10 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS AND HOW TO ACE THEM
As Nigeria’s foremost teacher recruitment firm, we understand that embarking on a job interview can be a nerve-wracking experience. Notwithstanding, it’s also an opportunity to shine and showcase your qualifications and expertise. To help you navigate this crucial step and land your dream job, we’ve compiled a list of 10 popular interview questions hiring managers in Nigeria ask prospective teachers and expert tips on how to ace them.
1. Tell Us About Yourself:
Start with a concise overview of your professional background and skills. Highlight your relevant experiences and achievements that align with the role you are interviewing for.
2. What Are Your Strengths?
Focus on strengths that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Provide specific examples of how these strengths have benefited previous employers. For example, if you have great team leadership skills and you used the skill to resolve a staff room conflict, you can highlight it.
3. What Are Your Weaknesses?
Discuss a genuine weakness but emphasize how you’ve worked to overcome it. Show your commitment to personal and professional growth. Alternatively, you can mention a good trait as your weakness. For instance, you can say that your weakness is trusting too much or putting your body under stress to ensure that all work gets done excellently.
4. Why Do You Want to Work Here:
Make research about the school thoroughly and connect your values and career goals with the school’s mission and culture. For example, if they have a mission of being the number one school in the region, you may want to mention that you enjoy working in an environment that promotes continuous growth and excellence.
5. Describe a Challenging Situation You Faced at Work?
Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to illustrate how you successfully resolved a challenge or conflict. It is not enough to state the situation, you should go further to mention how you approached it and the positive result that followed.
6. Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?
Align your career aspirations with the school’s goals and emphasize your commitment to growth and contribution. You can say that you are a growth oriented individual who looks forward to working with a school that is of international repute and you will enjoy helping their school achieve that status. This fits perfectly when the school you are applying to has this as one of their goals.
7. Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?
Stay positive and focus on the opportunities for growth and new challenges that the new position offers. Do not speak ill about your former employers, even if they had questionable character. Aside from pitching you as an unprofessional candidate, in a country like Nigeria where most employers in an industry know each other, you may actually be shooting yourself in the foot.
8. How Do You Handle Stress or Pressure?
Share your coping mechanisms, such as time management, prioritization, or seeking support, to demonstrate your resilience.
9. What Are Your Salary Expectations?
Research their salary standards and provide a range that reflects your skills and the job’s demands. Do not mention a salary below their range, as it might short-change you or pass you off as not being good enough. Stating a salary too high is also not advisable. Befriend teachers and ask questions about the salary range for that role.
10. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
Prepare thoughtful questions about the school, team dynamics, or the role. This shows your genuine interest and engagement.
Conclusion
Note that preparation is key to interview success in Nigeria. Practice your responses, stay confident, and be yourself during the interview. Tailor your answers to the specific job and company, and always showcase your enthusiasm for the role. With the right approach, you can confidently tackle any interview and leave a lasting impression. Because we at Molly Distinct Consult care about you, an educator, as much as we care about schools needing teacher recruitment, we cannot but wish you all the best on your next interview!