Welcome to the Tes Career Clinic.

We have put together a series of two-minute tutorials where we’ll give quick tips or insights into how to make a success of your job hunting.

Tips on classroom teacher interview tasks

When you’re applying for a classroom teacher role, you will have a range of tasks in your interview. We share the best tips to prepare!

Tips for applying to multiple schools

Sometimes your dream job isn’t just in one school- you have two or three that you want to apply for! How do you juggle the applications? Is it okay to apply for more than one? Watch to hear our advice on multiple applications.

What do you do when there are no jobs to apply for?

If you’re job hunting and you can’t find roles you want to apply for you can easily feel downhearted. However- there are things you can do- watch to find out what steps to take.

What goes in your covering letter?

You’ve got hundreds of things you want to say...but which bits do you need to include? Watch to find out an easy way to structure your letter.

How can you answer scenario questions most effectively?

Scenario questions are incredibly popular for teaching interviews- everyone from teaching assistants to headteachers will probably get asked them. But how can you answer one effectively? Watch the videos to hear a simple but effective approach to improve your interview technique.

What should you do if you can’t answer a question during your interview?

What is the number one before an interview? Not being able to answer a question. But worry not- we have some suggestions for what to do if this happens to you.

What should you do the night before an interview?

Should you be running practice questions? Or cramming last minute facts about the school? Or nothing at all? We go through the essential things you must do the night before your big teaching interview.

What four mistakes are you making in your teaching interview?

Have you ever looked back at a job interview and cringed at the mistakes you made? Here are four common mistakes teachers make in job interviews, and how to avoid them.

How can a job hunting teacher use SWOT analysis?

If you’re not sure what your next career step should be, try using SWOT analysis. We talk you through step by step how to do it, and then how to use it to make your next decision.

What should I read before my teaching interview?

Prepping for your interview is crucial if you want it to be a success. But what should you read before you go in? Watch to find out which four things need to be on your to-read list.

How to answer ‘How do you...’ questions

It’s a really common question on a teaching interview- but it’s one that is also really easy to get wrong. We give you some top tips to make sure you don’t make the mistake of waffling through an answer.

How do I get ready to apply for my first senior leadership post?

The move from middle leadership to senior leadership is often described as the hardest, so what can you do now if you know that’s where you want to go in the future? We talk you through some essential steps to take to today to prepare you for tomorrow’s challenge.

What questions should NQTs ask in interviews?

If you’re a teacher applying for your first post as a newly qualified teacher then you need to be sure the school you choose is right for you. Watch to hear some suggestions for questions to ask before you make your mind up.

How do I get a job in the summer term?

How do I resign? And what do I do if I change my mind?

If you’re a teacher who needs to resign- do you know exactly what to do? We talk you through step by step- and also what happens if you change your mind. For details on resignation dates you can check here.

What questions should you ask at the end of an interview?

No matter what position you apply for, you can expect to end the interview with the panel asking you if you have any questions. Not sure what to ask? We have some suggestions for you.

How do I get rid of interview nerves?

Interviews can be scary experiences, and sometimes our feelings of anxiety ruin our chances for success. Watch to hear our top tips for getting rid of interview nerves.

How do you negotiate pay in a teaching interview?

Money shouldn’t be a dirty word, and there is no reason you shouldn’t try and negotiate your pay in a teaching interview. Watch to hear how you can approach it, and read more in in this Tes blog by Vivienne Porritt of #WomenEd.

What to put in your covering letter or personal statement

The perfect job deserves the perfect covering letter. But what should you say? What are schools looking for their applicants to cover?

Watch to find out what you should, and shouldn’t put in your covering letter or personal statement/supporting statement.

5 things teachers need to check before they hit send on their application

In this edition of the two-minute tutorial, we focus on getting your application form right.

Job hunting teachers need to be sure their application is going to wow the headteacher and go to the top of the shortlist.

We tell you the 5 things you must check before you commit to the submit

How to complete the in-tray task 

In our latest tutorial we describe how you can prepare for a senior leadership interview, by giving our tips on how to complete a common interview task: the in-tray task.

Sometimes called an inbox task, this activity is designed to challenge your knowledge of policies and procedures, as well as your skills in prioritising.

We give our tips on how to be successful in your senior leadership interview and nail the in-tray task.

How conduct a virtual school visit

In our sixth two-minute tutorial we give you some tips on how you can do a virtual pre-interview school visit whilst schools are closed due to the current pandemic.

Before your teaching interview, it’s really important to try and do a school visit- but pandemic aside, this isn’t always possible.

Watch to find out how you can find out all you can about a school without leaving your living

How to answer teaching interview questions (part 3)

In this next tutorial, Grainne looks at how to answer a question that is commonly asked in teaching interviews.

Whether you’re applying for head of department, head of year, assistant head, deputy head or even headteacher, in your interview you can expect to get a question like:

How would you deal with a member of your team who wasn’t meeting your expectations?

We run through what you should, and shouldn’t say in your answer. As mentioned in the video, teachers preparing for job interviews should also read Gemma Corby’s blog on difficult conversations.

How to answer teaching interview questions (part 2)

In the next video in the series, we take a look at a common teaching interview question: what is your biggest flaw?

In this video, Grainne explains how to re-angle the question to focus on what aspect of your classroom practice you want to develop, and gives some tips for how to structure your reply. ​

How to set up and prepare for a video interview 

In the next tutorial video tackle a relatively new interview issue: how do I prepare for a video interview? 

What should you prepare? What is the best way to set up your computer? How do clothes make a difference?

In the video you hear how you can get yourself best prepared for your video interview.

How to answer teaching interview questions (part 1)

This two-minute tutorial tackles a really common job interview query: what questions will I be asked?

Candidates often want to spend time practising interview questions, but aren’t sure what they’ll be asked, or how they should answer them.

In the video you hear how two common interview questions- one for classroom teachers on monitoring assessment, and one for leadership on progress can be answered.

How to prepare for video interview tasks

School closures have meant teaching interviews have moved from the classroom to the keyboard, as video conferencing becomes the norm. But how do you prepare for the tasks you’ll be asked to do in a video interview for a teaching post? 

In this video I run through three tasks you might be asked to do during a video interview, and give my recommendations for how you can prepare for them. I talk about how to describe a lesson, giving feedback on a piece of work, and responding to scenario questions

Coming soon: more common interview questions and how to answer them, and how to do a school tour without leaving your house.

For more help on the topics we talk about in our video, check out our Careers Advice page.