Resume Writing and

Interviewing Strategies

Goals for this Session

Cristina Sanchez-Chavira M. Ed
Assistant Principal

Reality Check
What is the initial amount of time an
employer takes to review an applicants
resume?
7 to 15 seconds

What does a resume say about

you?
Resume
Too much
information
Organization
Error Free
Professional
Appearance

You
Failure to
concise.
Well-Organized
Attention to detail
Careful and
Competent

Get up to speed on the purpose and

trends for resume writing.

We will look at how to prepare for an

interview.

Discuss common questions.

Provide real practice

Purpose of a Resume
Serves as a Marketing Tool
Sets positive tone for interview.
Paints a positive and factual
picture of you.
First impression

Tell a story
What do you want your resume to convey?

Passionate about teaching

Life long-learner
Dedicated to child-development
Dedication to the Field

*Be careful and do not add too much fluff . Your

resume must match your interview.

Format
Guide the readers eye
The Internet has changed reading behavior.
People dont read top to bottom anymore.
Readers skim
Looking at different parts of the page
Structure your resume to appeal
readers (bold, sectioned).

The Header

Enhance your contact information

Digital Age: Physical Address is not necessary
Hyperlink your email
Correct Telephone number
Appropriate personal email
LinkedIn profile
Social Media
Examples Socorro ISD promotes Twitter.
EPISD promotes Facebook

Objective Statement
Avoid the traditional common statement
objective
Communicate the type of position you are
interested in.

Skills Section
Relevant to the position
Organized Bullets
Content areas
Professional Areas

Personalized Objective statement to district

or campus. Campus are not concerned with
what is it youre looking fortheyre focused
on finding the right hire.

Skills Section
Hard Skills
Easily measured or quantified. Learned
through experiences or formal education.
Languages
Written and Spoken Fluency
Technology
Specific Trainings (SIOP)
Programs

Technology
Secondary Language
Management
Sub-Population groups

Skills Section
Soft Skills
More subjective skills and difficult for
employers to teach.

Dependable
Self-Motivated
Adapt to situations
Problem solver
Time management
Attention to detail, communication
Strong Work-Ethic

Bonus: 5 Skills employers

are looking for
1. Problem Solving Skills
2. Ability to work in a fast paced, deadline
driven environment
3. Ability to work independently (but seek help
when needed)
4. Strong interpersonal skills (co-teaching,
team teaching) etc.
5. Strong Written and Oral Communication
Skills

What are your skills

Take a few moments to jot down your skills.
2 Hard Skills
3 Soft Skills
Share

Education
If your GPA is higher than 3.0. Consider
including it.

Education
ACP Educators
Prior experience. Focus on Leadership roles

Second Option: Major GPA

New Graduates with minimal experience

Graduating with Honors

Special Projects completed

Related Courses
Extracurricular leadership roles

Suma, Magna, Cum Laude)

Honors Convocation
Dean List

Experience

List Responsibilities

What is considered experience?

Full and part-time jobs
Self-employment
Volunteer work
Practicum, field, and cooperative education

Use bullet points

Start of each line with an action verb
Tailor skills and experiences to the position for
which you are applying
Be concise while providing enough detail

Service to the Field of

Education
Volunteer time for school functions
Mentored or assisted in event for future
teachers
Provided training to teachers or Future

Return to your story

Know your resume
Use it as a tool during your interview and
reference trainings, highlights or details on
your resume.

teachers.

Provide a reason for them to return to look at

your resume.

Assisted with research

Common Resume Mistakes

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Typos or Grammatical Errors

Mass Mailing your resume
Too much information
Being Vague
Limiting yourself to the 1 page resume
Not enough information
Email addresses

Resume Donts

Resume Dos

Use action verbs

Use short, concise sentences

Quantify (numbers or percentages)

Keep resume easy to read

Tailor to each interview

Questions?

Do not use the pronouns such as I, me, my, etc.

Do not clutter your resume with nonessential
information

Do not make any misrepresentations

Do not include personal information

Do not use inappropriate email addresses or social
media handles.

Do not oversell or include fluff.

Interview

PAR Interview Strategies

Prepare before
Approach during
Reflections after

Preparation Before the

interview
Know the Position
Grade Level
Content Area
State Assessed grade or content.

Preparation Before the

interview
Know the School
School website
Twitter, Facebook etc.
TEA Campus Report Card and Data
Climate survey
Campus Improvement Plan
Sample: Escontrias Elementary
Texas Education Agency

Preparation Before the

interview
Know the School
Get to know the neighborhood
Anticipate Questions
Be Prepared to Sell Yourself!

