Administrator Interview @ Mopan Technical

INTERVIEWING IN ANOTHER COUNTRY-WHO KNEW!

Today, I completed a mock interview with the principal from Mopan Technical High School.  It was a really great experience.  We discussed how the hiring process works at their school and proceeded to go through the interview itself.

I am so glad I went through this experience during my student teaching.  I would never have guessed at the difference in the questions and the attitude during the interview.  But first, before I explain why, allow me to start from the beginning.

First of all, when applying for a teaching job in Belize, there is no standard teaching application. So the school themselves get to choose what they require.  So what do they require?  A cover letter and a resume, along with your teaching certifications and documentation of other additional training and previous work experience.  That's it.  Yup! That's it.  No complicated application that you need to fill out ahead of time describing your entire life accompanied by an essay. I was fairly shocked.

For Mopan Technical, there is only ONE interview.  There are no rounds, there are no finalists, there are no second chances.  You have one shot.  The interesting part, was that the questions asked during the interview, I would say were more personal.  The "interview panel", principal, were more interested in where I lived, my method of transportation, if I was married, and what I studied.  There were no questions about teaching strategies, pedagogy, classroom management etc.  

The reason that I found this experience so valuable was because it made me realize just how important it is to do thorough research of where you are applying prior to applying.  If I had walked into this interview, I would have probably done poorly simply because I was not expecting the questions to be so personal.  Not that I could not answer them, it would have caught me off guard and hesitant to answer.

The reason their questions were so personal, is because in Belize, transportation is difficulty, times are irrelevant, there aren't major background checks to document an individuals criminal history.  So of course they are trying to make sure that you are going to be able to perform your best at work and not have other issues getting in the way of the job.

In reflection, I know that whenever applying for a job, it is extremely important to look into the issues, concerns and interests of where applying whether it be Belize or in the States.