The Interview Process

I have been interviewing for a job in a school district for the past few weeks. It was a great learning experience, and I would just like to tell a little bit about my story and what I learned.

First of all, the superintendent was extremely nice. He made me feel very comfortable. The first time I met with him we discussed my internship experience as well as some of the openings available in the district. He asked some general questions about my experience, and some of the questions were more geared toward specific situations I may have to face in my career. At the end of the interview he discussed payment and a little about benefits, so I knew I must have done something right!

He called me a few days after that first interview with an offer to meet with some local school SLPs to answer some questions and get to know them. Well, this meeting was quite a bit more intimidating than the first meeting. These ladies asked me some really difficult questions, and much of it was situational. Of course I had to talk about my experiences, and I answered the old "strengths and weaknesses" question. I was so fortunate to have met these ladies because they really seemed like an amazing group of individuals. I could tell working for this school district would be a great opportunity because everyone was so welcoming and nice. 

The whole interview process was quite long and difficult, but it was completely worth it. I was offered the job! I'm so excited! I told them I would take about a week to think about it and make sure this is what I want, but all in all, I think this is wonderful!

Here are some of my tips when interviewing for a job:

1. Be yourself. Most people can tell right away if you're being fake.

2. Advocate for yourself. Don't discount all of the experiences you have had. Talk about everything you have done. This is your time to rise and shine!

3. Answer their questions honestly. If I didn't know a question, I was honest. I said I would need more guidance in specific areas, and I think that helped show them that I was a real person who was dedicated to doing my job well.

4. Remember that you won't know everything. Those people who are interviewing you should never expect you to know everything about every aspect, so don't feel bad or say you're sorry for not having experience in a specific area. If they are willing to offer you a job, then they are willing to train you in areas that you are lacking experience.

5. Look at every interview as a learning experience. I was extremely fortunate that this happened to be my first (and only) interview, and I was offered the job right away. Some people won't be so lucky, and while you may not be offered a job right away, take what you have learned from that experience and apply it to future job interviews.

6. Dress professionally, have your resume and references with you, and be polite. Make conversation with everyone (even the secretaries). They WILL remember you, and they will remark on how calm, professional, and polite you were.

I hope these tips help! Please comment if you have any questions or advice about the interviewing process.