Geography student and Bright Network member Matt has landed himself a graduate role at Teach First. We recently caught up with Matt to find out how he found the whole application process and what advice he has for other members looking to pursue a similiar career path.
Why did you choose Teach First?
I chose Teach First as I had seen lots of advertisement surrounding the organisation, I attended presentations and talks held at my university which I found really inspiring and promoted the values of Teach First which I felt I could connect to and would enjoy being part of the movement that they have created.
Why were you interested in this role?
I was interested in the Training Programme, as I have always been interested in becoming a secondary school geography teacher, but have never been 100% sure that's what I want to do as a career. Teach First will give me the opportunity to get straight into the classroom and make an impact from day 1 which I will find more exciting and rewarding that completing a PGCE.
What did the application process involve? Did you have a favourite and least favourite part?
The application process firstly involved an online application in the form of a few questions followed by an assessment centre at their headquarters in London! My favourite part was the lesson which you had to complete in front of some assessors, this allowed me to express my creativity and show off what I could achieve in a classroom environment. My least favourite part was definitely the face-to-face interview (everyone finds them scary and so did I!)
What three top tips would you give to other students looking to follow in your footsteps?
1. Be confident – Confidence is what you need in a classroom environment so show it off during the application.
2. Show them something different – they get thousands of applications so try and show them something that will keep you in their heads when they discuss who to put through.
3. Stay positive – I thought I’d messed it up, but still got a place on the programme.
Do you have a pre-interview ritual or lucky charm?
I just try and keep my day as normal as possible and stick to all of my usual routines so that I am as calm and relaxed as I can be.
