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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think this interview and the follow up is incredibly unprofessional

91 replies

Orlantina · 26/04/2017 11:49

There's so much I want to say about this interview. But it would be revealing. My colleagues now and were shocked.

Closing date was before Easter hols. Was for a teaching role. Interview was 3 days later - just before break up. Interview went well - and the head phoned up to say that there was still a few things to consider money wise but they were on holiday so he'd get back to me after holidays to let me know more. So it wasn't a yes, it wasn't a no, it was something...

So they're back. I emailed him last week and then rang up on Monday. And still no reply. Not even a courtesy follow up.

There's so much more to this - but they've had 10 days. I don't know what to do. Ring again?

OP posts:
applesareredandgreen · 26/04/2017 22:42

But it's not 10 days - the HT said they would get back to you after Easter - meaning the Easter holidays - schools only went back this Monday - if the issue was around money the Head may have needed to speak to Governors

LottieDoubtie · 26/04/2017 22:46

One of the best teaching jobs I've ever had, I had a dog jump on my lap during the interview so I wouldn't necessarily rule out the job based on the cats Grin

A long drawn out process is not usually good in education though, so maybe on those grounds...

LadyLapsang · 26/04/2017 22:47

You want to hear the outcome of the interview, we want to hear about the cats.....

Original poster
Orlantina · 26/04/2017 22:48

schools only went back this Monday

This school went back last Monday. They've been back for 10 days.

OP posts:
ParmaViolets17 · 26/04/2017 22:57

I had eight interviews for a permanent position, doing the same job I'd been doing as a contractor for two YEARS. Didn't get the job, refused to give me feedback, took seven weeks to let me know.
Wonder if it's the same company, Edwinbear??

gillybeanz · 26/04/2017 22:58

I wonder how many HT's have cats?

fullofhope03 · 26/04/2017 23:02

You shouldn't be embarrased about this - Good for you ShotsFired! xx

Hopelessromantic1988 · 26/04/2017 23:07

You've not got the job.

Successful candidates are called within a week maximum. The stories where the candidate is called three weeks later are very rare or the result of the candidate being a reserve choice.

I

Redblankets · 26/04/2017 23:10

I wonder how many HT's have cats?
In their own home =thousands ?
In the HT school office, probably just the one HT !

I couldn't concentrate, was waiting for the next cat to jump on me. Still makes me giggle now 10 years later !

Instasista · 26/04/2017 23:12

What is it about teaching that means they can decide and inform so quickly? How can they consistently see all candidates over a day or maximum 2? What if candidates aren't all available on the same day?

Seems so strange. But what I will say is the jobs where I couldn't get back to candidates for a long time were chaotic, difficult environments. Very much a sign of things to come

ToDuk · 26/04/2017 23:18

What is it about teaching that means they can decide and inform so quickly? How can they consistently see all candidates over a day or maximum 2? What if candidates aren't all available on the same day?

That's how it works in teaching. There is one day of interviews, sometimes stated in the job ad. All candidates will be interviewed and observed the same day then usually in my experience you get a call by close of pay on the same day offering the job. You're expected to accept or reject immediately so it can be offered to the next person if you turn it down. Pay and conditions are already worked out before the interviews.

I've never understood why it takes so long in other professions.

Instasista · 26/04/2017 23:28

It's usually pretty hard to get candidates all available on the same day ime- it can happen though, I have done it a fair few times.

Pinkandwhiteblossoms · 26/04/2017 23:34

Teaching is another world.

I've had harsh feedback. Having been praised for a calm and serene manner on teaching practice, my first interview told me I was flat and dulll! Also got turned down once and was comforted with 'you will soon be offered a post, you are very pretty' Confused

I should have been outraged, I know. I was delighted.

Ethylred · 26/04/2017 23:42

I've never been a teacher but, like some other MNetters, I did go to school.

Sometimes I wondered what kind of interviewing process there could have been to produce the people who taught me.

Twofurrycats · 26/04/2017 23:45

Was always a set way when I was teaching. Interview then decision that day. All candidates spoken to and feedback given. At one interview I went to we were all to wait until the end of the day onsite and offers and feedback done then (long day as two jobs and about thirteen candidates).Lesson obs if done in your own setting done before hand. Teaching runs on a different set of rules to a lot of jobs: references and resignation dates.

Cheekyandfreaky · 26/04/2017 23:54

The teaching interview process is strange. I think the worst part for me (which thankfully some schools seem to be phasing out) is when all candidates have been interviewed, the head comes in, thanks all, yada yada and then calls one candidate away. This will be the person who has got the job, so all rejectees have to sit their and wait whilst the successful candidate accepts and then one by one go in for feedback. So bloody awkward- school SLTs please all dump this and just send people home and call them. When you are unsuccessful the last thing you want to do is be surrounded by everyone else who was to straight after you all just realise. As you can tell I hated this!!!

Cheekyandfreaky · 26/04/2017 23:55

Argh there not their- I promise I passed the literacy tests!!

Cheekyandfreaky · 26/04/2017 23:55

And bloody too not to ffs.

edwinbear · 27/04/2017 00:22

Parma I doff my cap to the undisputed winner. I'm not a contractor there - albeit they approached me as opposed to me actually applying!

OlennasWimple · 27/04/2017 00:30

I reckon they want to offer it to someone else, but that candidate is on holiday until after Easter so nothing can move until they can confirm that their preferred candidate is accepting the post

Or they are considering cutting / being forced to cut the post and are holding off telling candidates until it is confirmed

owenjonesismyhero · 27/04/2017 00:36

I once interviewed for a role at the Kings Fund who undertook quality assessments of NHS organisations and then gave them feedback and a workplan to get them up to speed to meet Care Quality Commission requirements. A full day with workshops and presentations etc. Exhausting.
I didn't get the job and heard back in a letter a week or so later. Bit shit after all that. I rang up to get feedback so I could improve for next interview, as you do. I was told it wasn't their practice to give feedback. Confused So I said, but your role is to help organisations improve by giving feedback, I want to improve, where is my feedback? I was told HR policy.
Whenever I see them in articles or on TV, I smile at the hypocrisy of it. Grin

TinDogTavern · 27/04/2017 00:40

I was interviewed for a job last June. Never heard back. AT ALL. I phoned a couple of times and was made to feel like an irritant. I'm starting to think maybe I didn't get it.... Smile

highinthesky · 27/04/2017 01:04

I've just returned from a 7th round interview this evening. Shock

What was it for, Prime Minister?

ILikeBeansWithKetchup · 27/04/2017 07:16

Teaching interviews are a brutal business and the outside world never gets to know this!

One thing that is different is 'all ggod candidates' don't have to be interviewed, for example.

Safer recruiting would suggest anyone who meets the criteria of the person specification needs to be interviewed. This rarely happens as sometimes 40 people can apply for one SLT post. So shortlisting can be an arbitrary process. Applications often aren't acknowledged and candidates who aren't shortlisted often aren't told. I have applied for maybe 30 jobs where I have met every requirement of the person spec and most of the desirable stuff and not been interviewed not bitter at all

When I started teaching you were always told on the same day - sometimes hanging around for hours. You are expected to 'bond' with the other candidates at this point!

It's more normal now to send interviewees away and phone that evening or the next day. We have resign by set dates , of course, too, and interviews can quite often take place less than a week before these so everything is often done in a bit of a rush.

It's insane really.

And don't get me started on the sadistic interviews themselves! Cats are the least of our problems! Unless it was Blofeld??!

GeekLove · 27/04/2017 09:11

RedBlanket

Was she Dolores Umbridge?