The Single-Most Important Question You Must Always Answer! - Part I

It’s the one question that is always in the mind of any interviewer.  It doesn’t matter whether you are interviewing for a job flipping burgers at your local fast food restaurant, interviewing for the CEO position at a major company, or interviewing for a position as the manager of a minor league baseball club – every interviewer has this question on his or her mind when they interview candidates for a position.  And here’s why it is important – the question will never be asked in any interview…but it must always be answered.

            The question is:

How will this person make my job easier?

            You are being interviewed because the interviewer hopes you can bring value, dedication, and expertise to the job.  Those qualities are what any boss wants to see in his or her employees.  Those qualities help the boss (principal) do his or her job better and ensure that a product (education) gets into the hands of the consumer (students).  That single question will never come up in any teacher interview (or any other kind of interview for that matter), but if you can answer the question – several times during the interview - you will put yourself heads and shoulders above the rest of the competition and ensure a very favorable assessment on the interview.

How will this person make my job easier?

            For most bosses – and for every building principal – their responsibilities are numerous and non-stop.  They must handle a whirlwind of responsibilities, demands, schedules, unexpected events, and last minute chores that strain their patience and their resolve.  It’s like a circus performer who juggles 15 bowling balls while encouraging a dozen lions to jump through flaming hoops, AND walking a tightrope a hundred feet in the air.  And, that’s every day.  To say that principals are overworked and overscheduled would be to understate the obvious.

            Each of those principals is looking for ways to maximize their performance and minimize their stress.  If you can demonstrate ways in which you will make the principal’s job a little easier…a little less crazy…a little less stressful, then you will be the one he or she remembers when it comes time to make a final decision on who gets hired and who doesn’t.

            Here’s an example:

            Josh was interviewing for a third grade position at Shady Lane Elementary School.  A week before the interview he read an article in the local paper about how the school’s reading scores were going down.  During the interview the principal asked him, “What will you be able to bring to this position?”

            Josh responded, “During my student teaching experience I worked with another teacher in setting up an after-school tutoring program for students who were below grade level in reading.  We met with the kids twice a week and offered them one-on-one tutoring services in addition to an outreach program for parents on how they can get actively involved in their children’s reading growth and development.  By the end of the tenth week the kids were showing reading gains of 27% to 39%.’

            ‘I would like to have the opportunity to initiate a similar venture here – giving kids an extra chance in reading and working closely with their parents to promote reading in a very positive way.  I believe my experience and organizational skills can go a long way in helping the program be successful.”

            By reading the article, Josh knew that the school was experiencing some challenges in regards to students’ growth and development in reading.  He also surmised (correctly) that this was a concern of the principal, simply because it had been featured in the local paper.  So, Josh wisely decided to address the principal’s concern and answer the question that was in the back of her mind – but one she never asked:

How will this person make my job easier?

Next post - Part II