ARE YOU PREPARED TO BE A COMPETITIVE CANDIDATE?

Assume that you are a well-qualified applicant who is applying for a mid-level leadership position and are 1 out of a total of 150 applicants. Assume that there are 10 other candidates who are at least as equally qualified. Therefore, you need to be better prepared than the rest of the field in order to out-compete them. What must you know and do so you stand out from rest of the candidates? Consider the following:

Do you know how to strategically organize and design a resume that gets the reviewers’ attention?
Do you know how to differentiate yourself in your response to the inevitable question, “Tell us about yourself”?
Do you know the best order in which to be interviewed and how to get, like in a horse race, the best “post position”?
Do you know what to do in order to accurately anticipate most of the questions you’ll be asked?
Do you know long to take in answering a question?
Do you know how to read the “body language” of the interviewers?
Do you know what questions to ask at the conclusion of your interview?
Do you know how to frame a final statement at the conclusion of an interview?
Do you have a strategy as to how to present yourself as someone who is likeable and a good fit for the school-community?
Do you know how to adjust your interviewing approach as you move from screening to committee to leadership to Board interviews?
Do you know how to create an entry plan in anticipation to getting the job, and how to go about creating your priorities?
Do you know how to “close the deal” if you are a finalist”?
Do you know how to negotiate the best deal for yourself if you’re offered the job?
Do you how to make a good impression during your first 100 days?

There are many other things that you must know in order to be a highly competitive candidate. I have coached 100’s of my clients get their dream jobs. Let me help you, too.

SCHOOL LEADERS: ARE YOU HAVING SERIOUS ON-THE-JOB PROBLEMS?

Coaching school leaders goes way beyond revising your resume and preparing for job interviews. Are you prepared to successfully transition into your new position? Are you struggling, even as an experienced leader, with coping with on-going problems? Who do you turn to in order to get strategic advice regarding on-the -job problems and crises? Do you need guidance in planning the steps for your future career development? Getting objective and confidential sage advice from a highly experienced career coach can be essential to keeping out of trouble and assuring your success. There is no one out there who can coach you with the degree of insight and compassion that I provide to my clients.

Here are a few scenarios of school leaders who needed career coaching:

Mr. Smith just started a new job as a principal. He had served successfully and enjoyed popularity in his old job as an assistant principal where he had also been previously teaching for seven years. His assistant principal, Laura, was the runner up for Smith’s new position. Smith has asked Laura for her help in filling him in on matters like procedural things, “how do you handle …”, or “give me some background on Mr. Jones”. Laura’s responses are vague and generic. Smith sometimes observes his secretary whispering to Laura and as he gets closer, they abruptly end their conversation. When he enters the teachers’ cafeteria, it goes silent. He is feeling isolated and unsupported.
Mrs. Green is finishing her second year as the district director of social studies. It is generally agreed that she has done a good job and succeeded in solving some difficult problems. Her supervisor just notified her that the superintendent is considering re-organizing the directors’ positions as a possible cost saving initiative and that her job may to eliminated, although no decisions have been made at this time.
Dr. White is in his third year as superintendent of schools. Of the 7-member Board who selected him, only three remain. The newer members oppose some of White’s decisions regarding issues such as policies on student use of cell phones, and embracing policies promoting DEI, among other issues. Although White has one and one-half years left on his contract, he feels that his time is running out.

On-the job problems and crises come in a wide variety of forms. School leaders often feel isolated and uncomfortable in sharing their problems with colleagues who may not be trustworthy or may judge them as being weak or incompetent. I suggest what you need is a highly experienced career coach who will maintain your confidentiality and provide you with well-thought out actionable advice.

CONTACT DR. LARRY ARONSTEIN at larryaronstein@yahoo.com, or text at 516-423-0240. Check out his website larryaronstein.com

HOW TO SATISFY ALL STAKEHOLDERS AROUND THE TABLE

The committee interview is usually the second step in the interviewing process. Be prepared to encounter a 30-minute interview in which eight to ten interviewers are seated around the table. It’s important to grasp which stakeholders each member is representing. Usually participants introduce themselves and will tell you: “Jane Smith, President of the PTA,” for example. If their roles are not evident and they seem friendly, it’s okay to ask, “And what is your role?”

