Questions to expect at interview

Prepare for what you might be asked during your international school job interview

Great news, you have an interview! Get yourself ready by doing some research about your prospective employer and thinking about the questions you’ll be asked - and will want to ask.

Here are some of the most common questions that teachers are asked by international schools during interviews:

• What challenges are you looking for in a position?

• What can you contribute to our school?

• Why do you want to move overseas?

• What do you know about the school location and the country?

• How do you plan to help yourself adapt to life in this country?

• Describe a great lesson you taught recently. How do you know it was great?

• Give an example of how you encourage great learning?

• Describe your ideal classroom?

• How do you cater for different abilities / learning styles?

• How do you deal with conflict (parents, students, teachers)?

• How could you contribute to professional development in our school?

• What do you think of your current school? How could it be improved?

• What do you know about our school and how do you think you will fit in with our learning community?

• Can you give some examples of how you will cater for children who are second or third language learners?

• How will you adapt your teaching to an international context and can you give an example?

• What do you think the main challenges will be for you teaching in a different country?

Your questions

The questions you ask during an interview create an impression about you. If your first question is about the salary and benefits, your interviewer will think this is your priority. It may be a good idea to focus your first questions on the learning community, the curriculum, staff development or your integration into the international school community.

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