For all of you graduate students out there, it’s that time of year filled with excitement and stress…graduation!  If you are finishing your program in school psychology, you are probably filled with excitement and more.

2 years ago I shared some tips for interviewing as a School Psychologist.  Recently, I’ve gotten some more requests for sharing information, so I thought I would do so here!

• When/how did you get your first job as a school psychologist?

I mentioned this in my original post, but I had a different goal/philosophy about getting my first job.  I had some peers who started applying to every school psych job in our state while we were still in graduate school and accepted the first one offered to them.  If that’s your plan, great, but it wasn’t for me.  I had a list of about 10 towns that I wanted a job in, and I only applied in those areas.  I’m not going to lie, it was stressful but worth it.    I ended up getting interviews in 2 of those towns- one of which was the system I had interned it.  I ended up getting a job in the town I interned in and it was 100% worth the wait and the best decision for me.

Years later, when I decided to start looking at places that were closer to my home (I worked an hour away and it was hard with a baby), I again made a list of places I would like to work in and applied only to those towns.  I checked websites daily for openings and applied right away!

• What about your portfolio?  What did you bring to interviews?

We had to complete the NASP portfolio and E-portfolio as part of my graduate school program.  While I think this is great, with a lot of comprehensive information, I did not bring that with me to interviews.  I did, however, bring a portfolio both times that I felt showcased my work-something that the interview committee could quickly look over.  Here’s what I included in mine:

1. Resume/Important information (Copies of degrees, my state certification, etc.)
2. Recommendation letters
3. Sample assessments (A copy of an extensive one I did with identifying information removed, a copy of an FBA I had completed, and then another “unique” one).  This was helpful, and on two interviews, people took a sample to look at and keep after my interview.
4. Counseling work samples.  I do a lot of counseling in my roles, so I included some sample lessons or student work from the main formats or programs I use like Social Thinking, Zones of Regulation, and CBT.
5. Whole School Initiatives.  At my first job, I did a lot of whole school/PBIS work, and I was really proud of the program I created, so I included this in my portfolio as well.

What types of questions prepared you for your interview?

After interviewing for several jobs, and being on what feels like a million interview committees myself, I definitely feel like there are some questions that come up often:

1. “Tell us about yourself”,  Okay, this seems silly to think about beforehand, but you want to have some idea of what you want to share-do you want to share personal information, and a summary of how you came to be a school psychologist?  Do you want to share your passion for education?  Something to think about.
2. “Tell us about a difficult case and how you handled it”.  I think this one comes up a lot too.  Think about your work, or internship, and think about different scenarios-one where you felt really successful, one that was difficult, and what you learned from it.  Be ready to share those!
3. Strength/weaknesses.  Another pretty generic one, but something to think about-what sincerely is a strength of yours, and a weakness that you can also spin as a strength?  (And don’t say you are too hard of a worker for your weakness-no one will buy that!)
4. Describe a time you disagreed with a coworker and how you handled it:  I’ve gotten this question a few times, and tried to answer it honestly and professionally!
5. Assessments.  When I was interviewing for my first job, I interviewed for a position that was part Pre-school.  I knew NOTHING about preschool, and when they asked me about assessments for that age, I had no idea.  Ooops!  Sometimes it helps me to just make a list in my head of what I do.  At my last interview, actually, the interview team ask what I would typically do for an initial assessment.  I essentially said that it would depend on the referral question, but gave a comprehensive example…”Well, I like to always start with a developmental history and a cognitive evaluation ( I usually use the WISC or KABC but have used others).  Depending on the referral concerns I also sometimes do more standardized measures like the NEPSY or WRAML for looking at attention, memory and more.  Then, in terms of beahavior, I do observations and rating scales for concerns like behavior (BASC), Attention/executive functioning (Conners/BRIEF),  Adaptive Behavior (the Vineland or ABAS).  I also always do and observation of the student”.
6. What type of counseling do you do? Or what materials are you familiar with?  Again, something to think about ahead of time, and a time to share your knowledge and passion.  I love using CBT with my kiddos, and also try to incorporate mindfulness for friends that can use it.  I also consistently use the Social Thinking curriculum and Zones of Regulation-so I share that!
7. What questions do you have for us?  I don’t know if I have ever been in an interview that HASN’T ended with this question!  Some of the ones I like to ask are:
8. What are you looking for in a school psychologist?
9. What are the roles of a school psychologist at your school(s)?
10. What opportunities are available to collaborate with other school psychologists?

What your tips for interviewing?

In general (and in addition to what I’ve shared above), be yourself and don’t be intimidated.

As a new school psychologist, you bring knowledge of the most up to date practices, lots of excitement and energy, and a breath of fresh air…which is just what some school district somewhere is looking for.  Remember, we were all newbies once, and so were those administrators and teachers interviewing you!

Set yourself apart.  Remember, you want a job, but you want a district and placement where you will learn, thrive and succeed.  I always sent a thank you email to the person I coordinated my interview with, and, being part of interview committees, I can say that it’s a great way to express to the team that you are very interested.

You got this!

Any other questions for interviewing?