Job offer, what should I do?

[CrazyDaisy1111]

I've just had a teaching job offer and I said yes but I have an interview on Friday for somewhere else and another one after half term. The other schools are in better locations for me and I'd like to give the interviews a go. Equally, I didn't want to turn down this job offer.

I've not been in this position before. Can anyone help? I don't want to be unreasonable to the school.

Hmm I think you should have turned down the job offer if you did not seriously consider taking the first job because of the location.

Could you not have said you'd let them know next week? Why did you say yes right away?

@Jibo as it's expected to be appointed on the day for teaching roles. It's also really bad form to accept a position and then change your mind.
It's a while different world from other jobs.

If you have already accepted then it’s not the done thing to then go back on it. It can and does go against you in a negative way. If it’s in the same authority (even if it’s not) heads talk, and you may end up ‘blacklisted’ so to speak from other schools as you’d be seen as unreliable.

Do you have a start date yet?
You did the right thing accepting it - you needed to secure a job for yourself. But I'd say go and interview at the other 2 schools, if you get a better offer definitely take it. You'd have to tell the first employer things have changed and unfortunately you cannot start with them afterall. Annoying for them but they can find another candidate, life happens and until you sign a contract there's no obligation to go through with the job.

This, IMO.

Principals talk. Esp if close to each other or same lea.

@Hopelesscynic Not yet. I've only had the offer verbally so far. No contract.

If you are my DSis I’ve already told you what to do!

If I'd said that I had other interviews to go to, would I have lost the job offer?

Not necessarily but you would still have been expected to accept or reject their offer before going to the other interviews, so they can offer to the next candidate before they go to other interviews. Sometimes they allow 24hours but not all do.

You will need to declare before each interview whether you are still a firm candidate so if you’ve accepted this one you can’t attend the other interviews. Congratulations on your new job. Just be pleased and notify the other schools that you are no longer attending. It’s very normal for candidate pools to shrink as teachers accept other roles (particularly at this time of year) but as others have said you can’t accept a role and then still interview elsewhere. You know that as a teacher. You make the declaration and then roles are offered and accepted the same day.

Do the right thing, turn down the interview and stick with the offer you have.

Whilst it will be disappointing for them if you turn the offer down the market is such that there are many opportunities so competition is high. It isn't wrong that you want to find a job that is the best fit for you.
I work in the NHS and 4-5 years ago I'd never had anyone accept and the turn down an offer but it has happened twice recently as there are just so many vacancies. Yes it's been frustrating but totally understandable that candidates are going with a position that is best for them when they have a choice of jobs. We have reviewed our JD to see what we can do to make them more stand out. Difficult when terms and conditions are the same across as decisions do come down to practicalities such as location and shift pattern.

You are in the NHS, not a teacher, I am not a teacher either, but looks like several have already responded to point out that within teaching this is simply not the done thing. OP needs to think about things like location before applying.

I responded earlier to ask whether you were my sister since she had exactly this situation yesterday. She interviewed for a job which she loved. However the commute back took her much much longer than she thought. She also has another lined up this week because this week is the week of crazy interviews due to notice requirements in education.

She was offered the job but had to reject it even though she loved it. She was really nervous about doing that in case she didn’t get the other one but it’s just the process in teaching. You have to say that you are still a firm candidate at the beginning of the day. You then can’t hold onto offers. If you get an offer you have to decide (which shouldn’t be difficult because you’ve already declared you are a firm candidate). If you reject they immediately offer it to the next candidate. If you’ve accepted your role then they’ve already stood down the others and they may well have interviews today/tomorrow and might not be available any more. Your reputation would be damaged by trying to interview at other places to hedge your bets.

My point was that it wasn't the done thing in the NHS either. It's a relatively small world and luke others have suggested about teaching those that recruit talk. The fact is employment markets are changing, especially in the public sector so it is becoming a far more common thing,

Gosh teaching sounds so different to other jobs re interview process.

It really is. The old school knows exactly where you’re interviewing too and when since you have to tell them and the potential new school also seek references in advance. It’s mainly because teachers have to serve notice by a particular date. It’s like a merry go round. You can change around whilst it stops but then that’s it, it’s moving again! It’s not just that it isn’t the done thing, it’s a completely different process to normal recruitment.

You’ve accepted OP. You can’t hold onto it until after you’ve seen whether you’re successful at another interview elsewhere. That’s completely unprofessional. If you are going to reject it you need to do it asap this morning so they can offer quickly to the next candidate before that person potentially interviews today at a different school. Then cross your fingers and hope you get one of the others instead. But it’s still not going to look good at all if you reject after having accepted.

Isn't it?!

I almost died when my teacher friend told me she told her headteacher she was going to start applying to different schools for work. Completely different world. Would love to stick my middle finger up to my manager and openly tell them I'm looking to leave 🤣

If their second choice is also currently employed, they need to give notice by the end of May. So dilly-dallying around waiting for you to decide could mean they lose that candidate as an option (and they may be going for other interviews too). The usual rule in teaching is that you say yes or no on the day. It's annoying, but it's how it is.
It may work out for the best - when I first started, my last interview was at the school which was geographically best for me, but I was offered the job at the one before and didn't risk turning it down. It turned out to be a great fit for me, and the commute was easier than I'd expected. Meanwhile, the person who got the other job lived nearer the one I got, but fitted really well at the one they got. If someone had asked the pair of us to sort the jobs between us, we'd have opted the other way round, but I think we'd have been wrong.