Yesterday I went for my third university interview. I learned from my past errors. At the first two interviews I was more than an hour late, hot, flustered and unprepared. This time, I was early, cool, calm, collected and had practiced my responses beforehand.
It was an interview for a women’s university. Surprisingly, out of the 12 applicants waiting for an interview, only one was female. Not sure why, but I wasn’t going to ask questions at a time like this.
The panel of three asked me various questions, and it seemed to be pretty standard. I gave them a teaching summary and detail of my experience. It all flowed out of my mouth like treacle. Then they asked me a strange question.
“How old are you?” asked the serious lady in the middle.
“I’m 26″ I replied.
She looked concerned.
“You are young.”
“Thank you.” I said.
The smiling lady addressed me now.
“We mean, you are young and handsome,” she said, blushing slightly.
“Thank you again,” I said smiling. I really didn’t know what to make of it.
The serious lady stepped in again to make the point.
“We mean that you are in a women’s university and we have a strict policy on teacher student relationships.” They all focussed in on me, judging my reaction. It made me wonder just how big a problem this type of thing was if they thought it necessary to raise it in the interview. Do some candidates lose it at that point or start to argue the point? Was I going to do the same? Was I going to tremble, was I developing a slight twinkle in my eye? I shut those thoughts out. I was coming here to teach. I was only here to teach. I am a professional, I thought.
“I am a professional teacher,” I said. “I don’t believe in having relationships with students.”
They seemed to relax after that. They all looked at each other.
“Well I don’t have any more questions,” the serious one said.
The man, who had only asked one question echoed this. The lady who had been smiling all through the process, told me it was the end and that I could leave. It was as though the whole interview had been a lead-up to that one question. Teaching, experience, yes yes, but let’s get down to the really important stuff: can you handle a room full of young women looking up to you with their innocent adoring eyes. To which I say, damn right I can handle it!
I left and they paid me $30 for being there. In Daegu it was the same, I received an envelope of $60 for travel expenses, Suwon also. If I had the inclination I suppose I might start a little job of just applying for universities. But I don’t suppose I will… you know why? Because today I got an email from the women’s university saying that I got the job.
So very soon I will be paid to teach rooms full of young women looking up at me with adoring eyes. It’ll be tough, but I’ll handle it. You can count on that.
Popularity: 5% [?]