Nothing is more vulnerable than asking a friend to do a mock interview with you. You’ve got to present yourself professionally, which is not natural when sitting with a buddy. But trust me, if you can get past that, it’s worth it.
My Mock Interview
Lute sat down with me for about an hour to prepare for an interview that I was about to have. First, he went through potential questions I might be asked. Some of them I felt confident in answering, others I had no clue what to say. He let me blabber on until we got to the end.
During the mock, Lute took notes on my answers and how I could improve them. We then went question by question, fixing language, honing in on specifics, and cutting things that were unnecessary. He highlighted areas where I could showcase my knowledge in PLCs, instructional leadership, collaboration, and communication.
At the moment, I didn’t even think of these things! I found myself rushing through answers to get the mock interview over as quickly as possible. Being reflective, I wish I would have slowed down and really thought about the answers I was giving. But hey, that’s what mock interviews are for! Lute was able to help me see my blind spots and boost my confidence going forward.
After the mock interview was over, I went home that night and answered the questions again. First go around, I had the notes in front of me, and the second time I hid my notes to see if I could stay on track with my answers. This extra bit of practice was worth my time.
The End Result
I walked into my interview the following week feeling prepared, confident, and poised. To my surprise, the interview panel asked 80% of the same questions that Lute asked me in the mock interview. I was so thankful that we had practiced those because I walked away feeling like I was clear, concise, and confident in those answers.
However, for the other 20%, I was less confident, but hey, that’s okay! It prompted me to ask questions after the interview, do some research, and better prepare myself for further interviews.
For example, this district asked me about MTSS (which is another version of RTI), which I was less familiar with. Additionally, they asked me about a specific situation in which a student with an IEP was fighting with another student and what I would do. These are specific questions that may not always come up in a mock interview but should excite you with the opportunity to learn.
Your Turn
If you want to do a mock interview, but don’t have anyone who can help, here is what I suggest:
- Subscribe to our newsletter. We have an abundance of interview questions available that you can use to help prepare yourself for interviews.
- Set up a mock with us! We would love to help you prepare for your interview and offer feedback. Plus, we don’t know you, so it will be less awkward!
- Similar to watching game film, record yourself answering questions, and watch the recording to see where you can improve.
That’s it for now. We’ll see you next time!
Looking for more articles to help you with your assistant principal interviews? Click here.
Looking for assistant principal interview questions to help you prepare? Check out this YouTube Playlist.
Are you preparing for an assistant principal interview? We are excited to share the release of our first online course: The Assistant Principal Interview Bootcamp. This comprehensive course is designed to help you develop the skills and confidence you need to dominate your assistant principal interview and obtain your first assistant principal position.
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