Blowing Your Own Trumpet 101

“I don’t mean to brag…”

Or, maybe I do. This is the troubling enigma faced by every candidate in a job interview, fearing the dreaded phrase, “you’re fired“, before they’ve even been hired.

With every painful interview experienced, the one consolation is that when you leave, having spent approximately 30 minutes boasting, if you don’t get the job, you will never have to see the panel again…

Well, when we would be forced to sit in class the next day with our peers making up the interview panel, this comfort was removed. I felt nothing but sheer embarrassment at the thought of having to sing my own praises so highly, in order to practice for the future. But needs must, to be prepared for the competitive world of work!

After the task was revealed, I chose my job description: an English Teacher at Malone Integrated College.

Entering the Boardroom

As I waited outside the interview room, I took a deep breath, attempting to remember every example of successful teaching practice I had, and in an attempt to control my shaking hands, I fiddled with the bottom of my dress, then, proceeded to push my shoulders back, give myself a shake and walk as confidently as possible into the interview room.

I sat down in front of a friendly but firm looking panel, trying to make a good ‘first’ impression by introducing myself with a winning smile, and spent the next 10 minutes, blowing my own trumpet so excessively that I could have passed for an award-winning musical soloist! It felt unnatural and too selfish to be acceptable, but supposedly this is how these interview things go…

Waffles for Breakfast

In preparation for my interview, I read a TES Editorial that emphasised the importance of giving concise answers, “long enough to show that you know what you are talking about, but not so long that you lose the panel’s attention.” (2019). However, this is often easier said than done for an English student…

One negative of this experience was in exact reference to this; a question on safeguarding, which I had prepared for, but for some reason, my mind went into overdrive, I found myself waffling, giving the panel a rather wishy-washy answer, instead of the school-policy-specific, targeted answer I had prepared. These things happen!

I can only assess that this was resultant of my nerves and paranoia about appearing like a ‘know-it-all’ in front of my peers. Although, at the time, I wished I had given the perfectly-worded answer I had prepared, it taught me that I can think on my feet, as the panel responded positively to what I thought was spur-of-the-moment brainstorming, showing that I must have subconsciously proven my effective research and awareness of the importance of safeguarding in schools, as I was able to use relevant buzzwords such as “safeguarding officer”, “school policies” and “legislation” in my answer.

Personal or Personable?

“Peers provide rich information which is then used by individuals to make their own assessments.”

Boud, 1995, 200-206

One positive I came away with, based on feedback from my peers, was that I used my personal experience to back up my responses, noting that I had a “great range of [interesting] experiences in the classroom.” This was inspired by a TES article on teaching job interviews, which reminded me of the importance of using your experience and classroom stories in your answers, a nuanced and necessary skill, as finding the “balance between being too personal in a professional context is always a tightrope, but it shows that sometimes it can be the spark that stands out..” (Hallahan and Worth, 2021).

To do this, I ensured I used the STAR technique, an effective method of answering interview questions, as suggested by QUB Careers Consultant, Emma Lennox. This became my PEE paragraph structure of interview questions, using anecdotes as evidence to back up my point.

Hearing positive feedback about my use of the STAR technique and specific answers, eased my worries about the interview-special of waffles that I assumed I had served the panel, so I was greatly encouraged!

Room for Improvement: Talking Hands and Lightning Speed

I believe that “the creation of a climate for learning and assessment [is what] encourages reciprocal communication and openness to feedback.” (Boud et al., 420). Since constructive criticism was presented encouragingly, I didn’t feel embarrassed or intimidated by it, rather, pushed by my peers to improve for future interviews. This environment allowed me to not only assess why certain habits have formed, like speaking quickly and using my hands when I talk, but also how effective they are. For example, speaking quickly is primarily due to nerves, however, talking with my hands is not always a bad thing…

Studies have shown that “people who communicate through active gesturing tend to be evaluated as warm, agreeable and energetic…”

Kinsey Goman, 2010

Instead, talking with your hands is something to be aware of, as noted in my feedback, as excessive hand gestures can be distracting and take away from your answer content.

Two Stars and a Wish

In reference to Gibbs’ cycle, a reflective action plan would contain pointers derived from what I could have done differently, like taking a breath before answering to slow down my thought process, ensuring an understandable pace of speech. Similarly, if found using my hands excessively, I would clasp them, placing them on the table, to portray a less sporadic manner in the interview.

Ultimately, this interview experience has helped me to fulfil module learning outcomes, proving I can relate my study of English to a work environment, communicating my skills and qualities, while using reflective examples in my answers.

Feedback is “the most powerful… factor that enhances achievement… [increasing] the probability that learning will happen.”

Hattie and Jaeger, 1998.

So, learn from your feedback, it’s okay to blow your own trumpet, and show off your skills in an interview, after all…

10 minutes of present embarrassment is so worth it, to benefit your future!

Bibliography:

• Boud, David, Ruth Cohen & Jane Sampson. ‘Peer Learning and Assessment, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education’. 1999, 24:4, 413-426, DOI: 10.1080/0260293990240405
• Boud, David. 1995. Enhancing Learning Through Self-Assessment. London, Kogan Page.
• Hallahan, Grainne, and Dan Worth. ‘Teacher Job Interviews: 6 Ways to Stand Out’. 2021. Available at: https://www.tes.com/magazine/archived/teacher-job-interviews-6-ways-stand-out (Accessed: 11 February 2022).
• Hattie, John, and Richard Jaeger. ‘Assessment and Classroom Learning: A Deductive Approach. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice’. 1998, 5:1, 111–122.
• Kinsey Goman, Carol. ‘Great Leaders Talk With Their Hands.’ [online] Forbes.com. 2010. Available at: <https://www.forbes.com/2010/09/21/body-language-hands-gestures-forbes-woman-leadership-communication.html?sh=33db7b0828bc> (Accessed: 12 February 2022).
• TES Editorial. ‘How to Make your Job Interview a Success’. 2019. Available at: https://www.tes.com/jobs/careers-advice/application-and-interview/how-make-your-job-interview-success (Accessed: 9 February 2022).