Ayhesia Cadogan
SUCCESS FACTORS INTERVIEW
INTERVIEWEE
1) Whom did you interview?
Muhammad Bilal, B.A., M.Ed., M.S.
2) Why did you select this person?
I selected this person because he is one of the people who inspire me to
further my education
3) What is his or her current job title?
English and World History teacher in the South Bronx
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1) What is your current job title? How did you get into this line of work?
My current job title is a teacher. I teach English and World History to high school
students in the South Bronx. I got into this line of work shortly after I completed
my undergraduate degree in sociology. When I was studying sociology I became
fascinated with the strong connection I saw between education and levels of
crime and poverty in minority neighborhoods. This fascination guided my
decision to teach in the inner-city. I therefore decided to pursue a masters in
education so I could enter this field and eventually work in educational reform on
a national level.
2) What is your educational background, and how has it prepared you for the
position you are in today?
As I mentioned earlier, I have a bachelors degree in sociology, with minors in
history and political science. I also hold a masters degree in Teaching and
Learning, Secondary Social Studies, and I hold a masters in education for
administration and supervision.
My educational background gave me the theory and practical knowledge and
skills I needed to take on many of the hardships and challenges that come with
teaching students with special educational needs. My studies in the classroom
and in the field enabled me to become more familiarized with the many problems
I would face as a teacher and practical solutions I would need to be an effective
educator in the inner-city.
3) What changes of career direction did you make while you were in college
or shortly thereafter?
In college I was initially a theatre major, studying theatre performance and acting.
After my first year in college, I became disenchanted with theatre studies and
choose sociology as my field of study and then education as my career.
4) Can you describe one or two accomplishments during your career that you
are proud of?
I am proud of the fact that I was able to increase the History Regents pass rate
for sophomore students at my school by 40% and I am proud of the fact that I
have been able to tutor countless special education students and thus help them
pass standardized tests designed for mainstreamed students that have skills
above their level.
5) What personal qualities have been especially helpful in becoming
successful?
The personal qualities that have been especially helpful in becoming successful
is my ability to remain confident and resolute when facing what seems to be
insurmountable obstacles and my ability to adapt to changing situations. Last but
not least, my ability to stay focused and to remain persistent.
6) What skills do you have that have been especially valuable?
The skills that I have that have been especially valuable is my ability to analyze
information, quickly grasp new and difficult concepts and tasks, adjust my
teaching methods to reach all my students; regardless of ability, and my ability to
be creative, captivating and engaging in all that I do.
7) As you look back on your work history, what position or special project
provided the most learning? What made this such a valuable experience?
(Note: Look for the influence of challenging assignments and key people).
The positions that I held which provided me with the most learning were my
experiences working as student teacher both in Chicago and in South Africa.
These experiences were especially valuable because they enabled me to make
the difficult and daunting transition from being an accomplished student to
becoming an effective and professional. Actually teaching children in a foreign
country and teaching predominantly Mexican students who barely understood
English forced me to look beyond textbook theories and actually make my own
decisions and theories based on my situation and circumstances in the
classroom, not those given or presented to me in a textbook.
8) Describe the role of key people (e.g., a boss, a mentor) who contributed to
your success.
The person who contributed most to my success would have to be my mom. My
mother taught me early in my life that education was very important. She herself
was a college graduate and she had a year or so under her belt as a graduate
student. Her constant lectures about the importance of education and her
pushing and encouraging me to take school seriously influenced my success the
most.
9) Describe any hardships you faced that, in the end, produced valuable
career learning.
The hardships that I faced and in the end produced valuable career learning; was
having to adjust to my first year as a teacher and learning how to manage
graduate school while working a very strenuous teaching schedule. These two
hardships produced very valuable lessons because I learned that the best way to
transition is to learn as much as possible and to adapt quickly to changes. This
continues to help me with new problems I face as a teacher everyday. The
hardship of working an intense schedule and attending graduate school taught
me the importance of being organized, prepared, and motivated. These three
attributes continue to enable me to be effective in my career and other relevant
endeavors.
10) Do you have a career network—people you can call on for information,
advice, support, ideas, feedback, etc.? How important is a career network
to fulfilling your work responsibilities? In what ways, if any, has your
network contributed to your success?
Yes I do have a career network and it consists of teachers and other professional
who work in the field of education. The network is very important to me and my
ability to fulfill my work responsibilities because the information I gain through
brainstorming and collaborating on projects and sharing ideas with people in my
network gives me the wealth of knowledge and best practices I need to fulfill my
responsibilities in the best manner possible. The network has contributed greatly
to my success because I was and am able to get mentoring, counseling, and
other help from more seasoned professional than myself when I was and still am
in great need of guidance or direction.
11) What advice about education and work experience do you have for me?
Education and work experience should be treated like a married couple. You
should never separate or divorce the two. They are kind of like separate steps to
the same process. Your education is where you get all theoretical and intellectual
knowledge you need to pursue a career, while your work experience is where
you actually get to put that education into practice in order to be successful.
Without your education, when you begin working in a certain field, you will be lost
like a traveler in a maze without a map. Your education is your guide. It is your
rehearsal while working is the main show or main event. Make sure to get a good
education first!
12) What kinds of work experience do you think are especially valuable for the
careers of the future? What skills would you suggest I cultivate?
The kinds of work experience that are especially valuable for the careers of the
future are work that deals with using computer technology or work that deals with
marketing and planning events or simply working with people in a professional
manner. I would suggest learning now how to effectively communicate with
people of many cultures and learning to be savvy with technology.