teaching Job interview....HELP

[Mala V]

Hello!

I finally had my first interview after sending out over 17 application off in the hamilton area!

My interview went really well, very different to my experience in england! it was so informal and no one seemed prepared, and I know my references were good as I had an e-mail from my previous HOD, this was all last week tuesday.

I still had not heard from the school by thursday, so i sent them a thank you e-mail so the interview and to let them know i was still interested in the position. they called to say they were waiting for references, which they got on friday.

It now monday and I Still have not heard anything from them....and I know the school is on holiday so they are just doing admin this week..

is this normal??? and what should I do? I have never experience anything like this

has anyone had such an experience? I'm going mad with the waiting and not knowing

[aphistory]

I hope you get it, I just landed a teaching job last week so I know about the stress. On the other hand both jobs that I've gotten (last year, and this year) I received a call from the Principal before I made it home from the interview. Schools in Auckland tend to be very slow to let the non-hired know, this includes my current school that took almost a month to let me know they hired someone else. I just got a rejection letter from Greenbay HS yesterday, they hired a co-worker of mine for the position 3 weeks ago.

I'd continue sending out CV's and cover letters. Everything at this time of year moves slowly so it's unlikely that anything you send out now will result in anything until after the holidays. That leaves plenty of time of the school to contact you about your interview.

If things start getting close to the school year I would start dropping the CV's off in person. Also, start sending out CV's to all the schools even when they don't have a job open. I sent out over 50 CV's for day relief Jan of last year, a principal pick it up for a LTR position for the year. I was interviewed and hired the day before school started.

Good luck with the hunt.

Amber

[Mala V]

thanks amber, I've been sending and hand delivering CV last week all round hamilton, hopeful will have some relief work for next year, I find the whole recruitment procedure in NZ really strange, in UK you would no that day and there is no stress of waiting!

I'm assuming I did not get it, but I don't understand why they spend 3 days trying to get hold of my HOD in england if I was not in the running to get the job? they even called me to tell me what the delay in their response was due to.

do you think I should call them and just confirm my assuption of should I wait?

[sophiedb]

hi Mala,

I know how you feel! I had an interview last Tuesday too, and was told they'd get back to me by Friday... today I was feeling very antsy, and then suddenly - at 7pm! - I got a call telling me that I hadn't got the job. Ho hum.

Anyway, my overall (if limited) impression of NZ recruitment - not from a teacher's perspective, but admin - is that they seem to check refs before offering a job, not after like in the UK (though obviously a couple of good refs are necessary before anyone will send out paperwork). If you interviewer has been chasing refs, that's probably it - they do like you, but won't confirm until every single step is complete.

fingers crossed for you!!

[girlwithanewf]

Good luck with the job search. I have found that there are dubious practices going on here with interviewing and advertising. For example I applied for a part-time job teaching last week last week, closing date yesterday. By the end of this morning I had already had an email, thanking me for the application, but the post had already been offered to someone who had accepted. Very swift turn around there...
Another job I saw advertised "disappeared" from education gazette a few days after originally being posted.

[icemaiden]

Your situation is not at all unusual in the teaching profession here. My advise is, if you want the job, phone them again, and again. In NZ it seems that you can never be too pushy. In the UK we call it pushy, here they call it initiative. Keep trying and good luck.

[girlwithanewf]

Another example to back up Icemaiden's comments above: I sent my CV to the Education Personnel teaching recruitment agency via the website, as they advise you to do, got an automatic email back saying thank you etc etc and never heard anything else. I had to actually physically take my CV to their office in Wellington, for them to put my details on the database.
The job I am actually doing I got by just walking in and saying hello. Right place at the right time!

[icemaiden]

Mala V - what is your subject/teaching age range? Full time/part time? Someone out there might know of a vacancy.

[Mala V]

Hey guys!

I finally got a response from the school offering me the job, they had to work out the contract etc because I only have a work permit not residency! I had to send 3 polite e-mails telling them I liked the school and was still interested etc. 2 1/2 weeks it took to get a response from them after I chased them!!
They all seem really nice but its werid how the whole procedure took place! I hope not to go through this for a while.

But incase I do...lol....and if anyone knows of a better position then hamilton boys....

I teach seconday level business/accounting/economics/enterprise/Leisure and tourism
unlike NZ teachers I can teach all 5 subjects without a problem, it seems Uk teachers are a bit more flexible and versitile then NZ teachers, but we all have to jump through the hoops to get recruited!

Thank you all for your help and support

[magcats]

Congrats on your new job Mala V!

I was interested in your thread because I will be in the same predicament when we finally make the move over. I've sent off CVs from the USA offering to skype for an interview. I don't know if it was that they only want people who are already in NZ (can't blame them), or if my CV isn't up to par, or what.

If anyone wants to give me any CV tips for teachers, I'd love to have them!

At any rate, it was good to see that you were offered the job.