25 Teacher Interview Questions Answers [Common Hard]

25 Teacher Interview Questions Answers [Common Hard] Youre about to see the top 25 teacher interview questions and answers.But firstWhats that sound?Its your nerves. Theyre screeching like nails on a chalkboard.Youve got a teacher interview tomorrow.Theyll grill you like a slab of questionable lunchroom meat.Dont worry.A little prep can turn your world around. Youll walk in cool and ready.Of course you need to prove youve got the skills.But with a bit of thinking, youll have perfect answers handy.This guide will show you:The 25 most common teacher interview questions and answers.Tips to ace a teaching job interview, including how to prepare.How to answer interview questions for teachers with achievements that impress.How to ask your own teaching interview questions for hireability bonus points.Want to make sure nothing will slip your mind at that big interview? Get our free checklist:42 Things You Need to Do Before, During, and After Your Big Interview. Stick to it, and youll turn every interview into a job offer!Cant land an interview in the first place? Your teaching resume might be to blame. Fix it with the help of these guides:Teacher Resume: Sample Writing GuideSubstitute Teacher Resume: Sample Writing GuideTeaching Assistant Resume: Sample Writing GuideWant to land more job interviews? Create the perfect resume in our builder:Pick a professional template.Get expert resume tips from recruiters.Edit and download your resume in minutes.Start getting more job offers. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume.Sample teacher resume made with our builder See 20+ templates and create your resume hereOne of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowLooking for more interview questions for a teacher? Here are the most common job interview questions and answers:Common Job Interview Questions and Best Answers (20 Examples)125 Most Common Teacher Interview Questions [110]These teacher intervie w questions and answers will make the interviewers ask you a question:When can you start?They cover popular high school interview questions, special education teacher interview questions, substitute or assistant teacher interview questions, and more.Why do you want to be a teacher?Why did you become a teacher? is the most common of all interview questions for teachers.Administrators want to know youre motivated to work through inevitable frustrations. And believe me, theyve heard every generic answer in the books.Because I want to help people wont work. Find something specific that shows youre motivated like no other.Example AnswerI had trouble reading as a child My 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Paulette, introduced us to an amazing list of short stories and books. She read to us and worked with us on reading comprehension. Her care switched on an unquenchable thirst that led me to read thousands of books on topics as diverse as history, biology, sociology, and nature. Mrs. Paulettes atte ntion forever changed my outlook on life. Since then, Ive known I wanted to do exactly what she didto give children tools to last for their entire lives.What is your teaching philosophy?Teacher interview questions like this ask, Are you a good fit for our school? Its the teaching equivalent of tell me about yourself.ButDont answer elementary teacher interview questions for an unstructured school with, I believe in structured learning.Take the time to learn the schools philosophy before the interview.Example AnswerI believe in teaching to each students passion. For instance, in one kindergarten class, my students had trouble with punctuation. I observed that one student, Mary, suddenly got excited about apostrophes. I fueled her passion with a big book on punctuation. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and soon the entire class was asking bright and animated questions. Whenever possible, I try to deliver structured lessons in an unstructured way like this.That answer uses the S.T.A.R. ap proach to teaching interview questions. It shows a Situation, a Task, an Action, and a Result.How much do you want to know about your students in order to be most helpful to them?This is another of those interview questions for teachers that depends on the schools philosophy.One administrator might think its crucial to know every detail. Another might say, A doctor doesnt need to know her patients favorite ice cream flavor.Be honest, but find common ground, as in this teaching interview questions answer:Example AnswerI need to know a students learning styles, passions, and challenges. One difficult student, Tim, was disruptive in class. I joined him on the playground on and off. It turned out he was being bullied after school by his brothers friends. I spoke with Tims parents, and they had no idea. Tim became my star student, and as a result, my whole class got quieter and easier to teach.How to Prepare for a Teaching Interview:Research the school online and talk to teachers. Learn their challenges.Brainstorm times youve solved problems like theirs.Practice sample teacher interview questions. Write up your answers and drill with 3x5 cards. When possible, describe a problem you once faced, an action you took, and a positive result for your school or student(s).Gather materials like a lesson