1PGCE Primary, Part-time

Effectively Marketing Yourself

Application and Interview Tips

Magdalen Attwater, Careers Adviser

2 AgendaApplications

– Establishing a narrative– Getting to grips with job adverts– Targeting your application / statement

Standing out at Interview– Preparation– Practise– Strategies– Post Interview

3 Applications – Establishing a narrative

• “a holistic understanding of an individual's vocation and career”

• i.e. making it easy for the employer to get a clear sense of your career path

4What’s in the narrative?

• Part – time Work• Classroom Experience• Volunteering• Particular skills / knowledge• Previous roles / jobs / career• Reasons

5 Establishing your narrative

In pairs:

• What made you change career or retrain?

• What made you choose teaching?

• Why primary teaching?

6 Establishing your narrative

• What similarities are there between teaching and what you were doing before?

• What are your top 3 most useful bits of experience you bring to primary teaching?

• Are there any gaps in your narrative?

7Applications – Getting

to grips with job adverts

Pool or school?Pool:– Deadlines shortly after Christmas – check!– LEA websites have pages for trainee teachers,

application forms and sometimes open days.

School:– LEA jobs pages– Eteach, TES, St Mary’s TeachAlert– Recruitment Agencies?

St Mary’s Teaching Appointments Fair Wednesday 18th November, 11-2pm (in the tennis hall)

8 What are they looking for?

• Primary school experience• Knowledge of curriculum, broader issues• Teaching skills eg classroom

management• Ability to

» engage parents and work with professionals» plan and organise» take responsibility » work effectively in a team

9 School Experience

• Often underplayed!– Volunteering– One-off training– Conferences– School placements– Observation / work experience– Other roles in school / childcare settings

10 Elfrida Primary School and Nursery

KS1 Teacher / ASTAre you driven by a desire to impact positively on children’s lives?Are you an excellent teacher with the passion to motivate and inspire others in making learning irresistible for children at Elfrida?Are you able to challenge and respond to challenge?

Explore the Possibilities Change Lives

For an information pack and to arrange a visit contact Carole Simpson on 0208 698 5755 or admin@elfrida.lewisham.sch.uk

Elfrida Crescent, Catford, SE6 3ENClosing date: 13th October 2009 - noon

Interview date : 19th October 2009Start date: January 2009

Job Advert

Can you take our children on an exciting journey?

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Applications – Targeting your application /

statement

A little bit of detective work

• Looking at the advert, person specification and job specification, what are the 3 most important things that this school is looking for in applicants?

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Other research

• Ofsted report• School website• Extracurricular gaps / specialities• Pupils• Community• Ambitions of the school / department• VISIT

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Space for a statement

“Please use this space to show us how your experience, skills and training gained both inside and outside paid work or through study, meet the selection criteria for this post.”

maximum 1200 words

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What to include• Introduction to yourself

– Degree, career, current education• Why you are applying

– School, ofsted report, visit• Cover as many points as possible on the

job/person spec• Teaching experience• Classroom management strategies• Beliefs and ambitions about what you want to

achieve• Other experience• Conclusion

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Be Specific– Examples– Development– Self Awareness

Example: I have learnt that children often do better when they are supported by their parents.

Re-edit: I initiated a monthly newsletter for parents which improved communication and brought subsequent benefits to the pupils.

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Refer to the institution

– What are the challenges they are facing– Who are the pupils?– What particular skills / knowledge are required?

Example: When teaching pupils I always try to engage everyone and I’ve done this in several ways.

Re-edit: I really enjoy the challenge of ensuring all children are benefiting from the lesson. For example in my placement I designed a presentation using images to explain complex concepts which I feel would be particularly relevant in this school as Y% of the pupils have English as their second language.

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Tips

• Targeted - evidence of research about the post

• Format and style – headings and subheadings, convincing language

• Be dynamic - demonstrate enthusiasm and self-awareness

• Relate it back to the job and person spec

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Standing out at Interview - Preparation

• Create your narrative • Gather your evidence

– What have you learnt / developed?– What have you achieved / key highlights?– What did you initiate / innovate?– What would you do differently?

• Question preparation and practice

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What are they looking for?

• Can you do the job?– placements, experience, skills– EVIDENCE

• Do you want to do the job?– knowledge of school / borough / pupils, – job knowledge, motivation, enthusiasm

• Will you fit in?– values, attitude, personality

20What’s the

worst question you can imagine being asked at interview?

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Preparation

• Practical – where, when, how?• Research – who, why and what?• Practice

– Answering questions– Clear narrative

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School Interviews

• Usually a panel – can be quite large!• Practice lesson or presentation• Tour of the school• Opportunity to ask questions

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Standing out at Interview - Practice

• Out loud• To the mirror• In the car• With friends…..

• Don’t:– Learn answers by rote– Practise so much you’re bored!

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First Impressions

• Smile• Formal but relaxed• Eye contact• Looking interested / paying attention• Smart and punctual• Listening

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The Obvious Questions #1

Why do you want to be a primary teacher?

(motivation question)

What you like about the job - content / skills

Ambitions / enthusiasm

Career Decision

“I want to be an primary teacher for 3 main reasons…

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The Obvious Questions #2

What can you bring to the post?

(aka) What can you bring to this school / department?

Match the things they’re looking for

Build on the written info they have on you

Remember TASK, TEAM, INDIVIDUAL

And don’t embark on your life story!

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The Obvious Questions #3

What is your greatest weakness?

Pick something that’s not on their list of desirables and essentials

Or – Talk about something that doesn’t come naturally, but that you’ve improved…

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Practice questions

• Tell me about yourself• What are your particular strengths as a

teacher and how would you develop them?• How do you think your extra curricular

activities could be of use to the school?• Why did you choose to teach this subject?• If we spoke to other teachers / TAs in your

last placement what would they say about you?

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More questions• Can you give me an example of when you have

adapted your communication style for different groups of people?

Prompt: What did you do? What was the outcome?

• Describe the best lesson you have given. What did you do to make it successful?

• Describe the worst lesson you have given. How would you approach it differently now?

• How would you like to see your career develop?

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Standing out at Interview - Strategies

• STAR – Scene, Task, Actions, Result• Structure – 3 key points• Anchoring your answer

– ‘and that’s why I want to teach at ….’

• Relating it to the school or pool– ‘as X% of pupils are under achieving, I

feel it is important that….’ or ‘my ability to Y will be particularly useful…’

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Rescue Packages

• ‘That’s an interesting question, I just need a moment to think about it’

• ‘Sorry could you repeat the question?’• ‘I’ve realised that’s not what you

asked, in relation to your question I would say…’

• ‘I haven’t done that specifically but my experience in X means that I think Y …’

• ‘To summarise…’

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Standing out at Interview - Post

interviewWhile waiting for the perfect job or the next

interview you might want to consider:• Agencies• Volunteering• Tutoring

• Always get feedback if possible – official or unofficial!

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TeachAlert

• http://teachalert.thecareersgroup.co.uk

• Sign up to receive email alerts for new job opportunities.

• Mailed over 1000 schools, when they advertise here they are targeting YOU.

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How we can help

• 15 minutes session to check statements or chat about interviews

• Mock interviews – need to have an interview lined up.

• TES, List of all SEN schools etc.

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Where, When and How?

The Careers Service is in Room J3 (next to the DolcHe Vita Café)

Open: Monday – Friday 09.30 – 17.00Quick queries: Monday – Thursday,

10.30 – 12.30, 14.30 – 16.30

020 8240 4055 or careers@smuc.ac.ukwww.smuc.ac.uk/careers