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The staffroom

Whether you're a permanent teacher, supply teacher or student teacher, you'll find others in the same situation on our Staffroom forum.

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Original poster

did not get a job - but a person in 50s got it/ primary

52 replies

shininglight1 · 26/04/2014 18:19

applied for a job with some responsibilities. my application ticked all the boxes, I mean all they required. but did not do well at answering q. at the interview... did not get a job but the person in 50s. did the school want a person with more experience? just looked at my application and it fully covers what the school wanted...

OP posts:

EmmaGellerGreen · 26/04/2014 19:08

On behalf of the children in that school, I am delighted that someone in their 50s got the job, at DS's they are all very young and I would welcome someone with different experiences. Especially someone who answered the questions competently. If they wrote in sentences with good punctuation, even better.

FunkyBoldRibena · 26/04/2014 19:10

did the school want a person with more experience?
Yes and possibly someone who could answer the questions at interview.

What exactly is your beef with someone over 50 getting the job? Especially someone who evidently was a better person for the job?

DrankSangriaInThePark · 26/04/2014 19:11

Why do you think you should have got it?

Why is the age of the winning candidate relevant?

HeartsTrumpDiamonds · 26/04/2014 19:12

Goady ageist thread if you ask me.

But maybe I'm being over sensitive after the SN buggy / drunk thread thing.

SirChenjin · 26/04/2014 19:13

In fact OP, you could look on it as a learning experience. Improve your interview technique, advise your pupils to prepare really well for interviews as not performing well at interviews tends to mean you don't get the job, learn to look past a person's age - oh, and yes, practise your spelling and punctuation to the point where it becomes automatic.

ReallyTired · 26/04/2014 19:14

Why are you bothered by the school employing someone in their fifties? A person in their 50s has a lot to offer and in theory its against the law for an employer to discriminate on age. How would you feel if the school employed a black person?

I suggest you ask the school for some proper feedback.

littlegreengloworm · 26/04/2014 19:14

This makes me laugh. At my first ever teaching interview (we had a group interview, then a lesson observations, then individual) after being asked to sign a contract one girl from the group put her hands on her hips and asked me 'what have you got that I haven't?'

To this day I think... How sad. Keep your divinity, say nothing.

littlegreengloworm · 26/04/2014 19:15

Lesson

Dignity ( grrr )

AvoidingEasterDIY · 26/04/2014 19:15

SirChenjin · 26/04/2014 19:15

Or dignity even

SirChenjin · 26/04/2014 19:16

x-post - that'll learn me to be a smart arse

AnimalsAreMyFriends · 26/04/2014 19:22

I've been here many years - not done this before, but here goes......

storynanny2 · 26/04/2014 22:16

The age of the candidate is not relevant at all.
2 years ago I had an interview at the age of 55, I ticked all the boxes and am very experienced. A lovely young teacher in her late 20's got the job. It had nothing to do with our ages, she obviously performed better at the interview and was what the school were looking for.

TheGruffalo2 · 26/04/2014 23:28

When shortlisting we only interview candidates that tick all essential criteria boxes. The OPs shock seems to be coming over as assuming she alone fits the job and person specifications for the job, so has a right to the job, despite admitting to messing up the interview. Very odd attitude!

Original poster

shininglight1 · 26/04/2014 23:48

Sorry forgot to mention it was position for lead teacher and I had experience but that teacher did not have experience of it.

OP posts:

ilovesooty · 27/04/2014 00:12

The school obviously felt she was good enough to interview and it seems she performed better than you did.

WildThong · 27/04/2014 00:15

Blooming 50 year olds, what do they know about working. How very dare they.

ThistledownAndCobweb · 27/04/2014 00:19

Perhaps the interview panel felt she was a better fit for the school, sometimes it can just come down to personality and how you gel with existing staff.

Or perhaps she did a better interview than you.

VivaLeBeaver · 27/04/2014 00:20

But getting a job is about the best person for the job and that person may not actually be the most experienced.

Someone who hasn't done the job before but has the qualifications to do it, interviews well and impresses the panel with their knowledge, enthusiasm and motivation will get the job over someone who's done it before but comes across badly in an interview.

ravenAK · 27/04/2014 00:38

I had the opposite problem to you a few years ago - I lost out on a promotion & it went to a younger, less experienced colleague who did a better interview on the day.

Fair play to her & she deserved the opportunity - it's just how it's done.

You need to consider this a wake up call re your interview, if you want to be in with a chance next time.

Also, for a lead teacher role, you need to communicate clearly with the people you're leading. I'd suggest working on your written communication (ok, it's an Internet forum & you're having a quick grumble - no doubt you can punctuate accurately if you need to; but it looks sloppy.)

More to the point, you can't expect to be taken seriously if you don't develop the resilience to take a setback on the chin - on this occasion, you obviously presented as the weaker candidate. No good will come of sulking about it.

Original poster

shininglight1 · 27/04/2014 06:24

Thank you ravenAk and all - I of course agree with all comments in this post. Need to take a more structured approach to interview next time

OP posts:

TheGruffalo2 · 27/04/2014 10:06

What is a lead teacher?

SteadyEddie · 27/04/2014 10:18

Maybe you should work on your interview techniques.

Do you think you didn't do well because english isn't your first language, or because of your answers to the questions were not detailed enough. Both can be worked on for next time.

Goblinchild · 27/04/2014 10:22

I'm in my 50s. interview brilliantly and have a lot of experience in all sorts of areas that schools sometimes don't mention, but I slip into the conversation.
30 years of dealing with everything a school community can throw at you does count for something, beyond the ability to tick the boxes on a job spec.

Goblinchild · 27/04/2014 11:02

The EAL issue may also be a factor. DS was taught GCSE chemistry by someone who used EAL, and they were fantastic at motivating and enthusing the class. Their teaching skills and subject knowledge outweighed the somewhat eccentric phrasing and distinctive grammar errors.
That was not the case with the Maths teacher who also used EAL, and was incapable of clear explanations, impatient with students and colleagues who found her hard to understand and generally defensive.
She lasted a year in the post, and her contract wasn't renewed.

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