plan, Praxis scores, and transcripts. Include images as proof of your accomplishments.Why do you want to work for our school district?Administrators want to know if you really want this job.Sofind things you love about the school.Talk to teachers who work there. Check out the schools website, mission statement, and About Us page.Finally, take some time to think of how you fit.Example AnswerI respect Snowy Peaks Highs belief in teaching to the whole child. Your focus on academics, character, community, and nature fit perfectly with my own philosophy. Its easier to teach well-rounded students. The best lesson plan in the world cant help a child whos struggling in all other are as of life.How can you help our school/students?Teacher interview questions like this dont have to make you blink.Remember:Take the time to learn the schools needs first.The example below is for a school with a high percentage of disruptive students.Example AnswerIve talked to several of your teachers and heard about their challenges with classroom management. My own classroom management skills are highly developed. Ive taken 18 continuing education credits in class management from the University of Phoenixs online program. I was commended at my last school after fully engaging a class with over 25% disruptive students. I used a mix of nonverbal cues, transition cues, timeouts, and several other kernel-based strategies. I believe I can be just as effective here.What do you find most frustrating about teaching?Teaching interview questions like this attempt to see if you are easily discouraged.Soyour answer has to show your inner strength.Example AnswerI get very frustrated with brigh t kids who become overconfident and dont apply themselves. Theres nothing sadder or more common than wasted potential. At my last position, I worked with several children who werent trying. I implemented a research-based program to incorporate student ideas into the lesson plan. The addition of their thoughts created more complete engagement. Test scores went up 15% in just two months.Pro Tip: Teaching is frustrating. Many common interview questions for teachers focus on that pain. Dont minimize it. Instead, explain your skills at working through it.Why should we hire you to teach here?This is the teacher interview questions equivalent of the old standby, Why should we hire you?The example answer below is for a school that wants technology in the curriculum.Example AnswerIm well aware of your new technology initiative. We were tasked with the same challenge at my last school. Thanks to my strong tech background, I was able to add online quizzes easily. The students loved them, and t hey cut administrative processing by 25%.How would you get your classroom ready for the first day of school?This and similar teacher interview questions look at your preparedness.First steps create a first impression. Your plan for first steps says a lot about your teaching skills.Example AnswerI want my classroom to be welcoming and nurturing. I also make the ground rules obvious. A welcome sign and labeled desks help students feel at home from day one. Engaging posters and other visual aids help create a sense of excitement. Beyond fun, a large list of rules and consequences at the front of the room helps the class start on the right foot.Why do we teach (science, math, French, etc.) in school?Why does your subject matter to you?If you say, So they can get good jobs, youll flunk common interview questions for teachers like this.Think why you care about the subject at a gut level.Example AnswerIve always believed our future depends on regular people using science in day-to-day deci sions. Science is at the core of a sense of wonder for our natural world. That wonder can drive students to improve their learning skills. It can take them places they never thought theyd go.Bring a lesson plan, transcripts, and Praxis scores. Be ready to answer a question about teaching philosophy. Be familiar with newest lingo, assessments instead of tests, and the use of rubrics to correct assignmentsPaula BeanH.S. TeacherHow do you evaluate your students?Common teacher interview questions like this examine how you measure your performance.As usual, avoid generic answers. Cite an accomplishment and how it helped your students.Example AnswerI evaluate students with formal and informal methods, including quizzes and tests. I also grade in-class activities like reports, recitations, desk work, and group activities. One student, Terry, showed a strong grasp of concepts during in-class activities, but performed poorly during testing. Through working closely with him, I uncovered an un diagnosed vision problem. Terry got corrective lenses and his test scores rose to match his in-class comprehension.Beware. Teaching interview questions like the above may look for whether you use assessments vs tests.Know what differentiation and universal design are. Be ready to discuss working with students with both identified and unidentified disabilities. Be able to explain how to flip a classroom. Explain that youll be very willing to communicate with and work with parents. Explain scope and sequence. Know who Ross Greene, Ruby Payne and Donna Beagle are. Be able to talk about how youd apply their work in your classroom.Brian WelshHigh School Teacher215 Less