You have just 30 seconds to make a good impression on your interviewer, says a University of Toledo study. What should you do to make a great first impression? MENC Collegiate Past National Chair, Jill Sullivan, has just the ticket!

Make a Good First Impression: Nonverbal Communication is Key

• Firm handshake
• Toothy smile
• Eye contact—breaking eye contact is fine, but don’t look down. Make eye contact with all members of the interview committee.
• Sitting—lean slightly forward
• Personal grooming
   

“Your transcripts, portfolio, and references are very important, but if an interviewer doesn't like what they see at first glance, you won’t have a chance! Be energetic!” (from a music interviewee)

Think in Threes

Prepare...

• 3 intelligent questions to ask.
• 3 key points about your background.
• 3 interesting points about the school and/or job.

Key Points to Remember

• Find out as much as you can about the school’s current policies and procedures before going to your interview.
• If you’re not good at organizing your thoughts as you speak, write out answers to likely questions, and practice saying or memorize them. If a question is unclear, don’t be afraid to ask that it be repeated.
• If you “botch up” a response, don’t get flustered. Keep smiling and pay attention to the next question.
• Dress a step higher than you would normally on a working day. Men, a suit coat and tie and women, pants and a jacket. Suits are an excellent choice.
• Take a leather folio, pen, CD with portfolio, and extra copies of your resume and transcripts. Leave big briefcases and purses at home.
• Leave the cell phone in the car, or be 100% sure it’s off and out of sight until you’ve left the school.
• Be positive and pleasant, and ask questions.

Things to Avoid Saying

• Wait to mention money until the job has been offered.
• Avoid negativity toward previous employers or any negativity at all.
• Don't ramble; keep your answers short and cogent.

Mock Interviews

• Ask your mentor teacher and/or a principal to give you a mock interview.
• Ask your college supervisor to set this up in your student-teaching seminar. Use the questions from Jill Sullivan’s Handout.
• Have your local CMENC chapter invite an administrator or local supervisor of music and have a panel discussion about interviewing strategies.
• Use Skype as an option for mock interviewing.

For even more tips, read Jill Sullivan’s Handout used in the “Job Search and Interview Strategies” session given by Jill Sullivan and Diana Hollinger during the 2010 Biennial Music Educators National Conference, March 26, 2010, in Anaheim, CA.

Read the first part in this series “Getting Your First Teaching Job: The Job Search.”

Jill M. Sullivan is an associate professor of Instrumental Music Education in the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts at Arizona State University. She is the Past National Collegiate Chair.

MENC Resources:

A Career Guide for Music Education
Finding Your First Job as a Public School Music Teacher
7 Job-Hunting Tips
Prelude to a Job, Parts 1-6
Preparing to Teach Music in Today’s School, The Job Search
Job Hunting Throughout the College Years
What’s Lurking in Your Online Profile, Parts 1-3
Career Center – Find a Job
“Mock Interviews for Student Teachers,” by Jill M. Sullivan, Teaching Music, February 2007 (Vol. 14, no. 4).

--Jen Reed, April 28, 2010 © MENC: The National Association for Music Education.