Assistant Principal Mock Interview
Master 40 Assistant Principal interview questions covering discipline, instructional leadership, and school operations.
Question 28 of 40
Tell me about your ability to handle stress and work under pressure.
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Community Answers
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Employers are looking for individuals who can perform under stress. Tell the interviewer you remain calm, professional, and productive under pressure and when faced with numerous deadlines. How do you manage stressful times? Talk to the interviewer about your ability to control pressure in the workplace.
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I handle stress very well, and when you call my references, they will attest to this fact. When I am under pressure on the job, I focus on the task at hand and make sure not to get distracted. Staying on deadline is very helpful, and I will delegate when necessary to alleviate some stress."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"I thrive under pressure; stress motivates me to perform to the best of my abilities."
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
"Stress is part of any demanding job, and I embrace it to the fullest. I take good care of myself and prioritize my workload to maintain a healthy balance in my stress levels."
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Anonymous Answer
Personally, I believe I handle stress very well and I think it can bring out the best in me. Being prepared and organized has helped me minimize the amount of stress I can be under, but remaining focused in times of high stress has allowed me to overcome and achieve. Prioritizing my agenda has helped tremendously.
Cindy's Feedback
Great. Is there an example you can share that illustrates your process of dealing with pressure?
Anonymous Answer
My ability to work under pressure and handle stress is one of my best qualities. It is something that I believe sports and coaching have gifted into my life. I think my viewpoint and my thought process is the reason why. I teach my players and truly believe that pressure is a privilege. When you think of it as a privilege instead of a problem and stay optimistic it helps you handle anything.
Stephanie's Feedback
This response is very positive and strengths-focused, but I suggest including more about why you think the pressure is a privilege. Is it a mindset? Is it because stress gives you more opportunities to learn and develop?
Anonymous Answer
I believe that I handle stress well. I'm very organized and that can really help me to address many issues. I use my Outlook calendar and teacher planner a great deal. This helps. At the moment, I have a lot on my plate. Coordinating a school production is a highly complex task. The logistics in addition to learning the material for all the students involved are hugely challenging. In addition, we have a whole school deadline for data entry using a previously untested system due in a month. Further to this I am a recently appointed school governor and am completing my induction training. In order to manage this I use checklists - kept in one place - and also have scheduled to meet with team members to ensure that they are clear of expectations regarding the deadline and are sufficiently resourced to meet it. I feel that I cope well with this level of pressure when it occurs at certain 'pinch-points' throughout the year.
Stephanie's Feedback
You provide excellent specifics here to really help your interviewer understand the multiple competing priorities that you juggle on a daily basis! Do you find that you thrive under pressure and work best when you have the opportunity to multitask? If so, I suggest sharing this explicitly.
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