Common Teacher Interview Questions [1125]The next 15 interview questions for teachers arent on the A-list.As one of my teachers used to say, prepare for them anyway because they may be on the test.You never know which teaching job interview question you might face. More prep = less chance of a flub.What are your strengths as a teacher?Whats your biggest weakness as a teacher?How do you interact with parents?Why did you leave your last teaching (or other) job?Whats your educational background?Where do you see yourself in five years?How do you handle classroom management?Whats your favorite subject?What do you like best about teaching?Tell me about your teaching styleHow do you manage your time to get all your teaching duties done within schedule?Whats the biggest challenge todays students face?Describe your worst day in class.How do you motivate students to learn?How have you helped a tough student?Those are the top 25 teacher interview questions and answers. Want one more question to rule them all? Thats coming in a second.Be flexible. On the way to my first teaching interview, I was caught in a downpour and my car broke down. I still nailed every question. Then they asked to see my portfolio. I unzipped it and a big puddle of water splashed out onto the principals lap. I said, Im pretty sure this is a sign that this is not the place for me. He laughed and offered me the job.P.J. StevensonH.S. Teacher3The Most Important Interview Question for TeachersHeres the ultimate teacher interview question:Do you have questions for me?Whys that earthshaking?It asks if youre savvy enough to ask an intelligent question about the job.It lets you show your interest.It can show youre an impressive candidate.It lets you pry out valuable information about the position.It takes time away from their teaching interview questions. That lets you out of the hot seat.So, do a little head-scratching in advance.Which of the reverse-teaching interview questions below fit the job opening best?Which ones show you as the strongest candidate?Questions to Ask in a Teacher InterviewWhat would my goals be for the first year?Whats the average classroom size?Whats the schools culture like?Do you have an active PTA?What are the other teachers like?How is the interaction between the school and the parents?What do th e other teachers like most about this school?How do you handle bullying?How do you approach student discipline?How do you measure teacher success?Any of those questions to ask in a teaching interview will show you know your way around a lesson plan.Look at the schools website. Review their mission and vision statements and be ready to discuss achievements that show you fit.Todd MercerHigh School TeacherThats it for our list of 25+ common interview questions for teachers. Want more reverse-teacher interview questions? See our guide: 65+ Best Questions to Ask in an Interview Land Top Jobs4Teacher Interview TipsBad dream:You walk into the teaching interview. You sit. Youre sweating buckets.They start asking questions. You umm and ahh.Suddenly you realize youre in your underwear.Sound familiar?Before we wrap up the top 25 teacher interview questions and answers, lets take one minute to prepare.The teacher interview tips below will jack your confidence up to the ceiling tiles.Teaching I nterview TipsKnow the lingo. What are AYP goals? Who are Wiggins and Marzano? What are rubrics? What should you know about proficiency-based models? Brush up on your terms and be ready to discuss them.Prepare for common interview questions for teachers. Learn the schools needs. Then brainstorm accomplishments that show how you can help.Bring a portfolio. Its not for them to read. Its evidence of your teaching interview answers. Bring materials that shows achievements, like lesson plans, worksheets, and images.Dress professionallymore professionally than you would for work. That sends the message that you take the interview seriously.Listen. The more you ask and listen, the fewer interview questions for teachers youll have to answer. Plus, interested = interesting.Make eye contact with the principal and all other interviewers.What to Bring to a Teaching Interview:Bring a complete portfolio with student work samples, your evaluations, a copy of transcripts , your teaching license, and your Praxis scores. If you have a completed unit plan with feedback bring it as well.Aleah DennyH.S. TeacherIn a teaching interview, you may face situational interview questions. Those usually start with Tell me about a time... Need help prepping? See our guide: 20 Situational Interview Questions and Answers to Nail Your InterviewWant more interview tips for teachers and other jobs? See our guide: 50+ Successful Interview Tips, Advice GuidelinesKey TakeawayHeres a recap of common teacher interview questions and answers:Prepare. Read the 25 teaching interview questions in this guide. Spend the most effort on the top 10.Do your homework. Learn the schools needsboth online and by talking to their teachers. Prep answers that prove youve got solutions.Ask questions. Pick a few general interview questions above. Theyll show youre present and accounted for.Do you have questions on how to answer interview questions for teachers? Not sure how to describe your past experience? Give us a sho ut in the comments! Let's get you hired now.

