Help! I have an interview at a school and...

[Clary]

I am not sure what to wear! (not sure if this should be in Style and Beauty but I really want advice from Education folk).

I have a smart suit I have been wearing to interviews (much good it has done me hah!) but I can't walk well in it and the heels it goes with (!).

This is not a problem if I am sitting down but for this job, kind of a Cover Supervisor role in a secondary school, I need to take a class. Not sure I can do that well at all in the Suit.

Would something like this dress and a cashmere cardi be OK?

If you work in a senior role in a school, would you expect me to turn up in a suit?

I've got a smart MandS suit size 14 - burgundy long jacket and straightish long skirt but with a long slit (not revealing but can move in it) - think it woulkd suit your shape.

If you can afford petrol for a coffee date/lunch on Tuesday you can have the run of my wardrobe for a borrow?

I wouldn't actually know a statement necklace if it bit me on the bum - I just see a lot of Big Necklaces coming into our place on interview day. Usually to jazz up someone's black suit/white blouse combo.

I reckon you'll be a shoe-in with that experience! Are you sure they want someone who wants to do a PGCE? Sometimes we've turned people down because we thought they were only interested for 12 months or so...

Teacher unemployment here is pretty grim. We have fab TT college in Cumbria, but they keep churning out graduates for no jobs! I think all our CS atm have done PGCEs, but can't get teaching jobs!

Did I tell you I'm a Learning Mentor now, which is much more enjoyable and more rewarding than CS?

I wore a bright coloured blouse and black trousers for my cover supervisor interview recently. The others wore black suits with white blouses. I got the job

Good luck!

I don't know if you can rub £50 together, but if you can get this as it's gorgeous, smart and an astonishing bargain.

I'm off to post it in S&B

Roisin they deffo say in the advert that they are offering the role as a stepping stone for someone wanting to teach.

Agree tho re teacher unemployment - a friend of mine has just landed her NQT job - she qualified last June!

Anyway we shall see re shoe in (doubtful)

PandaG thanks so much you are very sweet but I am busy tomorrow and Tues sadly.

Anyway all have scissored lining and can now walk in skirt no probs. Have also found another pair of shoes with lower heel so should be good to go. Will try on multi-coloured striped shirt in effort to make Statement

Sorry Panda I meant to say we should do the coffee or lunch thing anyway - just not this week as it is jammed for some reason!

No probs Clary - contact me when life is less busy - I think you have my email - I only have your (redundant I assume) work one from a couple of years ago!

Good luck! I will have everything crossed for you. Scissored lining sounds definitely the way to go.

thanks ladies.

Panda, my home mail is the same start as old work one (ie initial and surname) and then @talktalk.net

Just to say that went to interview in smart suit. Two chaps there in suits, 5 other women in trousers, not suirs apart from one, and one woman dressed in black skirt and saggy black cardi like a schoolgirl

I deffo had the highest heels but walked well in em

Anyway I got the job!!! how super super exciting, despite not performing ver y well (I thought) - just shows you can't tell.

DD said "Well mummy maybe everyone else was even more rubbish than you." bless her.

Anyway thanks for all thoughts and advice!

Yay!! Congratulations!! Which one did you get?

Well done Clary! PLeased to hear it

Hey FANTASTIC! Well done you! I'm delighted!

Is it full-time? Do you get paid for the holidays?

Will you just be doing cover, or are there other responsibilities for the quiet weeks? (ha ha! I know there aren't many!)

It's at Derby Moor fluffy, yes it's full time, 32.5 hrs per week, term time only but paid 52 wks per year - which I assume means the salary is not pro-rataed down?

Need to check these details when I go in tmrw.

Anyway apparantly in any down time I am expected to help in classes as needed/prep work/etc which is fine by me. Don't like to do nothing (as I feel I have been most of this year! How do non-working mums of school-age children do this???)

Excellent! Hope it works out really well for you.