Each step in the interviewing process has its own inherent challenges. You have to be prepared to make strategic adjustments. As any experienced football or basketball coach would tell you, don’t expect what works in the first quarter will necessarily work in the next quarter. Unlike the screening interview, the committee interview is longer and will consist of more and a variety of questions and topics. Therefore, your preparation must be much more comprehensive. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of having a good coach along the way to help you strategize and make those adjustments.

I suggest that you quickly sketch the shape of the table on the pad that you carry in. As the panelists introduce themselves, jot down their stakeholder groups. As the panelists take their turn in asking their question, glance at your notes. Knowing their roles will give you a lot better context as to the implication of their question. However, be aware that your answer must satisfy all stakeholders. Your answer is not limited only to the questioner.

As an example: A parent who is serving on a panel asks, “Assume that a parent calls you and complains about how her child’s teacher is criticizing her child. Her child is very upset by this, and the parent wants his class changed. How would you deal with this situation?” As you look around the table, ask yourself how does each stakeholder want you to respond. My guess is that the parents want you to be a good listener and take the request seriously. They expect that you will investigate the situation and get back to the parent promptly. The teachers, who are probably representatives of the teachers’ union, prefer that you’ll be reluctant to change the child’s class, that you will abide by contractual obligations, and that you will be supportive of teachers. The school administrators will be focused on your diplomacy as to how you will neither alienate the parent nor the teacher, and in the process you will use in investigating the situation. Finally, the central office leaders will be attentive to how you will avoid escalating the situation.

You must use caution and diplomacy in your answers so as not to sound hostile to one stakeholder group in deference to another group of stakeholders, which might have an opposing view on the same issue. The ability to do this balancing act requires the recognition that you are performing to all stakeholder groups, and that your response will be reasoned and acceptable to all. This requires coaching and practice. In a real sense, this balancing act is what successful leaders do every day.

The Interview Process in Four Stages: Making Adjustments

Most interview processes have four stages: the screening interview, a committee interview, a small group interview with some Central Office administrators, and an interview with the Superintendent which may include the Board. The nature of each step is different, calling for different interviewing strategies. How you make adjustments to your approach of interviewing at each stage of the process is critical to your success in getting to the next step. You can compare the four-step process to the four quarters of a football game. A successful team makes adjustments each quarter; that means they change their game plan.

In interviewing, each step is different with regard to the duration of the interview, the cast of characters you meet, the nature of the questions that are asked, the questions that you might ask, and what the interviewers are looking for.

Step 1–Screening interviews usually run 10 to 15 minutes. Typically, there are about three people who will be interviewing about 12 to 18 candidates. Let’s assume you are a candidate for an assistant principal position; you will probably meet the principal, an assistant principal and a teacher (usually an officer in the Teachers’ Union). Their goal is to get an impression of you to determine whether or not you’d be a good fit. Likely, they’ll probably ask you: “Tell us about yourself”; “What do you know about us?”; “Why do you want to be a leader?” They’ll only have time for about 4 or 5 questions.

Step 2–The committee interview team may vary in size from about 6 to 10, depending on the time of year. After schools close in late June, fewer teachers and parents are available. They will probably speak to 6 to 8 candidates for about 30 minutes each. Be prepared to wait because it’s difficult for a large group to stay on time. Oftentimes, the committee will receive a list of suggested questions, and each member will be asked to choose a question. The senior members usually will go last. Expect that they will turn up the heat by getting specific, following up on your previous answers, and picking over your resume. You should also be prepared to solve an open-ended scenario, or even role play how you’d deal with a challenging problem.

Step3–If you make it to the next step, they’ll be down to 3 or 4 candidates. Expect to meet with Central Office people for about 45 minutes. They will pick apart your resume and challenge your judgment. Example questions might include: “Why did you leave…?”; “How would you deal with a veteran teacher who is not responsive to your suggestions? “; “What if you disagree with your supervisor’s decision?”

Step 4–The final step may be with the Superintendent, or even the Board. I call this “closing the deal”. Don’t be surprised if the Superintendent does more of the talking. She/he may want to give you some background and share some of potential problems with which you’ll be faced. Try to make the interaction into more of a conversation rather than an interrogation. Expect that you’ll be asked about how you’d deal with these problems. They will probably ask you about how you spend your first two months on the job, and how you’d go about setting your priorities. Be prepared at the end of this interview to ask one or two of your questions of them. I also suggest that you prepare a closing statement.

Each step in the process has its own inherent challenges. You have to be prepared to make strategic adjustments. I cannot over-emphasize the importance of having a good coach along the way to help you strategize and make those adjustments. As any experienced football or basketball coach would tell you, don’t expect what works in the first quarter will necessarily work in the next quarter.

