Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think they could of at least given me an interview?

211 replies

taken4afool · 15/10/2014 20:12

I have been volunteering at a school for 2 years while I completed my level 2 & level 3 teaching assistants course.

I qualified a few months ago and would love to work in the school, I have been working in reception year. On my course I needed to work 1 day a week in placement, but to get as much experience as possible I had been working 3, the teacher has been very vocal about how much she values me and that she would be lost without me, she has even asked (at least once a month) if I was not doing anything on a certain, if I could come in to help (which I always did willingly).

It is such a good school and due to my own children, working there would be perfect as no other school around for miles and I do not drive.

Jobs coming up are very rare, well one came up and my teacher told me about it, (it was in her class) I applied and the closing date was last Friday, and I have heard nothing. The post said that if the candidate has heard nothing by today, assume you have been unsuccessful. The teacher said that she would be a reference, but stated that the headteacher will make her own decision.

I am gutted as I have given a lot of time to the school, I have always helped extra when needed, I get on very well with the team and always being asked to help out in other classes.

My confidence has taken a real battering and I feel very low, my dh left me 3 months ago, but every time I went into school that was all forgotten as I loved what I was doing and built up good relationships with staff and the children. No one even suspected anything was wrong as I came alive in the classroom.

I appreciate there might have been better candidates for the job, but after giving 2 years volunteering, if I was not selected for an interview, I would of thought at least someone could of said to me, thanks for your application but you have not been selected.

Guess I am waffling now, sorry

OP posts:
Montegomongoose · 16/10/2014 16:02

DrankSangria what's the incorrect preposition?

phantomnamechanger · 16/10/2014 16:03

Grub, I think steeleye's error is in the use of "offer....up"

it should be "offer up this situation" not "offer this situation up"

because you asked, not because I'm having a dig

Norfolkandchance1234 · 16/10/2014 16:18

You may well hear in a few days or so. I had given up on a public sector job then got an email a week after the date they had given, asking me for an interview.

Andrewofgg · 16/10/2014 17:20

What SteeleyeSpanx said, except that preferring more literate to less literate applicants is not "discrimination" at all. It is the normal choice of preferring the better to the less good. Every employer does it whenever there are more applicants that jobs - which there always is.

I'm afraid that if I were reading applications for any job requiring the use of the English language any application which said could of instead of could have would be lining the bin.

SteeleyeSpanx · 16/10/2014 19:01

Minor stylistic points are are very different matter from 'could of/should of' etc

You may straw man my argument all you like, but I stand by my point. If you make such errors, your options in life will be limited (as OP has found to her cost)

SolomanDaisy · 16/10/2014 20:23

And an application which used is instead of are? Would that be in the bin too?

No one has a clue whether the OP's grammar affected the outcome here.

Andrewofgg · 16/10/2014 20:44

Damn and blast! I originally wrote is an excess of applicants - which there always is and then changed it and did not change the verb.

Still, SolomanDaisy, at least you did not notice, or did not pick me up on, that for than which was just clumsy keyboarding.

SolomanDaisy · 16/10/2014 20:51

I'll believe you Wink.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 16/10/2014 21:00

Damn that Muphry and his blasted law eh? He always gets you in the end.

Nothing wrong with Steeleye's "offer this situation up" by the way. As she states, that's stylistics, not syntax.

BadLad · 16/10/2014 21:32

it should be "offer up this situation" not "offer this situation up"

Both of those are fine. The object of a phrasal verb can be in either position, unless it is a pronoun.

Turn off the TV
Turn the TV off
Turn it off

Are all OK.

Turn off it

Is not OK.

amothersplaceisinthewrong · 16/10/2014 21:41

Why are TA roles so coveted?? They are grossly underpaid for what is expected of them.

Charley50 · 16/10/2014 21:57

As a pp said, being a teacher doesn't exempt a person from making the odd grammatical/ spelling error. A very dyslexic man won teacher of the year award a few years ago. He was an inspiring effective teacher. Yes, spelling and grammar are important but there is more to teaching and being a TA than that. There has been more than a hint of snobbery in the disparaging remarks about what is basically a colloquism. Good luck OP, ask for feedback in the sensible ways suggested above, and keep applying if this job isn't yours.