Insight programmes for first year work experience University of Manchester Careers Blog

Insight programmes for first year work experience University of Manchester Careers Blog If you are a first year student why not consider getting ahead and starting developing your skills, experience and contacts with employers now? There are still opportunities from the start of your studies which will help you for your career and build experience on your CV. Is there any available work experience with corporate companies? A number of companies offer insight programmes or open days where you can find out more about their opportunities and make a good impression. They often happen during the spring or Easter holidays and sometimes during the winter vacation. Some insight programmes are already being advertised on company websites and also on CareersLink, which you can login as a current student to check opportunities. Traditionally this type of opportunity is more popular with the areas of Finance and Law, however, there are a range of other insight programmes on offer including opportunities within sectors such as IT, Engineering, or charity based organisations to name a few. For more details on companies with possible insight programmes see information on our website about First Year Spring Internships. Some popular schemes can include with employers such as: Barclays PwC Talent Academy RBS Morgan Stanley Bank of America/ Merrill Lynch Proctor Gamble IBM Consultancy Hogan Lovells Enterprise-Rent-a-car Unilever Barnardo’s What if there isn’t an insight day within the area I’m interested in? If you can’t see anything being advertised immediately then you may want to consider researching your area of interest to find companies to find out if they will advertise later, or approach them with a speculative application for gaining work experience. Our CV, Cover Letter and Application Form guides have information on making a speculative application and our staff in the Careers Service may be able to give you further help to support you in this. You may also want to consider developing your Networking skills to establish and explore possible industry contacts within your area of interest. Look at our Networking information on our website Read our  Getting Connected  guide Check on CareersLink for events with Employers in the near future including information and networking events, which will give you ways to make contact with companies. Think about what contacts with people you already may have that could be useful to network with and ask about possible work experience opportunities What other opportunities are available to me to gain work experience? It is good to remember that you can gain valuable skills through both your studies and extra-curricular activities that could be relevant to a job you want to apply to in future. Be proactive and make the most of your time at university. Consider developing skills that you need for the roles you want to apply to through other opportunities including part time work, volunteering, taking a leading role as a member of student society in the Student’s Union or through maybe a hobby or other interest. Only First Years Allowed Information event on 27th November There is also an information session especially for first year students of University of Manchester to support you in getting work experience. Check out the full details of where, when and how to register for the event through logging in on CareersLink. Check out further information on our website with Work Experience for First Years and also a further blog on with helpful advice on First Year internships and work experience. All Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted First year students networking work experience

Are Huge Job Boards Actually Hurting Your Job Search

Are Huge Job Boards Actually Hurting Your Job Search One of the most common pieces of good advice offered to job-seekers is to find a positive way to stand out from the crowd something that distinguishes your resume from the stack of similar ones on the hiring managers desk and makes your name stand out in his mind. The reason for this is clearly illustrated in any of the nature documentaries you may have seen chronicling the relationship between predator and prey. When confronted with a herd of identical-looking zebra, a lion often has a difficult time picking out a single individual from the group; the odds that any particular zebra will be the one that the lion eventually succeeds at singling out are low. Blending in with the herd: Blending in with the group is an asset when the consequences of standing out are being eaten by a lion. However, when the hiring manager for a position you want is the one doing the hunting, its no longer an asset to be just one of the group. And the larger the group is, the more difficulty that HR manager will have in identifying the most qualified candidates. When a hiring manager has to sift through piles of resumes, on paper or online, to find the few qualified applicants mixed in among scores of unsuitable candidates, his eyes glaze over and he isnt able to give the task the time or attention it deserves. Thats exactly the problem with massive job board websites like Monster and CareerBuilder. Due to the nature of their business model, they open the doors to all comers, leading job-seekers to respond to any posting that looks even vaguely like something they might be able to do. Obviously this is a disadvantage for the companies posting the job listings, since they have to invest their HR personnels time into separating the wheat from the chaff, but it also hurts qualified job-seekers who have invested a great deal of time and effort into their career search. Its much harder to stand out among the mob of applicants responding to postings on huge job board sites, so even the most highly qualified candidates have little guarantee that their application will receive more than a cursory glance from a hiring manager â€" if it even gets looked at in the first place. Career position credibility: HR department managers, knowing the problems inherent in these enormous online career databases, may choose to avoid posting available positions to these websites at all â€" or they may only post less desirable, entry-level jobs for which it is less critical that they find highly skilled, well-qualified applicants. The screening process for responses to the jobs they do post may not be as rigorous as a candidate might expect; in an effort to avoid wasting a disproportionate amount of time on the selection process, the hiring manager may simply contact the first qualified applicant in the stack of responses they receive. Regardless of the details of the selection process that goes on behind the scenes, you may have the (completely justified) suspicion that your application is not getting a fair shake. So what can you do about it? Finding ways to stand out from the herd on massive career database websites is harder than it sounds, since you need to be careful that youre distinguishing yourself in a positive way. For the zebra in the nature documentary, any