1. Who's the boss? When my colleagues and I went around the table to introduce ourselves, we gave our titles which consisted of the following: a principal, an assistant principal, a counselor and two teachers. You might think the principals were the people to impress since they would have the final say. Little did the candidates know, my principal told little ol' me that since I would be most impacted by the choice of candidate he would go with whom I preferred. When you're at a round table interview make eye contact with everyone, shake all hands and assume that any one of those people could have the final word.
2. Oh no. You just said something really stupid. Now your face is red, you're stuttering and the interviewer looks as if she might call security to have you escorted from the premises. You might as well walk out of that interview right now and write this one off, right? Wrong! All of my fellow interviewers were sympathetic to the nervous flubs because we've all been there. The key is to shake off whatever faux pas you think you made and move forward. In fact, the person I liked the best started out the weakest. He looked as if he was going to melt into a giant slime ball of sweat but not before putting us to sleep by his answers. He relaxed, moved forward with the questions and ended up impressing everyone.
3. All is not well just yet. You really can screw up and here's how:
-You know how all those job interview help sites tell you not to put down your previous employer when you're asked why you're leaving your current job? Take that advice then take it a step further. Don't insult anyone or any profession.
-Honesty isn't always the best policy. If your honest answer makes you sound like a jerk, think of something else to say
Happy job hunting! I hope some of these insights help you as you find your calling.
