I used to think….. that I knew how to properly prepare for a job interview.
What I learned?
Preparing for a job interview is a lot of work. In order to be fully prepared I spend a great deal of time on the school or organization’s website investigating things like the vision, mission, values. I look at the strategic plan and priorities as well as the leadership team and governance structure. I watch videos and look at pictures to see what day to day life is like and also to have a window into the learning and teaching.
Social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can also provide a great deal of valuable information about the school. They often show how staff engage with social media, who is on Twitter from the school and what they are learning about, how the school is perceived by the local and international community, what is the school’s reputation, how does the school market and promote the brand and what is valued and celebrated within the community.
All of these things can provide insight into the organizational culture, values, mission and vision of the school.
But what about culture as in “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group.”
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/culture
How do you gather information and understanding about the culture?
How diverse is the staff? What cultural groups are a part of the faculty, parents, and student body?
What are the inclusion, equity and diversity policies?
What languages are spoken and taught?
What values does the organization hold in regards to national culture, individual culture, diversity and inclusion?
What type of leadership does the culture value and does your leadership style match?
David Livermore uses a framework that supports the development of cultural intelligence that has 4 factors: Drive, Knowledge, Strategy and Action. All of these are needed for success.
How then could you used these factors to prepare for an interview?
What do you need to know for success?
https://davidlivermore.com/2016/07/18/2260/
These are important factors to research and investigate.
As a leader entering into this new culture what do you need to know?
What might impact your interview?
How can you ensure that you stay true to yourself and leadership philosophy and entertain the possibility of living and working in this new culture?
What can you do to ensure you are successful?
Do your homework and it will pay off!
What are you learning? . Share some strategies you have used to prepare for an interview.
Resources
https://www.hofstede-insights.com
https://www.crossculture.com/about-us/the-model/
https://davidlivermore.com/cq/