obvious marking that makes it look different from its fellows is enough to allow the lion to zero in on it â€" if researchers spray-paint a fluorescent blotch on a single zebra in the herd, guess which one the lion can keep track of most easily? But for a job-seeker, its not enough simply to be memorable; if it were that easy, career advice websites would tell you to type your resume in 20-point bright orange Comic Sans. Unfortunately, that sort of strategy wont get your application the kind of attention you want â€" you might give the hiring manager a funny story to tell his coworkers later, but your resume will end up deleted. The better strategy is to avoid being part of that huge herd of zebras to begin with. For job-seekers who are serious about their career search, massive job board websites may not be the best approach to finding the best fit for their qualifications. Rather than competing with a broad spectrum of candidates ranging from recent high school grads to underemployed professionals with decades of experience, it can be more advantageous to seek out targeted, field-specific job websites that use sophisticated matching programs to find the best fit for each applicant, rather than casting an overly wide net using search terms and hoping for the best. The professional candidate: Employers are more likely to use sites like this for more specialized professional positions that command higher salaries, because they can be confident of finding a suitable selection of candidates without having to do a lot of weeding from their applicant pool. Hiring managers using these services can take the time to give each candidates resume due consideration because they havent wasted their time and energy on dozens of useless applications from job-seekers without the appropriate qualifications. From your perspective as a candidate, applying to positions with which youve been expertly matched may help you feel less like youre shouting into the void, because you can be confident that the HR manager responsible for the position knows that you are qualified for the job and will seriously consider your application. Because the hiring managers are wasting less of their time rejecting unsuitable candidates, you will waste less of your time submitting your resume to overworked HR emp loyees who cant give it the consideration it merits. Theres another advantage to focusing your career advancement efforts on specialized career websites that match candidates to positions that meet their qualifications. Many job-seekers find themselves in the position of working at a job with unsatisfying advancement prospects or working conditions, and begin quietly looking for something else while trying not to make waves at their current place of employment. They may not want their present employer to know that theyre unhappy and are searching for other options â€" so think about how awkward things could become when their boss notices their resume plastered all over Monster and other major career websites. With a more targeted, specialized career site that matches applicants with suitable positions, you can avoid that sticky situation entirely. Expanding  your career options: The huge job board websites have their place, especially for entry-level positions or those that dont require a great deal of advanced qualifications. But for qualified professionals looking to expand their career options or to start moving forward again, those massive sites are unlikely to yield the kind of success you may expect. The signal-to-noise ratio that job postings on those sites elicit is poor enough that your application is unlikely to receive any sort of real attention, and you could find yourself applying to dozens of jobs without hearing a single word back from a recruiter. Dont waste your time and energy sending out applications that just disappear into the depths of the internet â€" focus your efforts on specialized career websites that carefully match applicants to positions where they will receive due consideration. Author: Still in college, Clarissa Brooks is currently an intern at www.pharmstorm.com, a pharma career resource. In her free time she can often be found reading, writing or playing with her two dogs.

How Recruiters Can Find More Job Leads

How Recruiters Can Find More Job Leads Are you always on the hunt for new vacancies to fill? Perhaps you have enough leads but simply want to keep an eye on the market? If I gave you 10 vacancies / jobs today â€" how many would you be able to fill? Be honest with yourselves! The UK Recruiters I have surveyed recently tell me that they fill 2 out of every 10 vacancies that they fill. However, I met a client yesterday who has managed to improve their fill rate by: Focussing on each recruiter and their own fill ratio. Getting that recruiter to go through a process of qualifying and being realistic about the quality of their leads. 10 Reasons why Recruiters Need More Job Leads: Finding job leads / vacancies is a crucial part of every recruiter’s role.   Every recruiter needs to: Know more about their sector. Gain inspiration on writing their next advert (or perhaps plagiarise?). See what their pesky competitors are up to. See what their ever-so-savvy clients are up to. Research skills bases. Research market expectations. Gage salaries / market trends. Demonstrate how clever they are. Increase the probability of finding the equivalent of the purple squirrel in job terms. And what every agency recruiter really MUST do is HAVE MORE CHOICE OVER WHAT THEY WORK! (number 10!) Imagine Having More Job Leads Imagine a day when you can cull vacancies which you have no chance of filling.   Imagine a day when the jobs you advertise are a complete and accurate indication of your approach, client base and expertise.   How about giving yourself a break from working jobs where the client has engaged with 20 other recruiters and saying “No thanks”.   I know the recession was hard and I know that the word “no” seems to have been replaced with “oh, ok then” but this is just not great business sense. Generating Job Leads Using Social Media: Here are a couple of tips, and if you really want to go to town, see the slide deck at the bottom which has another 10. On your LinkedIn Homepage there are 2 gorgeous places where you can see job leads: A little button called  All Updates. Click it, choose Jobs… there may be some gold in there! Check out the  Jobs You May Be Interested In  widget (down the right hand side of your home screen). This looks at your profile, keyword matches to jobs on the LinkedIn Jobs database (currently 300,000) and does a lovely piece if personal shopping (lead generation)  for you. Heaven forbid you cross off the ones you are not interested in (thus training the system to work better for you), or press the  See more  option and look for more / set up email alerts that would just be too easy! Take a peak and see what results you get. Lots of my clients generate leads from these cute features. Dont use the excuse that you have enough leads I bet some of your leads youd dump if you could find better ones. Want to improve your fill ratio?

