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College of Education graduates are some of the most highly sought after graduates who enter the market. Why? Because they know their stuff, and are ready to make significant contributions to the schools, communities and in the lives of the children they work with from day one. As one recruiter put it, "Every Iowa grad that I've hired has turned out to be a phenomenal teacher - they know what it means to be a good teacher." Each year, hundreds of recruiters come to campus for Hire-A-Hawk Job Fairs and On-Campus Recruiting Events. We've gathered the best advice from several of them and presented it here for you to make the most of your interview opportunities.
The advice on this page has been organized into the following categories: |
| Each semester we invite several administrators to campus to share their insights on everything from making good first impressions to interview follow-up. Watch the video from that presentation and be a hired hawk. Only here on Educational Placement Office TV: EPOTV. |
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| Résumé & Cover Letter Advice |
| "I want to see a well-organized
résumé, so that I can get information in a glance. I have to look at it very quickly, so what’s the essence? What can that person teach and do they have diverse experiences? |
| "Yes, details are important on your
résumé. It is very important to check it over to make sure that everything is spelled correctly and all the punctuation is correct; have a couple of other people take a look. We are all human beings and we are not all perfect, but your
résumé is one of those documents that you want to be perfect. |
| "Probably less is more, be brief – limit it to your work, education and experiences that are really related to the job. Your letter should be one page and focused on why we would want to talk to you, why we would want to hire you, and what you would bring to our district. |
| "I look for evidence that they are involved with youth – coaching, volunteering, anything that just shows that they are involved and really want to help youth. |
| "Be succinct. Make sure that you’re focused on identifying your reasons for wanting to teach, your experiences, and what you’ve done in the community. Tell me how you have helped the world. |
| "Make sure your
résumé
is the most up to date piece of information you provide with all of your strong selling points. It’s your calling card, put your best foot forward. Make sure it sells you in an accurate way, with plenty of information which we can use. |
| "Emphasize technology skills. It’s a big deal. |
| "Make sure the e-mail address is professional, and identifies you. Make sure the phone number is accurate and that the voice-mail message is professional. Indicate your certification area on the résumé so that people can quickly go through and identify your qualifications. Don’t make me guess what it is you can teach. |
| "Any outside experiences other than your student teaching are crucial. Student organizations you’ve been a part of, opportunities for leadership that you’ve taken on, volunteer work, all those related experiences are very important and should be included if they’re relevant. |
| "Be as succinct as possible. I don’t like the cover letters that go on and on and that are in small font. I want it to be concise and precise. What is it that you’re looking for? What are your experiences and why you would be the best applicant for this position? That’s three paragraphs right there. |
"Tell us about your teaching skills-don’t spend the whole letter telling us you grew up on a farm and make sure somebody else proofs it. |
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| Before the Interview |
| "Do your homework. Use any source you can to learn about the district. Prepare yourself to make the first impression a great one. Practice your handshake. Go out and get yourself that interview suit. Practice sitting in it. Practice using people's names. We know from research that many employers make their decision within the first 30 seconds of the interview so get yourself over that hurdle and then wow them with what you've learned in your student teaching. |
| "We're always impressed when teacher candidates have taken the opportunity to learn about our school district either through our web site or visits. A serious candidate will go the extra mile to find out more, to ask questions. This will help the candidate to make sure that our community and district are a good fit for them. |
| "Take time to check out the community. Learn about the community. What are the strengths of the community? What does the community have to offer? What's the community's identity? You can use this information during the interview. |
| "Research the particular school and district - it really matters that we select people who are a good match. We want the candidates to know the environment, the expectations, and the interest in creating a collaborative environment. |
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| Job Search & Interview Etiquette |
| "First impressions are always important. A candidate needs to be presentable - a suit and tie- it’s important to look professional. |
| "First impressions are fortunately or unfortunately very important because a school district our size will get 1200 - 1500 applications. Knowing how to present yourself in that first two-three minutes at a job fair is essential so that you can make the cut. |
