What’s with the dramatic title?

Well, I went for a teaching interview at the Ministry of Education yesterday. On paper, I was a strong candidate. But it turned out that my less-than-commendable interview performance might actually cause me to flunk it.

I think my fear of failure is compounded by the feeling of shame. I should have been discerning enough not to use a vernacular variety of English! Why didn’t I speak slower and speak in more posh English? However, this morning, I gave myself grace and thought about all the teaching interviews I had passed in the past before.

Even if I failed this interview, it is not the end of the world. I can always reapply in September to give myself another chance. It would take me longer to claw back to the embrace of the mothership, but if I am really determined about streamlining my son’s caregiving arrangements, I need to man up and show some resilience. Try and try again!

Subsequently, when I arrived at my workplace, my colleagues kinda spontaneously gathered around me to find out about my interview. I told them about the feedback that the interviewers had given me in regard to speaking in a manner that was too colloquial. Without any prompting from me, they jumped to my defence and said that I was just doing code switching, as well as how I should have retorted back about how unrealistic their expectations were. They also brushed aside the feedback, saying that the interviewers were nitpicking and had nothing else better to comment on. Basically, they were being comforting and encouraging.

I must say that I’m rather amused at how quickly they took my side. I’m glad that I’m being so open about my lacklustre interview because if nothing else, I know that we are often our worst critic. We think that others may be a tad judgemental, but when we are with our tribe, their support trumps all. 😍