How to Complete a PhD While Working Full Time CareerMetis.com

How to Complete a PhD While Working Full Time There are plenty of reasons you might choose to work full-time while pursuing a Ph.D.Balancing these demanding studies with the rigors of any 40-hour job probably sounds like a handful. In all honesty, it is! But many people just like you have taken this road with incredible success and opened new doors for themselves.evalSo why would a professional want to pursue a Ph.D.? When in life should they begin? And is earning a doctorate while holding down a job elsewhere a path anybody can take? Here’s some insight into this work-education-life balance and some tips for getting it right.Why Would You Earn a Doctorate? When Is the Best Time?The first question to ask yourself is why you’d want to earn a doctorate in the first place when you already possess a degree. Many people have found themselves wondering, “Is getting a Ph.D. worth it?” and struggled to find a concrete answer. The truth is, every career field is different, and your mileage may vary. For instance, if you hope to a ssemble a career in the academic world, there’s an excellentchance you’ll need to earn a Ph.D.to do it.People who’ve been through doctorate programs themselves say the work involved and the schedule required to keep up can be grueling. But it’s also a singularly valuable experience for people who have a genuine connection to the research and a desire to create what one reader of The Atlantic called, “strikingly original” and “pathbreaking” academic work.With that in mind, it might be tempting to go after your Ph.D. right after you finish your undergraduate studies. You’re better off waiting, though.Precisely how long is up to you, but you want to take enough time to decide onthe answers to essential questions like:Do you know where you want to live for the next four to five years?Are you willing to continue in an academic setting, uninterrupted, for a total of eight to nine years?The material you’ll cover in your Ph.D. studies will be specialized and demanding. D o you have the required emotional buy-in, or do you need time to hone your topic?Many people do find spending years away from academic circles makes it harder to come back to the lifestyle. You don’t need to take a year-longsabbatical, but it should be long enough that you’ve had time to consider the course your research and dissertation will take.evalThose who earn a Ph.D. versus a master’s degree earn around $15,000 more per yearon average. In addition to the aforementioned option of a career in academia, doctorate holders can also go on to become surgeons and general physicians, veterinarians, lawyers and judges, psychologists and other consequential members of society.You’ll be joining a rarefied company if you see your Ph.D. studies through to completion.What Are the Advantages of Working While Earning a Doctorate?evalThere are, of course, some difficulties that come with the territory. The one we’re here to discuss is the problem of how to earn a living while keeping up with your course material and independent research. Solving this brings us to the chief advantage of working while earning a doctorate.The idea of adding a full-time job to the stresses of earning a Ph.D. might sound counterintuitive, but there are ways to do it without sacrificing your mental health or social life. There are several reasons this is an appealing option to many:The first and most obvious advantage of working full-time while working full-time on a doctorate is that you get to complete your studies in less time than if you pursued your Ph.D. only part-time.The second clear advantage of balancing work with studies is that you get to hold down a job with a salary and benefits â€" or at least consistent earnings. You’ll likely find that being able to count on a steady paycheck provides valuable peace of mind.There’s another advantage you may be able to realize if you’re particularly skillful at career-building while earning your doctorate. It’s possible to par lay the experience you accrue researching and writing your dissertation into better performance in your career, and vice versa. Even if the “meat” of both experiences isn’t similar in topic or scope, each one helps develop the discipline the other requires.evalOne of the best reasons to attend graduate school in the first place is to gain networking opportunities and pursue your passions. Being able to hold down a job in a particular field while you’re studying to become a doctor is a great way to pool and amplify your passions and energies.How Can You Prepare Yourself for a Ph.D. Program?It may feel awkward at first to watch people with whom you earned bachelor’s degrees cultivate their professional lives while you’re still at university. The first thing you need to banish that feeling is to envision the future you want to live inwhen you have realized your goals. You’ve decided to work toward something important and meaningful, so don’t lose sight of what it’s al l for and don’t worry about the paths other people chose.If you intend to maintain your 40-hour, full-time job while earning your Ph.D., it’s a good idea to reach out to your closest superior at work to see whether there are flexible scheduling options available. We’ll talk more about how to balance work and studies, but one tenet is to create productive routines for yourself. One way to do that is to fit your studies into your professional life as comfortably as you can.If you have an employer who’s willing to help you out with that, you’ll be in even better shape. Find a way, if you can, to draw a connection between the goalsof your doctorate and dissertation and the vision and goals of the company you work for. Explain that you’ll require a small amount of additional flexibility, but that your studies will make you even more valuable in the future.Preparing yourself for a Ph.D. program also requires that you reimagine some of what you know about the academic process. In the past, you may have been able to get by with saving major projects until the last minute. But this approach won’t work if you’re serious about earning your doctorate.You don’t want to be among the 50% of Ph.D. candidateswho depart their university of