| "I like people who are confident, people who are personable and are smiling. I’m really impressed with The University of Iowa students - how well prepared, and how sharp they look. |
| "Dress appropriately, shake hands, look the interviewer in the eye, and be confident. |
| "At a job fair it’s pretty hard to blunder - just be yourself, you usually only get about 3-5 minutes to make an impression. When interviewing in the school district, you need to be aware that we may have fifteen questions and 60 minutes so you need to pace yourself. |
| "Show us your enthusiasm and your excitement about being a teacher. |
| "Arrive at the location of your interview about ten minutes in advance and be dressed in a professional manner. Make sure that you’re not chewing gum and that you have your cell phone turned off. In regards to jewelry and make-up, go moderate for the interview. |
| "It is important to listen to the questions asked by the interviewer. Sometimes people have a tendency to dance around the topic or to give vague responses. |
| "It's okay to ask the interviewer to repeat the question, but if you don't know the answer, say so. If you do know, be able to give some detail and make sure you answer the question that's asked. |
| "As interviewers, we understand that nervousness and anxiety are part of the process. We work hard to make sure that the interview, even though it is formal in nature, is as calm and relaxed as we can make it. |
| "If there's a team of interviewers, make eye contact with everyone throughout the interview and be sure to respond to the person who asked the question. Shaking hands with all the team members is another way to make a positive first impression. |
| "Interviews are two-way communications. As we are interviewing teacher candidates we hope they are interviewing us as well. |
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| Key Interview Topics and Questions |
| "We may ask a question like, If a student came up to you and offered you a candy bar, what do you do in that circumstance? We're looking for how you would treat the child with respect and dignity. |
| "You'll have a discipline question. You may get a scenario, What have you done in this particular situation? Think back to your student teaching and be honest. We're looking for what you learned from an experience and what you learned in dealing with a child with a discipline issue. |
| "We are also really concerned about communicating with parents. We know that's crucial in the success of a child's achievement. So you'll be asked about, How do you involve parents? |
| "Assessment. How do you know that a child is learning? We're not just relying on the standardized test scores but on day-to-day assessment as well. We also rely on you to know what the standardized test scores say to you when you get that information back. |
| "Finally, Are you excited about being in our district? You'll have questions about what you want to learn over the next five years and what you need in order to be successful in our district. Your interview responses should address: What are you going to do for us? Are you excited about being here? What are we going to see from you in the future? |
| "We ask questions to make sure you have thought through a teaching philosophy, can communicate what you believe is most important as a teacher, and to get a sense of your classroom management style. |
| "We do a values based interview, so we ask questions that try to get to know what you are all about. Why do you want to teach? Tell us about your beliefs about teaching and learning. |
| "How do you address diversity in your classroom? |
| "What special skill set can you bring to our district? How can you help our at-risk students? |
| "Tell me about a lesson that didn’t go well and then what you did to correct it? |
| "State standards and how to align the curriculum from grade level to grade level. Typically, this is also the question that they have the most difficulty with. |
| "Let the district bring up the issue of salary and benefits including sick days, personal leave, or vacation time - that's determined by the master contract - it's not negotiable. |
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| Bloopers, Blunders and Generally Bad Ideas |
| "Don't make self-deprecating statements like, "I struggled with classroom management." Think about how you frame your statements. Another way to phrase this would be, "I struggled at first with classroom management, but as I became more comfortable in the classroom and with the students, I learned what worked for me and what didn't." Avoid putting a negative spin on things. |
| "Some people go off on tangents and tell stories that are not really relevant to the interview. Stick to the question and if you don't understand a question seek clarification. This will help focus on the interview and your answers. |
| "If the candidate takes an "It's all about me" approach by telling me what the district or school can do for them rather than what they can do for the students and the district, it's a big no-no. |
| "If you show up in blue jeans or khakis and a sweater - no thank you. Right away that tells me you're not interested. If you want this to be a professional interview - dress professionally - invest in a suit. |
