One2One Interview Technique

Performing well at Interview is all about good preparation. Having total belief in yourself in relation to the position you are applying for. Identify your key Strengths, work on creating opportunities to highlight them in the Interview and let it flow naturally. Focus on the process involved and don't dwell on the outcome. The objective is to be able to look back and say 'I couldn't have done anymore'. If you reach this point, you stand a very good chance of being appointed. That is all you can do. This alone gives you a great sense of achievement. Make it happen!

You must be decisive with every aspect of your Preparations and Performance. No stone should be left unturned in relation to your preparations which will leave you in no doubt how to answer all questions that will be put to you. You must be able to back up all your answers with genuine experiences/examples. Remember to stay on topic and try to be passionate but succinct.

A big part of performing well in an Interview is having a genuine confidence in your ability to perform. This confidence will grow with intensive and appropriate preparation. It is all about focusing on the process. You want to reach the point where you are looking forward to the interview. See it as the opportunity to show that you are the best candidate for the position. Don’t be worried about the outcome. That will take care of itself with a confident performance following intense preparation.

Testimonial from Carol Mooney, a successful candidate for the position of Principal in a large Primary School.

Carol wrote the following letter to me following the Mock Interview :-

Dear Tony,
Many thanks for your report on the Mock Interview. The report is an excellent reminder both of the questions asked and of the responses I gave in return. I found the questions to be incisive and comprehensive in nature, relating to many aspects of the working day of an administrative Principal.

The questions were open ended yet accessible. They gave me pause to think but allowed me to speak fluently. I appreciate that I can talk too much at times and even repeat myself in trying to make a point but the interview experience reminded me to stay on topic and try to be passionate but succinct!

I did not feel threatened during the course of the interview and this was due by and large to your professional but kindly manner in conducting the interview. The time literally flew by but the pace of the interview never felt hurried which was reassuring. I found that I could cope energy-wise with both constant questioning, focused scrutiny and the changes in direction posed by the questions.

As the interview progressed, I found that I was actually enjoying myself and I answered the questions honestly because it felt ‘real’ and I sensed that my answers truly mattered.
I would like to thank you sincerely for your guidance and reassurance throughout the whole experience to date. I feel better prepared for the challenge that lies ahead and you have done wonders for my self-confidence! I would unreservedly recommend the service that you provide and I look forward to working with you again at a later date.

I will take your advice and park my anxiety and my notes until nearer the actual interview but I will keep a loose diary of notes on thoughts that occur to me during the coming months.
Kind Regards,
Carol Mooney.

Following a further session with me just before the real interview,
Carol sent the following card to me on being appointed :-

Dear Tony,
As I sit here with my first week as Principal of St Laurence’s N.S. under my belt, I am reminded of the great debt I owe you.
I cannot thank you enough for the kindness and support you provided when I was a nervous wreck heading out on this journey.

Your professional advice was invaluable and I am so pleased that we seemed to share a sense of what matters most in a school – children.

I love my new job, but I feel confident because of you and I can never thank you enough for that.

I will recommend you to anyone who will listen and wish you health and happiness in the years ahead.

Best Wishes,
Carol Mooney.

Performing well at the Interview depends hugely on the preparation done in advance. This starts with making your Application Form the strongest it can be. No stone must be left unturned to achieve this. This is the first part of the Plan in the process. The information on the Form must show you off in the best possible light relative to the position you are applying for. Most Interviews now are competency based. If you are to perform to the best of your ability at the Interview, a lot of thought must go into planning and preparation. You will then put yourself in the strongest position to succeed.

The Application Form is a vital part of the Interview Technique process. The Form must create a strong impression that the candidate in question has what it takes to do the job in question. You must be able to stand by everything on it. The primary objective of an Application Form is to get you an interview. A huge amount of work goes into filling one out. It must highlight your strengths relative to the position you are applying for. Once invited to attend for Interview, the information on the Application Form will form the basis of likely questions to be asked. You must be able to back up all information with examples/experiences.

Tony Bellew is a former Secondary School Teacher, Deputy Principal and Principal. He is passionate about everything associated with education. He has vast experience of sitting on and chairing Interview Panels. He set up his Interview Technique Service following requests from a number of Teachers to help them prepare.

His Interview Technique Service helps candidates prepare for interviews in both Primary and Secondary Level Education. At Second Level, he helps candidates prepare for Principal, Deputy Principal, Mainstream Teaching, Special Education Needs and Assistant Principal positions. At Primary Level, all of the above except Assistant Principal.

His service has 3 Stages in it. The first offers advice and support on filling out the Application Form. The candidate’s draft Application Form is critically appraised at this stage before it is ready to be submitted. Part of this stage also involves the drawing up of a Profile of the candidate in question highlighting his/her strengths. It also identifies areas that need to be addressed. Stage 2 involves a session on Interview Technique. Tony has very strong views on every aspect of the process which he goes through in detail at this session. He provides notes on all areas covered. Stage 3 involves a full scale Mock Interview. A comprehensive report is then drawn up on the candidate’s performance, question by question, and emailed to the candidate.