The One Thing You Should NEVER Do in an Interview
Interviews are a professional situation where every answer shapes how a school sees you, not just as a teacher, but as a colleague, role model, and representative of their community. One of the quickest ways to damage that impression?
Complaining about your previous school, employer, or job role.
Here’s why this is a serious red flag for interviewers!
1. It’s Unprofessional
Complaining signals a lack of discretion. Even if your frustrations are valid, voicing them in an interview can suggest you struggle with professionalism in challenging situations. Schools want teachers who can handle difficulties calmly and constructively, not those who air grievances in formal settings.
2. It Creates a Negative Perception
Interviews are about showcasing your skills, values, and potential contribution. Complaints shift the focus away from your strengths and onto problems. Instead of remembering your passion for teaching or your creative ideas, the interviewer may walk away remembering your frustrations and criticisms. Remember, first impressions count, and you don’t want yours to be a negative one!
3. It’s Not Appropriate for a First Stage Interview
The first stage is about making a positive first impression by showing enthusiasm, professionalism, and suitability for the role. It’s also a formal situation that requires the utmost professionalism. The interviewer is not your friend to vent to; they’re likely a well-qualified and experienced school leader. It’s perfectly fine to be friendly, but don’t cross the line between sharing and oversharing!
Plus, If you use this opportunity to list the things that went wrong in your last job, you risk coming across as someone more focused on the past than on the future.
4. It Raises Concerns About Future Behaviour
If you are willing to criticise past colleagues or employers in an interview, what might you say in the staffroom, to parents, or even to students? Schools are protective of their reputations and their communities. Negative comments make interviewers wonder whether you can be trusted to speak about their school in a professional and respectful way.
How to Reframe Negative Experiences
Of course, not every teaching role will have been perfect. The key is to acknowledge challenges without placing blame, and to focus on what you learned or how it shaped your career path.
Reframe mismatch as growth:
“That role wasn’t the right fit for me, but it gave me valuable experience in managing mixed-ability groups.”Reframe lack of support as resilience:
“The environment required me to be very independent, which really developed my initiative and adaptability.”Reframe culture clash as clarity:
“I realised I thrive in a collaborative culture, which is why I’m especially drawn to your school’s team-based approach.”
By turning difficulties into positives, you demonstrate maturity, self-awareness, and a solutions-focused mindset. These are VALUABLE qualities every school wants in their teachers!
Don’t just take our word for it. We may have the experience and feedback of speaking to hundreds of HRs and professionals over the last seven years, but we also stopped by Lucton Chongqing to speak to their Founding Head, Ms. Sarah Ezdani. Find out what she had to say here:
Join us, as we speak to Ms Sarah Ezani (Founding Head of Lucton School Chongqing 2022-2025) and Mr Roy Donnan (Deputy Head of Academics at Lucton School Chongqing) in a very special interview series! As experienced and knowledgeable leaders and international educators, Ms Ezani and Mr Donnan share their insightful views on school leadership, career pathways, interview pet peeves and much much more. In Part 2, we speak about the qualities that make a good leader, how to move from teaching one age group to another, and the one thing you should NEVER do in an interview 🧑🏫