Yesterday was my first interview with a good company. I had to travel from Hobart to Melbourne (and my wonderful Mum met me there!)...it cost me a lot! Generally air fares are pretty cheap, but the process with the company has been extremely quick, so I didn't have much notice.
Needless to say, I hope I get the job, otherwise it's an expensive day trip.
Interviews can be really daunting, and I'm one of those people that get terribly nervous. Beforehand Mum and I had lunch quite close to the interview location, which was the Westin Melbourne Hotel. I wish, wish, wish I had brought my camera! The cars parked outside surely must have been worth way over $100,000...they looked so expensive! Walking into the lobby, I immediately saw my interviewer. I asked if he was ------ (I'm sure he doesn't want his name splayed all over the internet), then introduced myself and Mum. Mum went for a walk, so we went and sat down, and pretty much chatted about Melbourne, then Japan in general. I spoke about my experiences, why I want to be an ALT, how I heard about their company, etc. It was an extremely relaxing and stress-free atmosphere. At the end, it made me wonder why most other companies (not just ALT or ESL jobs, but jobs in Australia as well) make it seem really serious. It's an excellent way to determine whether a prospective employee can hold a conversation and generally be nice to be around, as well as how well they can do the job they are interviewing for.
I was asked a few 'how would you react in this situation' questions. I pretty much drew from my own experiences as a student, and I think I went well.
Next I was asked to explain a lesson plan that I had created beforehand. I chose the Elementary School option, and was told that everything I had prepared was definitely well on track. I was really overjoyed, I feel like I nailed it!
I think that we spoke for about an hour altogether; at the end I was buzzing. I had had a really good conversation, learned a few new things about the Japanese schooling system, and realised that I may have a good chance of actually landing this job. This company really seems to be the perfect place to work for as an ALT.
Finally, I will be waiting on an email from the Head Recruiter to hopefully schedule a Skype interview, which I hear will be the hard part. Nevertheless, I'm really looking forward to it, and I will do my best! Ganbarimasu~~!
PS. I really want to stay at the Melbourne Westin. Even the bathroom smelled nice!
Needless to say, I hope I get the job, otherwise it's an expensive day trip.
Interviews can be really daunting, and I'm one of those people that get terribly nervous. Beforehand Mum and I had lunch quite close to the interview location, which was the Westin Melbourne Hotel. I wish, wish, wish I had brought my camera! The cars parked outside surely must have been worth way over $100,000...they looked so expensive! Walking into the lobby, I immediately saw my interviewer. I asked if he was ------ (I'm sure he doesn't want his name splayed all over the internet), then introduced myself and Mum. Mum went for a walk, so we went and sat down, and pretty much chatted about Melbourne, then Japan in general. I spoke about my experiences, why I want to be an ALT, how I heard about their company, etc. It was an extremely relaxing and stress-free atmosphere. At the end, it made me wonder why most other companies (not just ALT or ESL jobs, but jobs in Australia as well) make it seem really serious. It's an excellent way to determine whether a prospective employee can hold a conversation and generally be nice to be around, as well as how well they can do the job they are interviewing for.
I was asked a few 'how would you react in this situation' questions. I pretty much drew from my own experiences as a student, and I think I went well.
Next I was asked to explain a lesson plan that I had created beforehand. I chose the Elementary School option, and was told that everything I had prepared was definitely well on track. I was really overjoyed, I feel like I nailed it!
I think that we spoke for about an hour altogether; at the end I was buzzing. I had had a really good conversation, learned a few new things about the Japanese schooling system, and realised that I may have a good chance of actually landing this job. This company really seems to be the perfect place to work for as an ALT.
Finally, I will be waiting on an email from the Head Recruiter to hopefully schedule a Skype interview, which I hear will be the hard part. Nevertheless, I'm really looking forward to it, and I will do my best! Ganbarimasu~~!
PS. I really want to stay at the Melbourne Westin. Even the bathroom smelled nice!
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