Job Discussion Forums

[Elicit]

Before applying for EFL teaching positions I had never encountered the concept of a telephone interview. Now, after having had two with the prospect of more to come, I must say I would rather do a face to face one. The whole process seems a little awkward to me.

I do feel empathy for the people that are responsible for conducting employment decisions based on telephone interviews. I certainly would find it difficult to make an informed decision on a candidate using one or several telephone interviews as the main means.

The concept is a little sketchy at best, don't you think. Trying to sound lively and enthusiastic as well as coming across professional and serious. Great in theory, but in practice I have felt like lively and enthusiastic makes me come across as a classroom clown and serious and professional gives me the personality of Mr Bean.

Usually after a face to face interview you can judge the outcome by the interviewer�s body language and reception to you. No such luxury with the telephone interview. How can you tell if it goes ok?

Having been asked to participate in follow-up interviews, assuming the normal questions have already been asked i.e. experience, work history, why here? Then what would these consist of? Any ideas?

Does anyone have good/bad examples of telephone interviews they don't mind sharing?

[Sashadroogie]

Carried out dozens and dozens of telephone interviews. There are drawbacks, certainly, but these are more than outweighed by the reduced costs compared to a face-to-face. In my case, the school was simply looking for confirmation that the candidate was a native speaker, had at least half a clue about EFL and, most importantly all of, was not an argumentative potential trouble-maker.

Not very high standards, admittedly. Surprisingly, I still had to reject about half of the candidates whose applications made it to the telephone stage. Outright hostility to the line of questioning (which was from an interview script), inability to answer even the most basic of language-related questions, and no idea that an EFL classroom was not a venue for either an academic lecture on language, nor a playground for tourists in need of a quick cash injection.

Anyway, I'd prepare some spiel about a recent lesson you have given, its strengths and weaknesses etc., what you'd do differently. Also, classroom management will come up, I'm sure. E.g. 'What would you do if one student kept translating everything into L1 for the rest of the class?" Also, any preferences in course books and why. Observations, your views on them, what you gained from them before blah blah. Plans for further development, e.g. ADOSing, MA, DELTA...

You'll be able to tell it goes OK when you get the job!

Good luck.

[Henry_Cowell]

[Mrs McClusky]

Don't moan. They make it really easy to do an amazing interviews. You can have Google in front of you ready for any tricky questions.
Enjoy it.

[spiral78]

I've conducted telephone interviews from time to time.

I recall one candidate who wouldn't shut up
On and on and on about her work and life. It clued me to ask her how she likes teaching writing (a major focus in our context). She quickly labeled herself as a 'people person' who enjoys conversation classes (in which she's likely the star monologist) and wouldn't be interested in teaching for other skills.

And a girl who applied for a job at this uni, which turned out to be her own alma mater, but went on for ages about the classroom management skills she'd applied to 11 and 12-year -old learners at a summer camp. NOT applicable.

I wonder if phone interviews invite a greater degree of cluelessness about the specific job one is applying for, lacking visual clues?

[Sashadroogie]

[evolving81]

[Henry_Cowell]

[Sashadroogie]

Yes, I understand both terms 'fire' and 'sack', thank you very much. In view of your vast experience in handling telephone interviews (for EFL jobs, did you say?) I'm sure you can advise the OP on any typical mistakes he'd be well advised to avoid.

All the best.

[naturegirl321]

I don't like them. I've had very few and far between professional ones. Since I was looking for a job in Asia, most of them went like this.

Tell me about yourself.

I've been teaching for etc, etc.

How did you learn English?

I'm a native speaker.

Oh, but your name is X?

And?

So how did you learn English?

I'm a native speaker, born and bred in the US.

Oh, ok, can you come to our school in a week?

[steviok85]

Hi,
I had a telephone interview the other day for summer school which I had already worked for in 2007.
So the reasonable experience on my CV and references rather assume I can teach kids. The numbskull then proceeded to ask: 'What are the differences between teaching kids and adults?' Sorry, it is like asking what the difference is between black and white. I just froze.

[Sashadroogie]

Why any interview at all for a school where you had previously worked?

[spiral78]

Why any interview at all for a school where you had previously worked?

New management?

Wish WE had new management. I'd gladly go through the interview process in whatever medium was required.

[Sashadroogie]

Ah! The ever-changing management... How could I not have known...?

[gaijinalways]