Continue the process by interviewing effectively: Dress for the job. Suits are not necessary in day-to-day work for most of our employees, but can make you stand out as a serious candidate for a teaching or administrative position. For other positions, "business casual" is generally sufficient. If you have questions about appropriate clothing for the job interview, a quick call to the Human Resources Department is fine. In general, don’t wear blue jeans, sneakers or t-shirts to job interviews. Any piercings or tattoos should be discrete or covered.

Prepare for the interview. Most of our interviews are conducted in a round-robin format with the principal and 3 to 6 people on an interview team. You may also be asked to demonstrate a skill such as presenting a lesson or responding in writing to a real-life situation or scenario. Be sure to ask the person who invites you to the interview to describe the process so you can be well prepared.

Think ahead. Share your work experience that relates to the job opening. Presenting yourself well in an interview is similar to writing an appropriate cover letter: Find ways to relate your experience directly to the requirements in the job description and prepare, prepare, prepare.

The acronym STAR can help you organize your responses to questions regarding how you would handle a given situation:

• (S)ituation or
• (T)ask that you were presented with that could occur in the described job.
• (A)ction – What action did you take to resolve the situation or handle the task?
• (R)esult – What were the results of your action?

For example, a job description may include phrases like: "Manages school budget and reporting"; "Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work effectively as a team member"; and "Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment."

You could expect a question such as: "Tell me when you’ve had to manage financial data and the tools you used." "What have you done in the past to contribute to a team environment?" Or "How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?" Prepare ahead by thinking of specific examples that demonstrate your skills in key areas.

What about portfolios? Portfolios are not required in our district. If you have one that is well organized, you may bring it to an interview to reference a specific example of a skill or project. However, keep in mind that the interview team will be conducting several interviews on the same day and time is of the essence. Unless there is a specific request for one, it may be best not to bring your portfolio to the interview.

After the interview, follow through. A thank you letter or note is more than a courtesy. It lets the interviewer know that you are enthusiastic about a position, reiterates your strengths, shows that you respect the time the interviewer took to talk to you and can even show that you are aware of the mission of the district. A thank you note does not always need to be handwritten and mailed. It can be acceptable depending on whether you have already communicated via e-mail with the interviewer and if you know that the hiring process is on the fast track.

Keep trying. If at first you don’t get hired – check back frequently. Although spring and summer are our busiest hiring seasons, positions can become open for a variety of reasons throughout the year. When you create an application on our system, it is archived after 12 months. You may reactivate it simply by logging in to your application again.

We encourage you to check our job postings frequently and apply for jobs of interest that match your qualifications. Remember that signing up to be a guest teacher is a great way for you to introduce yourself to staff and learn about our schools.