The Puzzle: Blog

If you’re a recently-accepted candidate with Carney Sandoe, congratulations — we’re excited to help you navigate your job search. Since being accepted, you’ve hopefully received an email detailing our process and the documents you need to submit as part of your file, and, potentially, a request for a phone or video interview from your new Placement Associate or Counselor.

How do you prepare for this type of interview? While it’s not quite the same as a pressure-packed phone or video interview with a school hiring contact, your initial phone interview with your Placement Associate is incredibly helpful in beginning your job search. Although it's not the only time you'll be able to talk to your Placement Associate, this first initial chat is so important because it sets the stage for your job search and allows us to get to know you — beyond your resume — so we can start matching you with opportunities that fit what you're looking for.

Stress Less

First thing’s first: you don’t need to stress about this interview. This is an opportunity for you to really tailor and refine your job search so that your Placement Associate refers you to targeted positions that best match your skills, interests, and goals. It’s not a quiz or an evaluation — it’s a helpful tool for getting you hired.

Give Your Elevator Pitch

Be prepared to share a highlight reel of your experiences with your Placement Associate so he or she can understand the positions for which you’re most qualified. For example, if you’re an art teacher, make sure to specify the types of media with which you’re most familiar — particularly if you haven’t indicated that clearly on your initial application. This information will be particularly helpful when schools have placed certain restrictions on the positions they list with us.

Be Specific

Our application is comprehensive, certainly — but it’s always beneficial to verbalize to your Placement Associate what specific factors matter most to you. Did you say you would “consider” living anywhere on the East Coast, but you really mean you’d consider anywhere within a 50-mile radius of Boston? Let us know! Are you open to teaching any grade level but are really passionate about a middle school position? Tell us! Though they might seem minor, these types of conversation points can help differentiate you from other candidates when we refer your file to open positions.

Give Us the Scoop

If you worked with Carney Sandoe on a previous job search and have re-registered, your Placement Associate might request an interview with you to learn what’s changed about your search. Be sure to let us know why you’re looking for a new position (e.g., you want a new challenge, you’re relocating, you’re seeking an administrative position) and what new skills or experience you’ve acquired since you last worked with us. If you’re leaving a position because it wasn’t the right fit, let us know why — that will help us know which types of positions to refer you to in the future so we can help you find the best fit.

Be You

We interview our candidates so we gain a better understanding of their job search parameters, certainly, but we also interview them so we gain an understanding of them. We love to hear your personalities shine through on the phone or over a webcam; it’s the little things that really make a candidate stand out. Go off-script and tell your Placement Associate about your cool experiences, your passions, your quirks — all the things that make you who you are.

Want to start a job search with Carney Sandoe? Apply today!

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