Interview Advice for School Support Roles (That You Don’t Hear Often Enough)  

Interview Advice for School Support Roles (That You Don’t Hear Often Enough)  

Interviews aren’t just about proving your skills. In school support and leadership roles, whether in Finance, HR, Operations, or as a School Business Manager,  it’s often your mindset and approach that sets you apart.

Here are three key tips I always share with candidates:

✅ Own Your Impact

Don’t just describe what you did - show the difference it made.

For example:

Saying: “I improved the school’s financial reporting” is a start.

Saying: “I worked with key staff to understand what financial information they actually needed and tailored reports to suit, helping leaders make faster, better-informed decisions” tells a much stronger story.

Impact sells your value more than tasks ever will.

✅ Recognise Patterns Across Schools

No two schools are identical, but many challenges repeat.

In Finance, HR, Operations, or Estates, your day-to-day work might depend on:

School size or phase

Funding model

Governance structure

Culture and priorities

But familiar issues - tight budgets, recruitment pressures, compliance demands - crop up almost everywhere. Ask about the specific challenges the school is facing, and be ready to share how you’ve tackled similar situations before. This demonstrates insight beyond the job description and awareness of the bigger picture.

✅ Ask Smart Questions

Interviews are a two-way street - you’re assessing the school as much as they’re assessing you.

Questions like:

“What does success look like in this role?”

“What would you see as a key achievement six months in?”

…show that you’ve thought carefully about the role, while opening a conversation about real priorities. They also give you the chance to reassure the panel that your skills and experience align with their most pressing needs.

Final Thought

Interviews don’t need to be scary - they’re a conversation. The right school will value what you bring to the table, and the right preparation can make all the difference.