The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at Teach First.
Our website provides scientifically validated practice assessments tests, interviews and assessment centre exercises that can be used to practice and prepare for the recruitment and assessment process.
Check here for our Premium Video Interviews Platform to practice and prepare for Teach First recruitment.
If you are aiming to apply to Teach First or have a Teach First assessment test coming up, our text below is the best place to start.
Not sure if you should practice to prepare for Teach First assessments? In a nationwide recruiter survey, Yello (2020) found that 51% of recruiters use interview scheduling software. A further 28% are considering the move.
Researchers at the University of Sussex Business School, in association with the Institute for Employment Studies, have warned that young jobseekers feel confused, dehumanised and exhausted by automated recruitment systems
In a nutshell:
How to prepare for the Teach First assessment process and tests to get the job?
You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.
Prepare for your telephone interview by running mock interviews answering typical interview questions. For Teach First interview practice, use:
Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.
Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
Teach First makes use of a variety of competitive exercises during the assessment centre to find the right candidates. Ensure that you practice a variety of exercises including presentation exercises.
Hone your written and spoken communication technique. Research online, prepare and practice your presentation using various case studies and examples.
Be aware; not many get to this stage. The competition is very fierce.
Prepare for your one-on-one final interview with a senior manager from Teach First. Keep up the good work, as they are looking for the best talent. They likely will have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage.
Hone your technique for your final Teach First interview to showcase your:
For this final interview, use the video interview platform and record yourself answering the interview questions using the STAR technique.
Continue reading to get answers to critical questions:
Looking into assessments with Teach First, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!
If you decide to apply for Teach First, you can practice online aptitude tests with us to improve your results and get scores above their threshold.
Teach First is a social enterprise that is registered as a charity, and which aims to address educational disadvantage in the UK; achieving that by enrolling candidates on an extensive teacher training programmes to give future teachers all the necessary knowledge and skills to make a real difference.
This part of the recruitment process is your first chance to give a good impression and stand out from your competition. The online form will ask you to provide details of your education and any academic results, work experience and may include some motivational and competency-based questions, depending on the business area you apply to. Examples for each of these question types are discussed below.
Throughout the application process you will be assessed against a number of competencies, including:
The application form is very likely to include some competency-based questions with regards to key Teach First competencies outlined above. These questions could be similar to the examples below:
It is also very likely that this stage will also include some motivational questions, such as:
In answering motivational questions, remember to be as precise as possible: refer to unique facts about Teach First that motivate you to work there, such as special awards, CSR projects, etc. When describing why you want to apply for this specific role mention the core skills required for this position and how these match both your previous experiences and personal interests.
This is a chance for you to demonstrate your passions and skills that would make you suitable for the role.
It will be competency based (CBI). Think about the projects you have previously worked on, in your professional experiences or education, and think about what your role was, what have you achieved and how you approached any problems.
Telephone Interview Tip #1: Remember, it is important to talk about a variety of experiences so do not get hung up on one job you did in the past.
You should prepare some ideas of examples that you can later use during your interview, and should base these on the most common types of interview questions.
Telephone Interview Tip #2: Prepare and write down a couple of projects or initiatives that you did exceptionally well in. The interviewer will be interested in understanding how you have approached the problem, what analysis you have done, data gathered, insights and actions taken, results achieved and what your role was.
Want to know what questions could come up in your interview? Graduates First can help with the Question Identifier Tool (QIT). You can find it here.
The Teach First Assessment centre will be a chance for you to network with professionals working for Teach First and learn more about the company.
The exercises you might be expected to take will very likely be sample lessons – details of which you should receive in the email initiation for the Assessment Centre.
Whenever taking part in presentation exercises, follow the advice at the link below.
Click here to find out more about Presentation Exercises.
This exercise will mainly test your ability to communicate your ideas. Your assessors will be looking at your body language and tone to see how you would cope with delivering professional presentations, taking part in group discussions or explaining your point of view.
It is important that you stand straight, make regular eye contact with everyone in the audience and do not speak too fast.
This stage of the recruitment process will consist of a one-on-one interview. It will be competency based, and will be a final chance for you to demonstrate your passion, skills and enthusiasm to work for Teach First.
Your interview should last up to 30 minutes. Although it might seem long-winded, remember to refer to specific arguments following the S, T, A, R method: describe the particular situation, the task you were faced with, and what action you took to resolve it, concluding with the result of your work.
At the end of your interview you will be given a chance to ask questions. You must definitely use this opportunity! This is a way of showing that you are interested and motivated, so prepare some thought-provoking and interesting questions beforehand. You can also ask your interviewer about their career path.