Dr. Aronstein is a career coach who assists his clients prepare for interviews and in the preparation of their resumes. Find out more about Larry Aronstein and read his blogs on http://www.Larryaronstein.com.

YOUR CANDIDACY: WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING FOR AND HOW DO YOU PRESENT YOURSELF?

As a candidate, everything you write and say contribute to building your narrative; the story you tell about yourself. This includes your resume and cover letter, how you present yourself in person or virtually, your answers to the interviewers’ questions, the questions you ask, your letters of reference, and what your references say about you. It’s about developing a picture of yourself, creating a chemistry, demonstrating you are a good match, an easy good fit for what they’re really looking for, and what their community wants.

Creating an attractive narrative requires many strategies for each unique position. However, the commonalities out-weigh the differences. Before describing some of the strategies that go into building your narrative, we first must understand what the interviewers are really looking for.

What They Really Want

They want to know who you are, and what you’ve accomplished.
They want to like you. Too often interviews are sterile; you must create an emotional and compelling context through your story telling.
They want to be assured that you share their values and aspirations.
They want to see that you look and act the role.
They want to be sure that you’ll easily fit in and not cause conflict.
You need to come across as humble, self-effacing, sincere, direct, plain spoken, good humored, and authentic.

If this is what the interviewers want, then how do you go about creating a narrative and presenting yourself as that candidate? What strategies should you employee?

Useful Strategies

Find out everything you can about the school-community from a variety of sources. How many students do they have; what are the demographics; what are they proud of; who are their leaders; what is their reputation; what is their fiscal and physical status.
Figure out what they really want you to do. Do not solely rely upon their job description—that’s what they think they want; it may not be what they really want. Do they want a change agent? Are they happy with their current status?
What problems do they have? Speak to how you have addressed similar problems and solved them.
Analyze your resume, particularly your accomplishments, and emphasize those aspects that they are looking for and that are consistent with their values as a community, and their needs. It is not enough to assert, “I’m creative and hardworking”. Provide specific and vivid examples of your accomplishments, both professional and personal. Quantify your accomplishments whenever possible.
Elude to some personal information, which is not on your resume and which they can’t ask you about. If you are married and a parent, let them know. School people love family-oriented candidates who can relate to children and parents.

The tactics as to how you go about carrying out these strategies requires careful planning and practice. However, the reward of moving through the steps of your candidacy and winning the job will be worth all of the effort.

Dr. Larry Aronstein is an experienced career coach who assists school leaders, aspiring leaders, and teachers in their resume and interviewing preparation. Find out more at www.larryaronstein.com. Contact him at larryaronstein@yahoo.com

The Inside Secrets to Successfully Getting the Job of Your Dreams:

For the first time together two of the premier job interview coaches (Dr. Larry Aronstein and Michael Keany) offer a unique and convenient Zoom interactive session covering all you need to know to navigate the selection process and ace your interviews.

Dr. Aronstein, former Superintendent of Schools, and Michael Keany, former Principal and Board of Education member, have coached over 1500 candidates over the last decade with a very high percentage of success. This workshop is suitable for all aspiring educators from teachers to administrators.

Thursday, June 6 from 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM via Zoom – only $35!

Participants will:
1. Discover strategies for how to stand out from other candidates
2. Learn how to effectively answer the most often-asked interview questions
3. Understand what interviewers are really looking for and how to deliver
4. Develop an effective resume and cover letter
5. Gain insights about the “do’s and don’ts” to successfully get your desired position

In addition, all participants will receive:

A free copy of Dr. Aronstein’s e-book “THE INSIDER’S SECRETS TO GETTING YOUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP JOB” (List price $24.95)
A free “tune-up” of your answers to the ten most commonly asked questions for either teacher or administrative candidates. Mr. Keany will provide an individual written critique of each response and resources for improvement.
A free one-year membership in the very popular School Leadership 2.0 website. (A value of $19.95)
Valuable handouts with additional ideas and hints.

Enrollment will be limited. Register now by clicking on the link below to download the form.

Registration Form

Dr. Larry Aronstein spent 46 years in public education, having started as a teacher, then working as a principal at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels, as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and retiring as Superintendent of Schools of the Glen Cove Public Schools.

