Interviewing for a School Secretary Position
Researching Jobs
By Lisa McQuerrey Updated June 27, 2018
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Secretaries often serve as command central in a school, and are tasked with numerous daily responsibilities. Interview questions for this key role will revolve around experience, time management, multi-tasking and organizational skills, communication abilities, patience and temperament. Interviews may be conducted by a principal or by a school board.
Nearly every type of job interview starts with questions about the candidate's educational and professional background, but this question carries a significant weight in an interview for a school secretary position. The administrator will likely give you an overview of the student body and will ask if you have worked in a similar environment. You may be asked to explain what you did and did not like about your previous roles. Essentially, a potential employer wants to know if you can handle the unique requirements of the specific school, so an advanced knowledge of the institution will be helpful. Examples:
Coming from a large school, I believe that working in a rural community would be rewarding. I look forward to getting to know the students and parents on a more personal basis, and I'm confident that my large-school skill set will easily transfer to this new role.
I'm very excited about the prospect of using the experience I gained working for a small school district and applying it to a role in a larger city. I learned a great deal about task tracking, records management, as well as database creation and monitoring, which I believe will be helpful in a role that has expanded responsibilities.
School secretaries work with a varied demographic, so having exceptional people skills are essential. School secretaries must be able to communicate effectively with students, parents, administrators and teachers. As such, questions related to these areas should be anticipated. Examples:
How do you deal with habitually tardy students?
How do you handle an argumentative parent?
What would you do if multiple teachers called in sick?
In a previous position, have you ever disagreed with a principle? If so, how did you handle it?
Be prepared to give real life examples in your responses. Example:
Once I had a parent who always brought her daughter to school 30 minutes before class started, and the child was often left waiting outside in the cold. One day I came in early and spoke with the mom while she was dropping off her child. I learned that the mom was working two jobs, and that she had no other choice. I told her about several of our pre-school care options and helped get her daughter enrolled. After that experience, I learned that parents don't always know which resources are available to them, so now I make an effort to keep an eye out for those kinds of situations.
A significant part of a school secretary's job responsibilities are in organizational task management. Responsibilities may include:
Managing teacher schedules
Finding substitutes
Collecting lunch money and program fees
Calling parents to inquire about absences or to notify parents about sick students
Maintaining school attendance records
Office tasks such as equipment maintenance, ordering supplies, taking calls and answering mail
Coordinating communication, such as daily announcements
Serving as a PTA/PTO liaison
Preparing worksheets and handouts
Given the enormity of tasks a school secretary is required to perform, having organizational- and time -management skills are key. Be prepared to explain how you effectively juggle the responsibilities of this often fast-paced environment.
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Lisa McQuerrey has been an award-winning writer and author for more than 25 years. She specializes in business, finance, workplace/career and education. Publications she's written for include Southwest Exchange and InBusiness Las Vegas.
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1 Interview Questions for Attendance Clerks
2 What Is a High School Secretary's Job Description?
3 Tips on Interviewing for a High School Library Media Specialist Position
4 Interview Tips for a Daycare Preschool Assistant