By Zarela Cruz
Looking for a new job may be a tiresome
experience, even when we have been looking forward to a new opportunity or to
making progress in our career path. Have
you ever felt overwhelmed by the prospect of the big day? Below you will find
some important aspects to keep in mind, although they are quite often neglected.
1.
Get ready for the interview.
2.
Show up 10 minutes before the arranged
time.
3.
Always bring a copy of your resume.
4.
Observe their dress code or a reasonable
one.
5.
Do not use your cell phone during the
interview.
6.
Make eye-contact with your interviewer.
7.
Do not criticize your former employer.
8.
Do not tell the interviewer that you
really need the job and the money.
9.
Be ready to explain how the company will
benefit if they hire you.
10. Prepare a model class should you be asked to give one.
Is that all? not exactly. Whenever I have
been in charge of evaluating applicants for a teaching position, I could see
that some of them had a tendency to replicate the teaching model they were used
to. Furthermore, they used the same
slides, a grammar-centered approach and examples related to themselves. They did
not have any information about the students’ profile, education, age and
interests to name some; the kind of courses that the institution offered, even
the technology that was available. In a
word, they hardly did any research about the institution they wanted to work
for, not to mention the position. On the
other hand, some of them mentioned personal issues such as how much they needed
the money or that they wanted to have additional income. We all work for money,
up to a certain extent, but it should not look like our top priority.
Once you got the job, your homework is not done yet: it is
the beginning of a new phase in your working life, so you have to be ready to
undo some routines and embrace new ones; such as working in teams and
participating in the training programs.
By keeping these remarks in mind
you will show that you are really suitable for the institution and for the
position.
And now your turn:
Have you ever made a mistake in the course of a job
interview?
Did you find the job you were looking forward to?
We
will be expecting your comments, suggestions and/or tips regarding this topic.
References
Biodata
Zarela Cruz graduated from
Ricardo Palma University as a translator. She also finished her master’s
studies in Linguistics and took some specialization diplomas in the
Teaching of English and Spanish. She has also completed some online
certificates: Teaching the Working Adult, Online,
Hybrid and Blended Education, among other self-study courses. She has
taught different courses, programs and levels and has been a teacher trainer, a
lecturer and online instructor for more than 25 years. She is has
just finished her master’s studies in Translation. This article aims to
reflect on the convenience of getting ready for a job interview to deal with it
successfully.