Michael Keany has over 50 years of experience in public schools with administration at a variety of different levels. He has served as a consultant to administrators and boards of education in the vast majority of LI school districts. He served for 12 years as vice president on his local Board of Education. He is the founder and leader of the well-known School Leadership 2.0, a full-service online service for school leaders. Its bulletin, published four times weekly, is received by over 35,000 educators worldwide.

Projecting Your Gravitas: A Key to Winning the Job

I’ve coached hundreds of school leaders and teachers about the importance of presenting oneself in a confident manner during an interview. This is called “gravitas”; that is ability to project self-confidence, influence, credibility, and command respect. When you speak, do others listen? Do not confuse gravitas with arrogance. People who project gravitas should also be thoughtful; they think before they speak and enhance the conversation by adding. Be mindful that the court jester never becomes the king or the queen.

In seeking a position as a school leader or a teacher, you must convince your potential supervisors that you are the kind of person who brings a certain bearing to the position. The teacher represents the adult leader in the classroom. In the context of a job interview, here are several methods to project your gravitas:

1. Be present, listen, and speak once you’ve formulated a response

People with gravitas are attentive to the core of the interviewers’ questions, the underlying issues and agendas. So, during an interview, take a moment to formulate a thoughtful and relevant response, and draw upon your self-assurance that your response will have value. This can be done quietly without trying to show off that you’re the smartest person that they will interview. Be respectful of the people around the table who may be more accomplished and experienced than you. But be confident that your thoughts have value too.

2. Demonstrate deep understanding

Your challenge is to put forth relevant information and ideas that demonstrate deep understanding. Someone who is self-confident and secure treats everyone with respect, even some panelists who might challenge your answers and might not treat you with respect. Never appear combative or show irritation.

Remember the lyrics to the old song, “You’re got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em …”. Be mindful about timing what to say, when to say it, and what not to say. Try to make your ideas concise, on point, and clear. Don’t repeat yourself. Only when necessary, ask questions to clarify what is being asked, but keep answers on topic, and avoid providing a long context and introductions to your answers. Do not view questions as “gotcha” opportunities. Your goal should be to try to guide the process in productive directions.

3. Communicate like an adult

As an employer, I want to hire professionals—adults. People with gravitas speak like adults. Too many young people saturate their sentences with word fillers and phrases such as “like”, “you know”, “at the end of the day”, “to be honest,” and “in reference to”. You know what I mean! Also, avoid ending your sentences with an upward inflection to your voice as if you’re asking a question rather than making a statement. You want to be taken seriously. Therefore, you cannot just dress and look like a professional, you must also sound like a professional.

4. Do not confuse confidence with arrogance

There is a thin line separating arrogance and gravitas. Arrogance means that you’re perceived as coming across as overbearing, conceited, a know it all, someone who has a lot to say but really offers little in the way of substance. Most of us are repelled by arrogance in others. To me, the opposite of arrogance is modesty. Oftentimes, less is more. We admire wisdom. I once asked an extremely successful businessperson about his newest venture. He described his new business in one sentence. I commented, “You did that in one sentence.” He smiled politely and responded, “If you can’t explain something in one sentence, then you don’t understand what you’re talking about”. That’s gravitas.

5. Monitor yourself

How are my responses being received? Is my audience hearing me? Are they resonating with my ideas? Are they nodding and smiling? Exercising your gravitas is not a trick—it’s a matter of being effective. When gravitas is lacking, people notice, and when it’s there, it’s magic.

When you walk away from the table, you want your audience to say, “That candidate really held our attention and was most impressive.

Dr. Aronstein is a career coach who works one-on-one with leaders and aspiring leaders in developing their resume and preparing for job interviews. Learn more: www.larryaronstein.com

I’M NOT MOVING ON IN MY CANDIDACY…”IS IT ME?”

Frequently my clients tell me, “Despite my best efforts, I’m not moving forward in the interviewing process. I’ve revised my resume and cover letter. Thoroughly researched the school-community. Practiced my answers to the most often asked questions, and yet I’m not moving on. What am I doing wrong? Is it me?”

Candidates who get the job usually present themselves as being “likeable” and representing a “good fit” for the community. What does that mean and what does it look like? I think you’d agree that most of us like others who are friendly, smile, thoughtful, modest, make eye contact, even tempered and direct. Fitting in means that the story you tell about yourself resonates with the values and the vision of the school-community. In general, educational communities value family-oriented people, leaders who hold themselves, their staff and their students to high standards, have a clear set of goals that align with school leaders, and presents yourself as a regular person.

