School secretary interview questions you should expect are those that explore a number of criteria for success like:
- Technical skills and experience
- Key behavioral competencies
- On the job Motivation
Use these interview answers discussed in this article to help formulate your personal interview answers.
5 School secretary interview questions relating to skills and experience
More often than not, the interview session would start with questions about your professional background and relating experience. Some school secretary interview questions that evaluate your technical skills and experience are:
What computer software are you well versed in?
Detail the extent of your experience with each software and the sort of jobs you’ve successfully carried out using it.
What type of documents and reports have you put together?
- Give examples of the reports and documents you have put together
- Give details of the steps involved in putting them together
- Focus on the level of responsibility you were presented with and the complex nature of the documents and reports
- Finally, explain in details the ways you used to transmit and circulate communications
How do you plan and keep track of meetings and appointments?
- Highlight what methods you have used to plan activities and maintain calendars
- Explain the follow up methods you have put in place
How do you keep up to date with school and District policies and strategies?
- Highlight the mechanisms you have put in place to ensure you are up-to-date with school policies and strategies.
Confidentiality and discretion are vital for a school secretary, so how discrete can you be?
- Describe the types of sensitive information you have had to effectively manage
- Describe how you made sure the information was kept confidential.
- And how the information stored.
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5 Behavioral school secretary interview questions
Also expect behavioral related interview questions that examine the 5 major competencies needed to succeed as a school secretary like:
Organizational Skills
Sturdy organizational and planning skills are crucial for the complex nature and number of duties a school secretary ought to perform.
Narrate a circumstance where you had to balance competing demands and cautiously plan your activities to meet a deadline?
When you answer, focus on the following:
- confirming deadlines
- the urgency and importance of every task
- Calculating how long each task will take
- using obtainable resources in planning task completion
Communication Skills
The propensity to communicate effectively both in writing and orally is key to this role. Communication is the bedrock for setting up strong working relationships that are necessary for the seamless operation of the school.
Tell me about a recent circumstance when you had to break down a complex issue in order to gain understanding from a student or parent?
While answering this, Focus on:
- How you adjusted your communication style to match the needs of the listener
- How you presented the details in a crystal clear and concise manner
- How you encouraged questions
- How you asked questions to ensure the right information was received
Judgment
The school secretary most times would be called on to exercise sound judgment in making decisions and solving problems.
Narrate an issue you recently had to solve?
In your answer, narrate:
- How you gathered all the required data regarding the issue
- How you evaluated all the relevant facts in formulating a possible solution
- How you executed the solution
Preciseness and attention to detail
Preserving and producing accurate data, records and reports is a vital function for a school secretary.
Narrate what you do to limit mistakes in your work?
While answering this question, focus on:
- Narrate the established processes you religiously follow to check your work and ensure accuracy.
Initiative
At this phase, the questions that you should expect are those that explore your capacity to be proactive and take action to attain results beyond your daily duties.
Narrate some of the changes you’ve made to your job at …?
While answering this question, focus on:
- Ways you identified the need for change
- How you pinpointed the most suitable and effective means of change
- Also, how you executed the change
3 School secretary interview questions – your motivation
A school secretary is supposed to show enthusiasm and commitment to the job. Your motivation for the job would be evaluated through various motivational school secretary interview questions including:
What inspires you to do a great job?
Ensure your answer is tailored to the specific job opportunity and not generic. Describing a motivator that isn’t applicable to the position will raise red flags. Standard motivators include:
- Challenging tasks
- Attaining goals
- Team involvement
- Great professional development and learning opportunity
- Positive feedback from students, staff, and the public
- Successfully solving a problem
- Building effective working relationships
- Being instrumental to a positive school climate
- Supporting the effective operation of the school
Why do you want this job?
- When answering this question, you need to focus on what you know about the job, the school and District and why you would like to be a part of it. This is why you’re advised to always research about the job role and institution before going for an interview.
What makes this specific position worth your while?
Possible reasons are:
- How variety and the complex nature of tasks and duties inspires you
- The District and school’s aims and objectives, reputation, unique attributes, student body, staff members.
What did you like the most or dislike about your former position?
- The interviewer is trying to evaluate if you’re fit for the job so ensure you make your answers relevant to the requirements of the position.
Appropriate generic answers about what you liked the most can be:
- Meeting new challenges
- Dealing with diverse people
- Learning new skills
- Meeting daily and weekly goals
Your dislikes should not be related to the attributes of the job you are interviewing for.
Standard school secretary interview questions
What are your strengths as a school secretary?
While answering this question, ensure you focus on three or four strengths that are directly relevant to that school’s secretarial job requirements.
For examples:
- Initiative
- Planning and organizing skills
- Discretion
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Dependability
- Information management skills
- Problem analyzing and solving skills
- Multi-tasking and prioritizing
- Keen attention to detail
- Great judgment and decision making skills
- Communication and interpersonal skills