| "Don't blame other people. For example - if a student didn't succeed, don't blame the student, parents or your cooperating teacher - focus on everything you did to provide an opportunity for that student to achieve success. |
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| Portfolios |
| "Portfolios are great as long as they’re not intimidating. We want to see something that highlights the main aspects of what you’ve done in your classroom as a student teacher or as a teacher. The five inch binders are overwhelming and, in the end, not very useful. Bring something that shows me what you'll do for us if we hire you. |
| "Portfolios are a great way for us to find out a lot about you in a short amount of time. |
| "Portfolios are useful. They are a chance to show us that you’re a reflective practitioner and that you truly care about whether you make a difference. |
| "I think it’s most valuable that the teacher is reflective about their own practice. During an interview there often isn’t time to review the entire portfolio, but if a particular question comes up, the candidate may locate a relevant artifact, and share it. The team may look at one particular item rather than going through all of the portfolio. |
| "If you bring them to an interview use them. That may be the only time the committee has a chance to review it. |
| "Portfolios are going to play a larger role in the future in assessing a teacher coming into the system as well as teacher improvement within the system |
| "In the state of Iowa we have a new assessment system and there are several exciting methods of assessing teacher performance. Among them are ePortfolios and working with technology to document how good you are. |
| "Teachers are expected to use technology so an ePortfolio is a fantastic way to do that. If you prepared an ePortfolio you're going to be ahead of your colleagues as you come in to interview. |
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| "The best candidates..." Recruiters reflect |
| "are those who communicate their passion and their commitment to their students, and to making a difference. |
| "are going to go the extra mile for students and those who truly understand their content knowledge, build relationships with students, and are willing to look at the individual student and their needs--that’s what will make a difference in our schools. |
| "are new teachers who understand that they are still learning, and are very flexible. There’s a lot to expect your first year and we’re looking for people who can adjust to the demands. They need to understand the school’s and the district’s visions and goals. |
| "are Hawkeyes! From The University of Iowa. There’s no doubt. |
| "are great communicators – with parents, colleagues, staff, and students. They’re well spoken, they’re well written on everything they say and they write – from their resume to the interview. |
| "are energetic and student centered. |
| "are the ones who aren’t afraid to distinguish themselves from others. They’re personable, willing to make connections, and want to reach out to students. I don’t want them to be experts, but I want them to know their content well. I want them to have good strategies. I really want people who can connect to students and who want to make a difference in their lives. |
| "work collaboratively with educators, parents, and community members to provide the best learning experiences. |
| "are highly qualified, under No Child Left Behind. |
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| Capsule Advice |
| Do some sort of follow-up thank you letter after the interview. It's an opportunity to show you really care and you're really excited. It can help you seal the deal. |
| "If they don't have time to talk to you, don't take it personally. |
| "Honesty is critical. It's critical for you, the applicant, and the employer. |
| "There are many, many good applicants and sometimes very small things separate them. It's important that we know what you believe and who you are in a very honest way. |
| "We all, when we choose our occupation, have a passion for that occupation. When you interview, that passion should be intertwined throughout your answers. This is why I want to do this. This is why I'm here. And, this is why I'll be good for your district. That's the message that should come through to us as you interview. |
| "A thank-you letter shows your appreciation for the person's time in interviewing as well as a continued interest in the jobs that are available. I've always heard that when everything else is equal, that final piece is important. |
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| The Educational Placement Office would like to acknowledge the many recruiters who come to campus every year to hire Hawks. A special thanks to those who contributed the advice on this page: Jim Pedersen, Iowa City; Ann Feldmann, Iowa City; Jim Hammen, Liberty, MO; Dr. Stephen Miller, SE Polk, Runnels, IA; Tom Mitchell, Des Moines, IA; Dr. Randy Davis, Crystal Lake, IL; Steve Mairet, Crystal Lake, IL; Jillian Townsell, Liberty, MO; Dr. Robert Sunderbruch, Muscatine, IA; Stan Rheingans, Dubuque, IA; Jeff McCanna, Aldine, Houston, TX; Jake Chung, Schaumburg, IL; Chris Martelli, Schaumburg, IL; Joe Nelson, SE Polk, Runnels, IA; Aiddy Phomvisay, West Des Moines, IA; Dr. Lori Diebel, West Des Moines, IA. |
