Teach for America Interview Questions & Reviews

Interview Details I had 3 rounds - a written, phone, and in-person interview. It may be 2 now, not sure about that.

I forget the specific questions, but just really understand what you are applying for. You have to show a strong commitment and that means things like talking to alumni and corps members, visiting schools, reading TFA blogs, learning about the education situation in the US, etc. If you can not put in that effort before the interview, there is no way you will survive the job.

Beyond this, most of the interview is behavioral - be able to talk about your experiences well. The questions were fairly standard, but just be prepared as it is difficult to think about anecdotes/examples on the spot.

The biggest difference between TFA interviews and most other places Ivy League kids apply to is that for TFA, you need to show that you really care about this issue and that you're a nice, humble person. You can survive a top consulting firm or I-bank being a jerk if you have strong analytic ability - but with TFA, no amount of smarts will help you if you can't get rid of your ego.

Finally, I'd recommend not trying to be someone you're not. If you need to put a persona to get into TFA, you're not fit for the experience and you're not going to like it. You can BS and tolerate your way through a corporate job to get to the next step in your career - but don't take that approach to TFA. TFA is an extremely tough but rewarding experience that requires an incredible amount of commitment to the cause.

Negotiation Details – No negotiation - you are paid by your school district.

Interview Details 1. Complete an online essay and write information about yourself.
2. The next phase is a phone interview, which was a lot behavioral interview questions -- Did you ever miss a deadline? What did you do in leadership roles etc.
3. The final interview involves a five minute presentation which goes by really quickly. There is then a group interview where they give your group a problem to solve and then there is a 1 on 1 interview.

Interview Details Submitted a long and detailed online application, which included references, transcripts, answers to questions, work and educational history and personal questions. I was then put straight through to the final interview. (Sometimes there is a phone interview after submission of the online application). The final interview is all day long. First you are to present a 5 minute lesson plan on a topic of your choice. It is really anything you want to teach, at any grade level. If other participants don't ask questions the interviewers will. Often they will answer a question posed incorrectly to see how you respond. After this you break into smaller groups and participate in a group activity reading and analyzing problems that may arise in a hypothetical conversation and how you would handle it. After that it is lunch and you sign up for your time to complete a 1 on 1 interview which lasts about 30 minutes. Here there is a role play scenario, a lot of background information, and a generally pretty laid back interview. When it is over you leave and will get a decision in a few weeks.

Interview Details Long process, order your transcripts early because they want details of every class you took in undergrad and grad school. All of the people are very friendly and committed to the cause. They had a record number of applicants this year, so the competition is tough.

Interview Details Skipped phone interview. Taught a lesson on public speaking then interviewed about answers to a case study involving a principal who didn't want to implement some program.

Reason for Declining – The college where I was supposed to get license was wayyyyyy to expensive and I read a lot I mean a lot of bad reviews of teach for america that soured my acceptance. Even school board meetings where teachers shunned TFA.

Interview Details The phone interview was all of the basic behavioral questions. One thing that I have not seen anyone else mention is to make sure you really create a connection with your interview. I think this is a good determination if you move forward. My interview was very friendly and reacted to my answers like a normal conversation as opposed to one of my friends who interviewed and she said her interviewer just said ok to all of her answers. This could be different for everyone.

Negotiation Details – no

Interview Details A rather extensive interview process, with online application followed by phone interviews, multiple short online tasks and in person final interview involving the teaching of a 5 minute lesson.

Interview Details I filled out the general application on Teach For America's website. I got a follow up email from them in about 3-4 weeks. From there I scheduled a phone interview, where I was screened for a few different positions, where I expressed my interest in a specific role. I then had a 2nd phone interview one week later, which was followed by a 3rd interview a few days after. The entire process was long, but I was so at ease with the staff. I did not end up getting the position, but was in the top 3 contenders. They were so nice, even when it came to telling me I was not offered the position.

Interview Details Got recruited through my university's job database. TFA recruiter was extremely dedicated to TFA's cause, informative, and thorough.

After I submitted my application, which was a long application, TFA invited to a phone interview. Phone interview was short and easy.

Reason for Declining – I did not want to move from my current location. The job also requires a commitment to getting the job no matter what, which is reasonable; however, you need to be prepared to teach every day in challenging classrooms.