Your resume and cover letter are only the first steps to the destination. The last and final one is the interview. This is where your future in the company will be decided.
Since our careers depend on how well we handle interviews and it is no wonder that we often get stuck. But remember, a “yes” comes after many “no’s”, so don’t take it to heart if you have not been selected after the first interview.
Prior to an interview, it is necessary to thoroughly self-examine yourself.
The interviewer will initially focus on getting to know you – your personal characteristics particularly – and will typically look for a behavioral pattern. So you should have a good idea of:
• The skills that you have to offer
• Your accomplishments
• Personalities, traits, and values you have to offer
• What your goals are
Also, thorough research of the company is important. You need to be able to justify why you are applying for a position, so you must know the following about the company:
• Products and services that it offers
• Size of the company within the industry
• Specific functions of the job that you are applying for
• Who the company’s competition is
Based on these, you need to prepare yourself for the interview.
What follows is a set of specific questions and answers for an instructional coach position:
Instructional Coach Interview Questions and Answers
1. What does instructional coaching mean to you?
Instructional coaching is all about collaboration and partnership. The aim of working at this position is to enhance teacher capacity by focusing on working with teachers as clients. The ultimate goal of working at this position is student success.
2. As an instructional coach, what will be your typical workday?
Indulging in coaching conversations, collaborating with professional learning teams, and demonstrating lessons is all in a day’s work for an instructional coach.
3. Where coaching conversation is concerned, what aspects would you take into consideration?
Coaching conversations begin at the level of the teacher and not one where an instructional coach wants her to be. Open and honest questioning and answering and problem resolution is the main idea behind this.
4. How would you determine your success as an instructional coach?
If by the end of the year, administrative professionals see their teachers making informed decisions and greater collaboration amongst teachers, the instructional plan is a success.
5. Developing trust with teachers is important in this role. And it is also quite difficult. How do you handle this?
Developing trust with teachers is true of the utmost importance. My mantra is to listen to them carefully, keep what they tell me confidentially and not judge them.