choice before they’ve earned their doctorate in full. And there’s no reason you have to be. But Ph.D. candidates must be self-motivated, ambitious and serious about staying productive.Writing a dissertation requires deep reading of secondary research materials as well as primary research, where you generate original data or content for analysis. The entire experience is a highly iterative one, where your research might take you to unexpected places and your thesis itself might have to change one or more times.If you want the best chance of success, set deadlines for distinct tasks as you go, include dissertation work in your schedule consistently and seek frequent feedback from people you trust. Most importantly, don’t stay stuck if you feel like you’re in a dead-end. One way to free a logical or creative logjam is to try out freewriting and see what comes to you that might advance or sharpen your argument or dictate where your research goes from here.Tips for Balancing Your Doctorate Studies With a CareerBalance isn’t impossible to find. However, maintaining your mental health and the demanding pace required by both your career and your doctorate means setting the right expectations for yourself and getting into the right mindset.evalHere are some things to remember.a) Get into a routine:It doesn’t matter what field your research is in, what your job is or what your dissertation is all about. Many successful people throughout history found their success by creating personalized and comfortable routines for themselves. Associating a particular place and time of day with productivity is a smart way to slip into the right frame of mind, instead of stealing time wherever you can find it and ho ping inspiration comes to you.b) Break projects into tasks and budget your time:You’ve been in academia for a few years, so this isn’t new, but you need to become even better at dividing your projects or goals into tasksand then blocking off time specifically for tackling those tasks. Laying the groundwork for your dissertation takes years, and it runs in parallel to the other demands of earning a doctorate. Learn this skill early.c) Use your adviser as a resource:Your academic advisoris there for a reason. Holding down a job may make it difficult to meet in person, though. Lean on email, Skype or Google Hangouts to find spare moments to touch base. With few exceptions, advisors are ready and willing to give you feedback on the direction your studies are taking and what they think of your methodologies. They can help keep you grounded and focused.d) Take care of your mental health:It’s OK, and even encouraged, that you peel yourself away from the books when you need to. People who work and study full-time have chosen a uniquely demanding path, and it’s only right that they take regular “me time.” Whether that includes cooking meals for yourself every week, going to the gym regularly, unwinding with family and friends or all of the above, make time for it.evalFor some people, part-time doctorate studies are an option if you don’t want to divide your energies to the extent that full-time studies require. Taking this route lengthens the time it takes to earn your Ph.D., but it also helps you avoid fully doubling the demands on your time.It’s also possible to seek out work opportunities on-campus at your university or even consider scaling back your duties at work to part-time while you give your studies your all. Everybody finds a balance here, but people don’t necessarily strike the same equilibrium as everyone else working while earning a doctorate.Ready to Earn Your Ph.D. While Building Your Career?If you have been considering the advantages and potential challenges of earning your Ph.D. while keeping up with your career, we hope these tips prove informative and useful. Maintaining this balance won’t be easy.But you can vastly improve your chances of success â€" and keep yourself sane â€" by entering into the experience with a full understanding of awaits, a strong work ethic and the ability to subdivide your time to focus on individual goals along the way

9 Capabilities to Advance Your Career Faster and More Easily

9 Capabilities to Advance Your Career Faster and More Easily At any given point in your career, people will be forming opinions on whether you’ve “got what it takes” to make it to the next level. When the right people think the answer is yes, your career zooms ahead. But when it’s a no, you’re going to be stuck, at least for a while. And it’s hard to know when and how people are forming those opinions. They may not even be conscious that it’s happening. But when questions come up about who should be paid, promoted and recognized, those opinions come to the forefront. That’s why I’ve put together this set of capabilities to help you take matters into your own hands. 3 Areas to Focus On I’ve found that most of the time, it’s a combination of how you perform in three broad areas that determines whether you’ve “got what it takes”: how you work with People, on the Business, and on your Self. And within each of those areas are three main capabilities to consider. As you read through these 9 Capabilities, hone in on the one or two that would most help you if you take action. Don’t try to work on all of them at the same time. Focus on the ones that will most move the needle for you right now. And then take action. Get FREE Chapter ACCELERATE: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage Get free chapter Working with People Stakeholder Management This capability is about building and maintaining constructive relationships with key people who have a say in your business and career, irrespective of whether you “like” each other. To handle this well means knowing who the stakeholders are, assessing where you stand with them, and creating a targeted game plan for the ones who matter for your career and business. This capability is increasingly important as you get more senior because the stakes are higher and the relationships become more complex. Team Leadership At the heart of Team Leadership is building and maintaining a high-performing team. This means being able to attract a diverse group of talent and get them to collaborate toward a common goal. It also requires