idea to prepare yourself by doing a mock interview. Try and think of all the questions you have ever been asked in a teaching job interview and make a list. Once you have that list, prepare simple teacher job interview answers.

Don’t be caught unaware of how you will respond in an international teaching job interview. Once you have prepared your answers, sit down with someone and practice answering them. 

During the Interview

If there is anything negative about your experience or qualifications, devise ways to address it in the interview, if needed.

Take the time to address any gaps in employment during your opening “tell me about yourself” elevator pitch.

Questions about what you’ve included in your resume are common, so know your resume inside and out. Prepare solid answers to provide evidence of any skills you listed in your teacher resume.

If you need any help with your job search or preparing for your interview, reach out to Candace today! If you found this article helpful, please comment and share below!