Everyone stop and think. How many positions are there that you and your spouse sit in on one another's interviews?
I can only think of two; co-pastors and international educators. (If you think of another one, please add it in the comments.)
Those of you international educators may not realize how unusual it is. I don't usually think twice about it, but it is the end of the hiring season for those of us who work in international schools and as good as time as any to reflect on this interesting phenomenon.
I was recently talking with a colleague who had been to a job fair. This was their first time looking for jobs since they had been married. Since they teach different subjects, at different age levels than one another, the questions that the other person was asked didn't necessarily fall into their own privy of experience. They left the interview both wondering what the interviewer had been talking about and having no clue if their spouse had answered the questions well or not.
Hearing them share their experience I realized how unusual it is, this sitting through your spouse's interview.
When you quickly have a job offer, or several, it may not cross your mind either. But, what if the hiring season progresses and you continue to interview, but do not receive job offers? Do you start to doubt your own ability, or your that of your spouse?
What about having a spouse who is fabulous at their job, but doesn't interview particularly well? You are in the room, and as a question is directed to them, do you wish you could use ESP to nudge them along? What about a spouse who is an inspiring educator, but when it comes to an interview situation the verbal fillers start to take over?
When I stop and think about how unusual it is to interview with your spouse, each for your own job, it is amazing that we still love our spouse and look forward to the next adventure!
(BTW - Now that my spouse is an administrator most of the interviews I am not even a part of. I sit in another room and pray.)
I was sometimes in the interview with my pastor-husband. It is somewhat nerve-wracking experience!
ReplyDeleteI never have taught in an international school, but one of my husband's pastorates was in Lima, Peru and I visited the Roosevelt School there. It would be an adventure to teach in an international school. During the time I was in Lima, I was a "sub" for the home-school co-op some of the missionaries ran for their children. And I worked one school year in a DODDS school on Yokota Air Force Base near Tokyo, Japan.
I had no idea that this was the procedure, Kristi. It does add a different kind of pressure, doesn't it? I love that final line!
ReplyDeleteYes, I bet it is unusual to sit in an interview with your spouse! I didn't really think about that when I saw married couples at the job fairs~!
ReplyDeleteHow interesting - and I wonder what the point of having educators interviewed this way could be? Talk about pressure!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have worked at the same school, but have never had to interview together. I did try that ESP thing a couple times during meetings, though. It didn't quite work the way I wanted it to--that's when I also began to pray! :)
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me about my immigration interview. I had no idea this happens in international schools. Now you have me thinking about the questions that both the husband and wife would be asked....
ReplyDeleteIt was always my fantasy to be married to a teacher. I'm with a doctor, who over time, has come to support my position on ed reform, but he wasn't an immediate convert. International ed seems very interesting to me
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