Among the essential interview questions out there, this is the one I focus most on because it speaks directly to the employer’s mindset. It’s really what’s behind all the other tough questions you’ll be asked, because it’s the one question the employer is trying to answer for herself:
Yeah, it’s awkward: most of us don’t like to brag about ourselves, our teaching, or even our students’ accomplishments.
But this question isn’t designed to test your ego or trip you up.
It’s simply the essential question on employers’ minds during interviews. Whether they ask it outright or not, it’s often the unspoken question in the room, coloring all the other questions.
The employer needs to choose one person for the position and your job is to provide specific reasons for choosing you over the 199 others.
To prepare a great response to the question, ‘Why should we hire you?’ we need to dig a little deeper. Put yourself in the employer’s shoes and think about what she or he is wanting and needing to know.
I’ve identified three underlying questions behind the ‘Why should we?’ question, to help you answer what the employer really wants to know:
1. What distinguishes your teaching from that of the other 199 applicants?
Forget about comparing yourself to anyone else. Comparisons are never a good idea.
Instead, tell us what your teaching is actually like. Come prepared with 2-3 concise anecdotes that illustrate HOW you teach. (Just make sure you’re not describing it generically, the way 90% of the other applicants would.)
Describe a challenge you faced in your teaching and how you overcame it. Use a vivid example of a specific student (or ensemble or class) struggling with a particular issue and describe the creative solution you used to work through it and what the results were.
And note, not all interviewers are well prepared or experienced. You may need to find a time to bring up these key points and your examples. Prepare for interviews by identifying the main points you want to make and the anecdotes you want to use to illustrate these and then work them in to your interview responses.
2. How will you fit in at our institution?
For this you really need to do your homework before the interview. Read the school’s website carefully.
Find out about the demographics of the students, the community, and the rest of the music program areas beyond your specialty. Read up on the school’s recent concerts and projects. Learn about what the graduates are doing, read carefully the school’s mission and its news releases about the school and the music program.
Why do this?
In the interview you need to be able to speak genuinely and knowledgeably about why you want to teach at that institution. Make note of what you find remarkable. As you read, be on the lookout for ideas and opportunities for collaborating with other faculty and program areas. In the interview you want to demonstrate that you will be a good colleague and team player.
3. What can you do for our students and our program?
Look for ways to offer added value: to go above and beyond. Most schools will want you to actively recruit new students, so be prepared to detail the kinds of outreach work you’ve done and your ideas for engaging students in community work.
And if you prepared question #2 above, you may have further ideas for collaborative projects that build on the school’s strengths and offer students additional learning experiences.
The idea here is to think beyond the specifics of your teaching specialty area and consider how you can be of service to the department and the school—ways you can help the program succeed through cross disciplinary or other strategic partnering.
Want more help?
Here’s a related post:
http://www.angelabeeching.com/what-employers-want/
And for a view of this question from a corporate perspective, check out Pamela Skilling’s article at:
http://biginterview.com/blog/2013/04/why-should-we-hire-you.html
As always, I welcome your feedback and questions: love to hear your interview horror or success stories and what interview prep has worked for you!
Looking for more personal help with a job search?
Info on working with me HERE.
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