Mistakes You Can't Afford!

Presenting a poor appearance

          Your mother was right - You don't get a second chance to make a first impression!  What's the first impression any interviewer gets?  That's right - how you look...your clothing...your demeanor...your appearance.  You can score major points here or you can absolutely blow the entire interview.

     So, here’s your basic list:  Don’t wear clothing inappropriate for an interview (tank tops, Crocs, and the T-shirt from Spring Break 2003 are definitely out), get rid of any body jewelry (the lip ring is cute, but you won’t impress any principal with it), cover up any and all tattoos, don’t use an excess of perfume or after shave lotion, take a bath or shower (with real soap) the morning of the interview, use a deodorant, go light with the jewelry and the makeup (save the fake eyelashes for Saturday night), get a haircut or a hair styling, trim your nails (fluorescent blue nail polish is out), brush your teeth and use a mouthwash (Oh, please use a mouthwash), ditch the gum and cigarettes, and put on your best smile.  One more thing: don’t drink any alcohol before an interview.  You definitely won’t be doing yourself any favors.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK:      In the course of my research for this book I interviewed scores of principals from every part of the country.  When I asked each of them for the #1 most common mistake teacher candidates make, over 90% of them replied, “Unprofessional dress or appearance.”

Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make - Part II

The previous blog provided you with some of the most common mistakes candidates make during an interview.  This post will include an additional 21 "boo-boo's" that often show up in teacher interviews.  Take a look at these and decide which ones might be problematic for you.  As with the previous posting, you will notice that all of these are under your direct control - all of these can be eliminated or reduced by you!  Let's take a look:
23. Not knowing current educational issues ("Response to Intervention...never heard of it!")
24. Know-it-alls
25. No knowledge of the school or district
26. Asking inappropriate questions ("Hey, dude, how much am I going to get paid for this job?")
27. Telling the interviewer what you think she/he wants to know
28. You believe your methods and philosophies are the only (or best) ones ("Differentiated instruction is a crock - I know how to whip all those kids into shape!")
29. Inflexibility
30. Negative body language
31. Demonstrates poor listening skills
32. Unwilling (or unable) to accept responsibility ("My professors obviously didn't know what they were talking about.")
33. No sense of direction
34. Lacks confidence and self-esteem ("Whatever you think.")
35. Is discourteous, ill-mannered, and disrespectful
36. "Not my job" syndrome ("Hey, you're not going to make me take some silly bus duty, are you?")
37. Blaming students ("I got that 'B' in student teaching 'cause I had some really stupid kids.')
38. Lack of passion
39. Engages in inappropriate behaviors
40. Volunteers inappropriate information ("My boyfriend is in jail for about the next six years.")
41. Is dishonest or deceptive
42. Is self-centered
43. Doesn't follow up ("Thank you notes are only for girlie types...and I'm not a girlie type")

     Later in this blog we'll address each one of these common mistakes in greater detail.  You'll learn why these behaviors can doom your interview and what (specifically) you can do to prevent them from ever happening.  Stay tuned!