So I emailed the guy in the of the position I applied for at CIU recently and he told me that the board was meeting this weekend, and with their approval, he would begin conducting interviews next week.
This is somewhat good and somewhat bad news. Good that I will likely be having an interview soon for my dream job. Bad that the thought of sitting in a room being interviewed by this man is one of the most intimidating things I can think of. I have never interviewed for a ministry job before. This job is working with first-year students overseeing their spiritual, academic, and social growth in their transition to CIU.
Any ideas on how to prepare myself for what might be asked would be great from you wise pool of ministry experienced men.
Thanks.
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6 comments:
Chris, I really hope this goes well for you. A lot. I think the job sounds amazing too. I believe that you've got the chops for this (and it's a pretty rad time in your life for it to come up), so the "This thing is all you dude" in me isn't sure what you're worried about. You're smart, you're young, you're passionate and driven: if the people who are interviewing you can't see that-- Well, that's weird.
I realize I'm starting to sound like a girl now, and that's a little uncomfortable. You're probably looking for some practical advice, but I've decided to post this comment just so you know we're behind you doing this thing pretty sincerely. Hopefully the rest of the crowd will have some ministry-interview-related advice. Good luck Chris, and keep us up to date.
To prepare myself for interviews, I just Googled "job interview questions" and tried to prepare answers for all the questions on the lists I found. That helped a whole lot. A whole lot.
I'm with James on this one; I would love to see you get this job because I think you've got all the right experience. It's not all about how good you look on paper or if you've had the right kind of jobs coming into this. I think it would be much more important to have someone like you in that position who's obviously passionate about it and who had a very conscious first-year experience at CIU. Since you came in late, you were probably more conscious than almost any other student about what you were expecting and how it lived up to/surpassed/didn't live up to those expectations. I'll be praying for you.
Also, tomorrow at 2 pm I'm interviewing at Princeton Seminary so prayers would be great. There are about 10 people applying to Princeton from Westminster and they'll probably only accept 3 or 4 so it's really really competitive.
Ministry interviews are a strange animal. I'd have to say know the job inside and out. I forget if this is a new position or not. If not talk to the old guy, their staff, their boss (if different from the one hiring you). Really work your references. Be able to communicate vision, as well reassure them you are not only qualified but also discerningly passionate.
Also use that time to get a clear job description, who you would be accountable to, and what if any support staff you'll be working with. There is nothing worse than signing on for a job only to find out that it requires you to work 70 hrs a week and ends up costing you your marriage and sanity.
What do you mean by "really work your references?"
what i mean is that I would really link the skills that your references will hopefully say you have to the job you're trying to get.
For example Shay was one of my references for my position at St. Andrew's I knew Shay would mention my organizational strengths (and dashing good looks) So one of the things i focused on during the interview was the natural economy of motion in youth ministry often leads to wasted time and cheap grace. Organizational strengths can speak to that.
(I learned the term "economy of motion" last night while watching a UFC fight. One of the trainers had a big hat that said PROVERBS 12:1 it was awesome.)
Chris, I agree with James and Martin in saying that you have the personality to do this job with confidence. You are passionate about it, and passion is a great motivator even if you may not have the experience of other applicants.
Your personal experience and the outflow of your relationship with God is what you will be pouring into the lives of those students. What I guess I'm trying to say, it that your zeal is one of your strongest selling points.
I think the intense nature of the interview process makes the thought of it nerve-racking. But I would just advise you to understand the position as well as you can and be yourself. You love God passionately, are motivated, and will adapt well to the demands of the position. Present yourself well and let the zealot shine!
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