When interviewing for any position, you are trying to market and sell yourself as your brand. Communicate to the hiring committee what your unique selling point (USP) is and why you are the perfect person for the job.
To set yourself apart from the competition, you need to know what differentiates you from all the other candidates. In other words, you need to understand the importance of effecting communicating your value proposition.
How to find your unique selling point
An excellent way to discover your selling point is to try and brainstorm what makes you impressive, incomparable, and distinctive. Figure out your exceptional skills and abilities, so you can adequately display them in your career documents and succinctly convey them in an interview.
When you are in a job interview for the dream teaching position, it is incredibly essential you can convince the hiring committee of your worth and the benefits of hiring you. The way to accomplish that is by communicating your unique selling point (USP).
If you aren’t sure of your unique qualities and skills, look at your teaching resume and cover letter. If you write your resume, it will be the perfect resource to uncover and showcase your achievements and unique selling point.
Better yet, develop your resume with your value proposition in mind. It is part of your brand.
Showcasing your value proposition in your resume is just one of the most important resume writing tips.
Digging deep into your past will force you to discover and communicate your teaching skills and relevant accomplishments. The adjectives you come up with to describe yourself are the qualities that make you unique.
Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn—this is the time to do just that by sharing your success stories.
Your resume and cover letter provide the first impression to the hiring committee. Showcase those fabulous, relevant qualities and accomplishments that make you unique and stand out from the other job seekers. By doing this, you will discover your unique selling point.
Use your top selling point when it comes to the all-important interview by using examples to back up and prove you have that USP. Try to choose a trait the other job candidates wouldn’t possess.
Preparing for an interview
When preparing for the meeting, list all of the accomplishments you’ve made throughout your teaching career. Next, list all the adjectives that best describe you and your career accomplishments.
Tailor these traits and accomplishments to the ones best suited for the teaching position you wish to secure. You have now successfully discovered your unique selling point, so the next step is to take this to the hiring committee in the interview.
Practice your interviewing skills by making up mock interview questions and putting together responses. Preparing through practice will allow you to make up answers to questions that showcase your skills and utilize your unique selling point. Not only will this better prepare you for the interview, but you will be more confident in using your selling point in this type of scenario.
During the interview, you will be asked many questions about your teaching style, accomplishments, and what you can bring to the new school/district. Let this be your time to shine. Focus your answers on your unique selling point, showing the hiring committee why they should hire you for their school’s available teaching position.
Your highest quality and professional brand will make up your interview’s overall theme, highlighted by your specific skills and talents and showcased by your accomplishments. This will create a great impression on the hiring committee and place you in a fantastic position for landing the teaching job.
