A teacher job fair interview could land you a teaching job offer on the spot or at least secure a formal interview at the school or school district.
Take advantage of attending an education career fair, and implement these job search tips to find the best teaching job leads.
First and foremost, research the school districts that will be present. Before you even head out to a teacher job fair, list the school communities of interest and conduct research to learn critical points about each one.
Learn how to stand out at a teacher job fair by being prepared for any interview questions you could be asked.
Pinpoint the school districts and determine what they seek in a new teacher and the required teaching skills and credentials.
What do you want to achieve by attending a teacher job fair?
The next step in preparing for a recruitment event for a teaching career is to plan appropriately.
Preparing to meet and speak with the school district representatives at the career fair will empower you to confidently walk up to the booth and interview the hiring authorities or school principal.
Before Attending a Teaching Job Fair, Ask Yourself These Questions
Are you:
- Going to discover the employment opportunities available in the current teacher job market?
- Are you seriously considering applying for a teaching job?
- An excellent education candidate for the positions of interest?
Once you have established which category you fall into, you can mentally prepare yourself by adequately researching the school districts you want to interview. Hundreds of thousands of new preservice, career changers, and experienced veteran teachers will attend career fairs, so standing out for the right reasons is vital to getting results.
If you seek employment as a teacher, you must dress the part, wearing appropriate business attire. Slacks, collared shirts, and blazers are suitable if you are a male. A business dress, blouse, pants, or skirt and a suit jacket would be good choices if you are a female. Choose a comfortable and appropriate interviewing outfit based on the type of position. Double-check to ensure the buttons and zippers are not loose.
Anything too short, tight, or revealing is inappropriate—no excessive jewelry, hairspray, perfume, or “wild” hairstyles. Wear good-fitting, comfortable shoes; you will probably be on your feet all day.
Questions to Ask While at a School District’s Booth.
Once you have pinpointed the school districts with teacher jobs available that are of interest and are qualified for, prepare a few questions that you would like to ask the hiring representative, the school principal. The questions you will ask the school hiring representatives will depend on what you learned from researching the school before the job fair.
Researching the school and school district is critical to landing a second interview or a teaching position.
Don’t inquire about something where the answer is available on the school district’s website.
If you do, they will know you didn’t do your homework. A question may be:
- Can you tell me about the students that attend the schools within the school district?
- How can I best reach you to follow up on available positions?
- Do you have a business card?
Before Submitting the Teaching Resume, You Create Double Check It
Assure your resume is in tip-top shape and up to date with your skills, credentials, education, recent employment, and accomplishments. Ensure your resume is free of grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors and that its content flows smoothly and is visually appealing and professional. Make an excellent impression when you meet the hiring representative by professionally presenting your current teacher-focused resume and letter of intent.
The resume and cover letter you create should communicate your personality, include relevant keywords and accomplishments, and highlight your unique selling points. If they do, you can get a formal teaching job interview later or even land a position on the spot.
Triple Check the Resume Contact Information.
If you do not update your resume regularly and revise it before a job fair, as simple as it may seem, you can overlook your contact details. Include your city, state/province, phone number, and email address.
Triple-check your information; you do not want to miss an opportunity because a school district representative couldn’t contact you.
There is an enormous benefit from preparing for a teacher job fair interview – you may just get offered a new teaching position on the spot.
Interview Questions Asked by Job Fair Recruitment Specialists
The job interview questions the school principal or hiring representatives could ask you are vast. These interviewers want to determine your education philosophy, thoughts on the classroom environment, strengths and weaknesses, and experience with lesson plans.
Common questions asked at a career fair:
Describe your ideas in the classroom.
What are your weaknesses?
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
What grade level do you prefer to teach and why?
Why do you want to work for our school or school district?
Tell me what you know about our school district.
What are your top three strengths?
How do these strengths benefit the students and school community?
Please provide an example that confirms you have those three strengths.
Why are you looking for a new teaching position?
Can you describe a challenging work situation and how you managed it?
What is your philosophy of classroom management?
How do you prioritize and manage your time?
How do you handle pressure and stress?
What are your career goals?
If you want more teacher-specific interview questions and potential answers, you should consider purchasing the A+ Teachers’ Interview Edge; it contains 152 teaching-related interview questions with sample responses.
The eBook includes five MS-Word thank you letter templates to send to the interviewer after the job interview, plus other resources and checklists.
It’s an instant PDF download.