you to develop the talent you have and build a bench of leaders beneath you. Most of us start our careers as individual contributors, but to rise in most organizations, at some point you’ll need to show you can lead other people as well. Great team leaders know how to bring out the best in the team, keep out the worst in themselves and become a magnet that attracts others to join the team. Communication that Connects Great communicators are clear, engaging and effective in getting their point across. They also take time to understand the audience, tailor the way they deliver their core message, and create a feedback loop so they can keep improving. Being an effective communicator helps you to be seen, heard, understood and respected. And in a work context, it allows you to engage people and create buy-in for the initiatives you lead. Working on the Business Vision and Strategy As you progress in your career, you’ll be expected to develop a bigger vision for your business coupled with having a strategy for delivering on the vision so that it’s achievable, despite being bold. When you have an inspiring vision and a credible strategy for achieving it, you can attract resources to your cause whether that’s people, financial and other assets. This, in turn, increases your likelihood of success. Whatever stage you’re in in your career, take the time to work on your vision and strategy. What it entails is understanding the business and where you and your group fit in, asking questions to generate insights, and taking a more strategic approach to your current work. Decision Making Decision-making is about moving past the analysis stage to action-taking, even when no one can be sure of the outcome. Doing this well requires knowing how to frame key decisions to get to the best outcomes, and preserving your decision-making capacity so you can crisply make the ones that count. The more senior you become, the more decisions you’ll be asked to make. As the stakes get higher, those who are known for making sound decisions with imperfect information will be the most respected leaders, producing the best business results. Creating New Business Creating new business means producing results and outcomes that are tied to what matters most to your organization. I think of this as being a “rainmaker” â€" someone who makes great things happen for the organization that can be seen, felt or heard. The best Rainmakers understand the most important outcomes for the organization and how they (and their group) can contribute. They need to create a safe space to test their ideas, and they have a network they can turn to for brainstorming. By having a “rainmaker” mindset, you’re more likely to be perceived as truly valuable at the next level and advance in your career. Working on Your Self Self-Awareness This capability is about knowing who you are and what you stand for and being confident about the value you bring. When you’re self-aware, you have a better chance of being able to manage yourself in the moment rather than fall into unhelpful habits/patterns. When you are aligned internally, your opportunity to contribute is exponential. The most self-aware people I know have a system for noticing, managing and changing their mindset and behaviors. They are constantly striving to learn, grown and improve. Presence and Profile Presence is how you show up when you’re in the room: being able to command a room and make yourself seen, heard and respected. Profile is how you show up when you’re not in the room: being known and recognized by others beyond your immediate circle. You need to have both. Having both presence and profile makes you more likely to be able to influence outcomes, which is essential if you want to advance to more senior levels. Building Your Community Building your community of supporters means being strategic in developing your network of relationships beyond the people you need in order to get the job at hand done. It’s about having a robust set of relationships so that you have the kind of support, advice and connections you’ll need to keep advancing to the next level professionally. Which of these capabilities would make the biggest difference for you if you worked on it now? Get FREE Chapter ACCELERATE: 9 Capabilities to Achieve Success at Any Career Stage Get free chapter

Where to Get Help in Writing Resume

Where to Get Help in Writing ResumeThere are hundreds of web sites for help in writing resume. Some of these sites can help you create a perfect resume and get the job. Some of them will simply not be able to help you. Fortunately, there are more to choose from than you may think.The first place to start is to go online and do a search on 'resume writing'. From the list of options that come up, make sure you are going with a site that has a track record of helping people get jobs. It would be nice if this were something to say in your resume, but not so important that you wouldn't want to put it in there. It just makes you look professional.After that, you may want to check out the forum on the site. If you have a question about writing a resume or some other thing, post it. People will likely respond. You can ask your questions and get answers.Consider writing your own resume instead of using one provided by a website. This can be a bit more difficult, but you get more control over it. You can also add sections that describe what you did in previous jobs. You can write about things that you learned in college, or you can use the information to create an ideal resume.Be sure to read the content that comes with the resource box as well. There may be information that you need to know before submitting your resume. This is important, because many employers require a personal statement. They don't want to see your resume from the past, because they don't even want to read it. They want to see the future and see how you will be able to do what you claim you will do.These websites also have a list of suggestions about how to make your resume stand out. You can use this to decide which areas need help and which ones are solid.If you are ready to start making a simple resume, this is the right place to start. Get help from the experts, or choose to make your own resume.