Bus Driver

With the job market extremely tight, even the small stuff counts, especially when you’re on a job interview. That’s why it’s so important not to say or do the wrong things, since that first impression could end up being the last one.

With that in mind, here are seven deadly sins of job interviewing.

☛ 1. Don’t Be Late To the Interview

☛ Even if your car broke down or the train derailed, do everything you can to get to that job interview on time. “If you have a legitimate excuse it’s still hard to bounce back,” says Pamela Skillings, co-founder of job coaching firm Skillful Communications. “People are suspicious because they hear the same excuses all the time.”

☛ On the flip side, you don’t want to show up too early and risk appearing desperate, but you do want to be there at least five minutes early or at the very least on time.

☛ 2. Don’t Show Up Unprepared

☛ It seems simple, but countless people go on job interviews knowing very little about the company they are interviewing with when all it would take is a simple Google search to find out. As a result, they end up asking obvious questions, which signal to the interviewer that they are too lazy to prepare.

☛ “Don’t ask if the company is public or private, how long it’s been in business and where they do their manufacturing,” says Mark Jaffe, president of Wyatt & Jaffe, the executive search firm. “Sharpen your pencil before you go to school.”

☛ 3. Don’t Ask About Salary, Benefits, Perks

☛ Your initial interview with a company shouldn’t be about what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company. Which means the interview isn’t the time to ask about the severance package, vacation time or health plan. Instead you should be selling yourself as to why the company can’t live without you.

☛ “Your interest should be about the job and what your responsibilities will be,” says Terry Pile, Principal Consultant of Career Advisors. “Asking about vacation, sick leave, pension, salary and benefits should be avoided at all costs.”

☛ 4. Don’t Focus On Future Roles Instead Of The Job At Hand

☛ The job interview is not the time or place to ask about advancement opportunities or how to become the CEO. You need to be interested in the job you are actually interviewing for. Sure, a company wants to see that you are ambitious, but they also want assurances you are committed to the job you’re being hired for. “You can’t come with an agenda that this job is just a stepping stone to bigger and better things,” says Jaffe.

☛ 5. Don’t Turn The Weakness Question Into A Positive

☛ To put it bluntly, interviewers are not idiots. So when they ask you about a weakness and you say you work too hard or you are too much of a perfectionist, chances are they are more apt to roll their eyes than be blown away. Instead, be honest and come up with a weakness that can be improved on and won’t ruin your chances of getting a job.

☛ For instance, if you are interviewing for a project management position, it wouldn’t be wise to say you have poor organizational skills, but it’s ok to say you want to learn more shortcuts in Excel. “Talk about the skills you don’t have that will add value, but aren’t required for the job,” says Pile.

☛ 6. Don’t Lie

☛ Many people think its ok to exaggerate their experience or fib about a firing on a job interview, but lying can be a surefire way not to get hired. Even if you get through the interview process with your half truths, chances are you won’t be equipped to handle the job you were hired to do. Not to mention the more you lie the more likely you are to slip up.

☛ “Don’t exaggerate, don’t make things bigger than they are and don’t claim credit for accomplishments you didn’t do,” says Jaffe. “You leave so much room in your brain if you don’t have to fill it with which lie you told which person.”

☛ 7. Don’t Ask If There’s Any Reason You Shouldn’t Be Hired

☛ Well meaning career experts will tell you to close your interview by asking if there is any reason you wouldn’t be hired. While that question can give you an idea of where you stand and afford you the opportunity to address any concerns, there’s no guarantee the interviewer is going to be truthful with you or has even processed your information enough to even think about that.

☛ “All you are doing is prompting them to think about what’s wrong with you,”

☛ 8. Don’t make assumptions about the interviewer.

☛ If someone seems junior -- whether by appearance or title -- don't assume they are the low man or woman on the totem pole with no decision-making power. "Your misjudgment will be apparent if you insinuate that you are more experienced [or qualified] than him or her. For all you know, the interviewer may be one of the youngest graduates ever of an Ivy League school, or he/she is being groomed for an executive management position within the organization”. If the interviewer feels belittled, you won't get his or her approval. Even if you're right about their status, they'll still pass on their sentiments to the person in charge.

1. What attracted you to this position?

2. Are you willing to work as a substitute driver in all areas of the district?

3. Are you regularly available to drive, even when called at the last minute?

4. How do you plan to adapt to many different bus routes?

5. Have you ever had to control and discipline a group of children between the ages of 5 and 18?

6. What techniques do you plan to use in order to maintain control of the students who you will only drive for a few days on a substitute basis?