TAPR

Preparation before the

interview
Walk in knowing the campus:
Strengths
Areas of improvement
Programs
Initiatives
Campus Culture

Preparation Before the

interview
Are you ready?
Do you know about the grade level?
Do you know how the Content area is
performing?
What is the campus culture?
What are the looking for?

Approaching your interview

Make the best first impression
Be on-time
(min of 15 min before your interview)

Dress Appropriately
Make eye contact
Smile
No Fidgeting
Be confidant

Approaching your interview

Visualize Yourself In the Interview
Know this:

There is no question you cannot answer

You are well suited for the position
You will be an asset to the campus
No one will prepare as well as you did.

Bring:
Extra copies of resume
Samples of relevant work (Communication samples)

Approaching your Interview

Three potential areas in an interview
1. Written prompt
2. Modeled Lesson
3. Traditional Question and Answer

Written Prompt
KEEP IN MIND
The written prompt is not assessing your
knowledge in the area in question. It is
assessing:
*Written Communication Skills
*Effectiveness in getting your point
across
* Written expression under pressure.

Written Prompt
Organize your thoughts
Plan your writing
Check your grammar

Modeled Lesson
Correct Grade Level TEKS
Selection of the content area
(candidate vs. campus)

Ask clarifying questions

Common topics:
Classroom management
Differentiating instruction
Student Safety

Modeled Lesson

Materials will be available

Classroom make-up (Bilingual, Co-Teach, Co-Teach)
Technology available
Campus demographics

Q and A

Post Objectives
Follow a lesson cycle (Best teaching practices, concrete
to abstract, etc. )
Provide a copy of written lesson plans to the
administrator or the committee

Be Prepared and Responsive to all the

questions.
Take Time to Organize Your Thoughts
Reference your resume if applicable

If needed, request a few minutes to become familiar with

your teaching environment or to set-up
Accommodations for SPED and ELL students

Q and A

TYPES OF QUESTIONS

Listen Carefully to the Questions

Understand Behavioral Based Interviewing
Silence is Golden, Know When to Stop
Answering
Tie Your Background to the Position
Focus on Your Accomplishments
Turn Weaknesses Into Strengths

Behavioral Based
Questions
Can usually be used to see how a person
could potentially react to a difficult situation.

Behavioral Based
Questions
Think Specifics
Dont Say Usually, Always, Or Never
Ive never had that situation, I always do
I have not yet encountered a situation like that , but if or when I
do I would..

Can You Tell Me About A Time

Examples
You had a disagreement with a colleague
You had a student that was not learning the
presented material
You had to discuss a difficult situation with a
parent.

Be prepared to answer the negative question

Was the result positive? measurable?
Dont forget to be confident
Be concise

Sample Questions
Tell Me About A Time
You persuaded someone to do something
You solved problem before it turned into
something large
You interacted with someone and wished youd
interacted differently
You worked well in a team
You worked in a team where not everyone was
working together.

Sample Questions
PRACTICE
Tell us about a time you solved a problem
before it turned into a crisis.

Sample Questions
Trending

Sample Questions
Trending

Response to Intervention (RTI)

Data Driven Instruction
Specific to content areas (Campus data may
give you an idea of what area they are focusing
on)
Differentiated Instruction
Professional Learning communities (PLC)

Classroom management
Discipline
Philosophy on education
At-Risk students
Lesson Planning

Sample Questions
Practice

Sample Questions
Practice

How will you use Data to drive your instruction?

Share with us your philosophy to Classroom

Management?

Sample Questions
Consider
Share with us your approach to the Districts
Fundamental 5 teaching initiative?

Q and A
Educational Jargon
Feel confident to ask questions or clarifications
Answer based on your experience
Do not worry about Quantity (time) but the
Quality of your answers.

Q and A

Q and A

Two Most Difficult Questions

Two Most Difficult Questions

Tell us about yourself

Is there anything else you would like to share

with the committee

Tie your personal experience to the position

Education
Experience

Tie your personal experience to the position

Sell yourself
Explain any gaps in experience, education and
mobility.
Highlight how you would address or contribute to
areas you found in your research.

Explain gaps or mobility

Share passion for education

Student advocate
Highlight trainings that would correlate to the campus
needs or initiatives.
Prepare this answer before your interview.

Final Thoughts

You need to start preparing

for your interviews today!
The secret to acing your interview is to stop
believing in LUCK and start believing in your
PREPARATION.

References
Money Magazine 2016 Career Guide
Monster.Com

Goals for this Session



Get up to speed on the purpose and

trends for resume writing.

We will look at how to prepare for an

interview.

Discuss common questions.

Provide real practice

Thank you
Cristina Sanchez-Chavira
Assistant Principal
Escontrias Elementary
cchavi@sisd.net

Fortune 500
Educational Resources and updates

Questions?
@ CSChavira_EES (School updates)

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