However, there are aspects of the process that you have no control over which have a lot to do with not moving on. What are they? Your experience may not appear to be a good match for the position. For instance, your background at the elementary level is not a fit for a secondary job, an urban experience is not a match for a suburban position, and your work in a small rural district doesn’t match the perceived needs of a large affluent district. Other factors that work against your candidacy are that you might be competing against an “insider”, or you simply might be up against a more experienced, highly competent applicant.

What you do have control over is your preparation including your ability to make a case for your strengths. You can make a case that as an urban school leader you have a great deal of experience in dealing with disciplinary cases. Your experience in a small school has taught you to learn about every operational aspect of managing a school. As an “outsider”, you will bring in a new fresh vision.

It is not my intention to discourage your applying to schools that do not appear to be a good match, but to be realistic. My advice is to be well prepared and able to make your case to maximize your skills and knowledge. So, “is it you”? If you’re not thoroughly prepared, then it is you. If your background just isn’t a good match, then it’s “not you”.

Let me coach you in your thorough preparation.

OPENING LINE RESPONSES for COMMITTEE INTERVIEWS

Grab the committee’s attention by starting your answers in a thoughtful interesting way. Here is a sampling of a variety of strategies you could use to begin your answers:

a. State the Guiding Principles—I suggest that you develop a set of 10 to15 Guiding Principles (beliefs and values) that you hold that guide your practices. Start your answer by clearly and concisely stating one or two principles that will guide your response.

Example Q: “How would you deal with a fist fight between two students in the corridor?”

Opening Response: “I would be guided by the principles of d0 diligence and due process. By this I mean to thoroughly investigate the circumstances, and to apply the appropriate portions of the Student Code of Conduct.”

b. State the Goal—What is it that we seek to accomplish?

Example Q: “Ideally, what process would you use for doing a classroom observation?”

Opening Response: “The purpose on an observation is to gather evidence and present it to the teacher without judgement, in order to stimulate the teacher’s self-reflection regarding his/her practices and resulting in stimulating the professional growth of the teacher.

c. Talk about the Process— in response to “how would you” questions, you should begin by briefly outlining the step of the process.

Example Q: “How would you lead a committee designed to develop a curriculum?”

Opening Response: I would introduce and use the conventions of Conversational Leadership which include the protocols of Listening for Understanding; Speaking honestly; Suspending judgment; Encouraging differences of opinion and Slowing down the inquiry.

d. Raise Rhetorical Questions—I would ask a question that was central to the issue and then provide an answer.

Example Q: “How would you deal with a teacher who is not fulfilling his/her responsibilities such as monitoring hallways during the passage of students?”

Opening Response: I would ask: “What is the purpose of all teachers monitoring hallways during a change of period? The purpose is to provide a safe environment as a result of having a concerted presence of teachers whose presence will prevent unsafe inappropriate behavior.”

e. What Does the Research Say? – Rather than expressing your opinion, you should identify authoritative findings from research.

Example Q: “Assume that you are tasked with designing a major professional development initiative. What PD model would use which would be most effective in improving teachers’ instructional strategies?”

Opening Response: I would state: “Over the last 30 years there has been a multitude of research regarding the effectiveness of the full spectrum of PD approaches based on changing teaching practices. The research says…”

THESE STRATEGIES SHOULD BE PRACTICED TO MAXIMIZE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. LET ME HELP YOU PERFECT YOUR STRATEGIES AND MANY OTHER STRATEGIES BY COACHING YOU.

MY RESPONSE TO COACHING INQUIRIES

Good Morning,

Hope you are doing well. I would be happy to help you. Let me share some basic information. I do my coaching over the phone for one-hour sessions. My fee is $160 for those seeking school leadership jobs, $180 for district leaders and $140 for those seeking teaching jobs for each session payable after each session through Zelle or Venmo. We would agree to do each session one at a time. I usually do my work between 7 PM and 9 PM on weekdays and 9 AM and Noon on weekends. I will send you attachments before each session which will guide our work.

You might want to check my website LARRYARONSTEIN.COM to find out more about me. I also suggest that you look into buying my recent book THE INSIDER’S SECRETS TO GETTING YOUR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP JOB, sold by Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Send me a recent copy of your resume and let me know if this works for you, and then we will make our appointment.

Larry

516-423-0240

larry aronstein

Larry Aronstein is an educational career coach and consultant who assists school leaders, aspiring leaders, and teachers in developing resumes and preparing them for interviews.