PENGALAMAN INTERVIEW PENSYARAH SAMBILAN UITM

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Assalamualaikum,

A friend of mine gave me a screenshot of Facebook status of his friend, saying that, "UITM Dungun is searching for Pensyarah Sambilan for Computer Science subject, do email her the CV to apply for that position".

So I emailed her and few days later, the Programme Chief emailed me back to confirm the interview session and asked me to do some mock teaching as well.

After TPM interview some weeks before, I'm not that confident that I will get the offer. So I asked my my parents, "Can I go for this interview?" They gladly answered me that they are going to accompany me there. Thank you Allah for giving me a great parents.

I prepared some slides using Prezi to impress the interviewers. And chose the easiest topic so that I won't be asked much about the technical or theoritical part. So I chose the first topic of Computer Science subject that is Introduction to Programming in C++. Just like what I've learned in my first year of Diploma.

Some friend of my asked me, "What topic should I choose to do mock teaching?". I guess you don't have to take any hard topics because they basically just want to know how is your teaching and presentation skills. Not how much you know about the subject because they can see it through your result and CV.  

During Interview Day :

There are about three persons has been called for the interview. All of them, excluding me are the Masters holder while I am just graduating from my degree. And they are all from UiTM Dungun. How lucky they are as they knew the interviewers and they greet the interviewers very well, they are their lecturer then.

I was called secondly. So I entered the room. It was a meeting room. There are four interviewers, I guess three of them are lecturers (as they are holding the marking form) and another one is the staff.

I introduce myself and start the mock teaching with the outline of the topic. Out of sudden, the staff interrupt me saying that, "How can I understand if you just read it?". Then I said with smile on my face, " Sorry Sir, it is just the outline. I'll explain later on when we go through the slides. And I promised, you will understand" He unsatisfiedly nodded.

I was quite impressed with their interaction. They nodded and asked question just like real student would do. At the end of the slide, I asked, " Is there any question?" They said, "No, we will ask about yourself then."

Then, they started the personal interview. The first and the foremost thing that they asked. "Why UiTM Dungun as you are from Shah Alam? It is quite far away from here". So I said, if you realised my IC number, I was born here. So this is my hometown. And I am glad to serve my hometown. It is not a problem as I have families here as well.(eventhough I'm not)

Then they asked me, "Do you have any teaching experience? We can see here you have been working as a tutor at KUMON." And I said, "Yes, I have been working there before and I taught primary and secondary student". I was quite nervous at that time and felt very regret as I've forgotten to state that I have been a tutor for web development  programs in UiTM.

Then they asked me, " Do you really like programming? If we are going to offer you, you are going to teach Diploma students for Programming subject. Most of the people will be scared to teach Programming subject."

I said, "Alhamdulillah, you can see in my CV, I have been working before as a programmer. And I love programming subject the most. Even though most of the girls are scared of that subject. I think it is quit interesting and I would like to share my experience (probably not that much) to the student and how interesting programming could be."

Then the most killer question came. "You are currently furthering your Masters, how are you going to coop that? Can you really be responsible?"

I said, "InsyaAllah I'll tried  because I'm just doing Master in Research. I can cater the engaging time with my supervisor later on. I'm not doing coursework that require me to attend class everyday."

Lastly, they said, we are going to find somebody who are responsible and can do programming and teach it well. We'll contact you later on if you succeed. And I was like, probably they have rejected me because I'm doing my Masters.

I came back to Shah Alam that evening with heartless feeling. My competitors are far away better than me. Probably, this is not the way Allah wrote to me.

And Alhamdulillah, surprisingly! I received TPM offer letter once I reached Shah Alam. AllahuAkhbar! I cried gratefully. The next morning, I've got a call from the Program Chief, saying that, "So you can come and report to UiTM Dungun. You have been accepted." Alhamdulillah, another livelihood from Allah. I have to reject the offer as I chose to pursue my Master under TPM, abroad. Alhamdulillah. Allah is always the greatest planner.