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By Kelly Sullivan, Northern Regional Vice President

Whether you are preparing to get a teaching position, apply to graduate school or are just looking for a good job to help you through school, acquiring good interview skills is important.

The first step to prepare for an interview is to get a hold of several sample interview questions. This information can be gathered from various sources such as friends, professors or a campus career center.

The second step, if you have not already done so, would be to select prospective places of employment. If you are applying for a teaching position, learn more about the school and the position that you are applying for and if possible check out the site. Obtain a copy of the school's SARC (School Accountable Report Card), that evaluates the school in various areas. In addition to researching the school, it would be beneficial to research the district and their policies. If you are looking for schools to apply to you can check out the Public School State Directory at your local library which will provide information on all schools (K-12), districts with phone numbers and addresses.

The third step is to practice your interview questions and skills. It would be a good idea to work in pairs. This will allow one person to practice being the interviewee and the other person can take on the role as the interviewer. If you are applying for an educator position you may want to practice questions regarding how you would set up a classroom, how you could provide for special needs or gifted students, how you would handle discipline, a curriculum question and makeup some of your own questions based on the specific school and situation.

The last step to prepare for the interview is to critique your performance. It may be a good idea to videotape your practice interview. Pay attention to your eye contact and how you answer questions. At the interview, be sure to dress appropriately. Happy interviewing !!!