During my time as a regular teacher, I tried to avoid job interviews. 

I’m sure it doesn’t matter what profession you’re in: job interviews are inevitably a source of anxiety, and an opportunity to have your inadequacies presented to you in a distressingly direct fashion. 

I managed to dodge a few interviews for internal promotions either by being the only candidate for the role or - as I became more confident in my abilities, (and decidedly less bothered about actually taking a promotion) - insisting, diva-like, that I’d take the role if they wanted me, but wouldn’t interview for it. Sometimes this worked, and sometimes it didn’t.

The interview for a medium- or long-term supply post is, I’m gradually discovering, a slightly different deal to the standard job interview. 

I’ve had a few over the last couple of years, and I’m seeing a pattern develop. I also think I’m finally starting to get the hang of them.

Shift in the power dynamics

If you’re applying for a role lasting for a term or more, most schools want to see you teach a lesson. Which seems fair enough, although it feels like a bit of an imposition. 

Does my quarter of a century teaching not suggest that I’m probably OK on that front?

Then again, I’ve seen teachers who’ve been in the game longer than me, who still seem totally out of their depth in a classroom full of children. 

The next part of the process, however, seems to suggest that whether you can teach or not may be moot. In most of the interviews I’ve had since I’ve been a supply teacher, there appears to have been a subtle a shift in the power dynamics. 

Think about it. If the school is looking for a supply teacher to cover a post for a term or so, the chances are that something unexpected has happened to the previous postholder, and the school’s in a bit of a fix. 

In my current role, the teacher I’m replacing got two-thirds of a term into her first job and decided teaching was not the profession for her. Hence the need to fill the post, quick smart. 

Meeting demands

When this is the case, the interview is really just to check that you’re not likely to steal stuff or hit the kids. The interviewers will do their best to hide this fact, of course, not wanting to show their hand lest a crafty supply teacher might use it as leverage. But you can usually pick up the cues.

Consequently, I’ve started to be a little less fearful of interviews and a little more demanding with regards to the conditions of my employment. 

A couple of jobs ago, when I was interviewing for a one-term maternity cover, beginning the following week, I tentatively suggested that if I took the job I wouldn’t be prepared to attend any meetings or any of the now-ubiquitous twilight CPD sessions (did I really need to sit through another hour hearing about growth mindset? - I think not). 

I half expected them to send me packing with a lecture on professionalism. But, to my surprise and delight, they happily agreed to my demands. How soon could I start? 

A little less anxiety and a little more chutzpah

Since then, I’ve approached job interviews with a little less anxiety and a little more chutzpah.

It still feels a little uncomfortable setting my own terms - terms that I know aren’t necessarily going to apply to the regular staff - but what eases the pain a little is the sight of everyone else traipsing down to the hall at 3.30pm to hear the deputy head remind everyone which way round to hold a whiteboard pen or whatever that week’s mandatory bullshit reinforcement session happens to be about. Actually, it eases the pain a lot.

I’m not a fan of the way that the marketisation process has crept into the education system over the last few decades. And, in general, schools don’t benefit from the application of free-market economics to what is a complex and hugely important sector of society. 

It’s a system that tends to create inequalities and to syphon off resources to unscrupulous private firms providing catering, maintenance, IT or any number of other vital services. 

I have, however, found my own way to capitalise on the unfortunate shortage of teachers, and to benefit from the consequent shift in power to the cover teacher. To paraphrase a popular term in economics, it’s simply an example of supply in demand.

The writer has recently taken up supply teaching after 20 years in a full-time teaching job