7. How would you handle a phone call from an angry parent accusing you of treating their child unfairly?

8. Do you feel it is important that bus stops and schedules be regular and on time? Why?

9. What specific skills have you acquired or used in previous experience that relate to this position?

10. You have a school bus tipped over on its right side with the front door obstructed. There are K-12 students on board, some of whom are seriously injured. What is your first priority? What is your follow-up plan?

11. Are you prepared to undergo an intensive training program that may take a minimum of six days?

12. We recognize one’s financial needs must be considered, but beyond this, what attracts you to this position?

13. What experience do you have operating a large vehicle?

14. If you were to encounter icy conditions, how would you handle the situation?

15. How would you handle a situation on your bus in which a student attempted to or did physically harm you or another student?

16. Would keeping a schedule or being on time on a bus run be of any importance, in your opinion?

17. You are leaving school at the end of the day. It is the last run and a fellow driver cuts you off. Will this affect your schedule? How will you react?

18. What is the most difficult situation you have been faced with involving another person? How did you deal with it?

19. You have come upon a serious accident where it is apparent there may have been loss of life. How would you deal with your bus? The students?

20. In our school system, a formal bus pass signed by a school official must be given to the driver before a student who is not normally your passenger can ride on your bus. A strange student boards your bus and insists he always goes to his friend’s house whenever he wants to. How would you handle this?

21. You have entered a busy intersection and a passenger vehicle cuts in front of you. What would be your response?

22. A student changes seats several times. You have asked him to sit still without success. What would be your response?

23. Have you ever had a strong disagreement with another person (adult or student)? How did you handle this conflict?

24. What would you consider good judgment when dealing with children?

25. Do you know a bus driver you believe is very good at his job? In what way do you feel that he is doing a good job?

26. What kind of things would you do to prepare to drive a school bus?

27. Why do you want to make a career of driving a school bus?

28. What do you like about the children that you have been transporting?

29. What characteristics do you possess that make you a good bus driver?

30. Give an example of a difficult problem you have experienced with a student or students on a bus run. How did you handle it?

31. A person you do not know comes to your bus to pick up a kindergarten student on your K-2 run. The student does not seem to know them. What would you do?

32. Do you practice defensive driving? On a daily basis, what are the techniques you practice?

33. In the event of a serious accident, what procedure would you follow?

34. What specific skills have you acquired that you feel have made you a better school bus driver?

35. Have you had time to prepare for this interview? If not, why not? If yes, how?

36. Is there anything you would like to add about yourself that you feel we should know when considering you for this position?

☛ What types of defensive driving techniques do you use?

☛ How would you handle a situation on your bus in which a student attempted to or did physically harm you or another student?

☛ If I were to ask your previous employer about how many days you missed over the last year, what would he say?

☛ If a fight breaks out while in route to school, how would you handle the situation?

☛ How do you plan to adapt to many different bus routes?

☛ Tell me about your experience operating a large vehicle.

☛ What would your last employer say about your reliability?

☛ If a kid throws up, while in route to school, how would you handle the situation?

☛ If an older student kicks a younger student out of a seat, how would you handle this situation?

☛ A person you do not know comes to your bus to pick up a kindergarten student. The student does not seem to know them. What would you do?

☛ Do you have any driver certifications?

☛ Are you willing to work as a substitute driver in all areas of the district?

☛ A student changes seats several times. You have asked him to sit still without success. What would be your response?

☛ You have entered a busy intersection and a passenger vehicle cuts in front of you. What would be your response?

☛ What measures will you ensure to keep children safe?

☛ Driving a school bus requires arriving at the bus depot at 6 AM. Will this work for you?

☛ If a kid continues to throw a paper airplane at you while in route to school, how would you handle the situation?

☛ What do you think would be the most rewarding aspect of driving a school bus?

☛ What are some skills that make you a better school bus driver?

☛ Tell me about your driver training.

☛ How well do you control your temper?

☛ Why do you want to be a school bus driver?

☛ How do you make sure scheduled stops are on time?

☛ If I were to ask your previous employer, about how many days you missed, what would he or she say?

☛ Is there anything we should be aware of that may come up on your criminal background check?

☛ Are you available to work extra shifts, like sporting events and field trips?

☛ Is there anything you would like to add about yourself that you feel we should know when considering you for this position?

☛ How do you handle conflict?

☛ In the event of a serious accident, what procedure would you follow?

☛ Tell me about your driving experience.

☛ Why are you the best candidate for us?

☛ Are you experienced in using a CB radio to communicate with the school and other bus drivers?