TheNumberfaker · 16/10/2014 22:13

Logistics, amothersplace !

phantomnamechanger · 16/10/2014 22:19

Why are TA roles so coveted??

perfect for fitting round school times and holidays - no childcare costs

manicinsomniac · 16/10/2014 22:22

I'm sorry, I can see why you are hurt and upset. Hopefully the shortlisting has been delayed.

I disagree with people saying that you can't use 'could of' by mistake. All I have to do when the children in my class write that is to tap the page and raise my eyebrows. They then correct it. They know but forget.

Icimoi · 16/10/2014 23:42

DrankSangria, discrimination against people with poor literacy is entirely acceptable and indeed a necessity when considering applicants for TA posts. Not only does the employment of TAs with poor literacy mean that children will not learn good grammar, it may mean the difference between survival and going into special measures for the school.

ICantFindAFreeNickName · 17/10/2014 00:19

At my school you would not automatically get an interview, which I know can seem a bit unfair, but it would just be a waste of everyone's time if they already knew that they had better candidates. They should have spoken to you though.
I agree that you were probably competing against many trained teachers , SEN specialists etc., plus as others have said they already have you working there for free and would not want to lose that.

If I was you, I'd leave it a few days then drop the head an email, asking if he can give you some feedback on your application, so you can do better next time.

Good Luck

MrsMcRuff · 17/10/2014 00:54

If I was you

If I were you?

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 17/10/2014 06:55

I used to be a school governor, with responsibility for shortlisting and interviewing candidates (in conjuction with another governor and the HT).

We always sent out a job description and person spec, and then shortlisted against these. If a candidate didn't match up, then we didn't shortlist them.

Along with others, I do think your poor grammar might have played a part, as I would be loathe to shortlist anyone who wrote "would of".

I do think its perfectly reasonable to ask for feedback though, and then use the feedback to improve your applications for future jobs. Good luck in your job hunting.

coolbeans · 17/10/2014 07:28

i am sorry that it appears you have not been invited to an interview. It must be very disappointing for you.

Please do ask for feedback. With luck, it will be useful and help you refine and polish your next application.

The grammar point on, 'should of/have', has been sufficiently explored! Don't worry about it anymore.

Here's to hoping you feel better soon :)

DrankSangriaInThePark · 17/10/2014 08:31

I do hope you mean "discriminate between" candidates, Ici, and not "discriminate against"

If a school were to employ the latter in choosing their teachers, they really would be in hot water.

Goodness, prepositions are being quite pesky on this thread, aren't they?

CadmiumRed · 17/10/2014 08:43

OP - congratulations on completing your course and gaining your qualification.

And also on such an impressive volunteering / placement record. Especially as you did all this at such a difficult time in your life.

Try not to take this personally: it will probably be the governors who did the shortlisting, and they will have to be very strict in scoring candidates against experience and skills.

As you say, the not being contacted is a real issue.

Ask politely but assertively and matter-of-factly for feedback on your application and an explanation as to why you did not get shortlisted.

Can I ask, if there are no other schools within reach, did you always bank on getting a position at this school?

Good luck, OP - your qualification is your qualification, and will stand you in good stead: don't give up!

martiniescutcheon · 17/10/2014 09:05

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan surely you mean "loath to shortlist" not loathe?

Gorgeously · 17/10/2014 09:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fascicle · 17/10/2014 09:49

Firstly, I would ignore the unhelpful comments on this thread, speculating on your grammar skills in relation to the outcome of your application. The people making those comments have not seen your application, nor have they observed you helping out in class.

Friday to Wednesday is a really ambitious timescale for shortlisting and communicating with applicants. There may well be a delay in the process.

Given the huge contribution you have made to the class, and given the support of the class teacher for your applicatioin, the school owes it to you to communicate in a sensitive and timely way, if/why you haven't been shortlisted for interview.

If I were you, I would assume nothing and ask the class teacher if there's any news/developments with the vacancy.

Swipe left for the next trending thread