Job interview that conflicts with current position (principal, hire, assignments)
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Ok, how do I handle this one? I've been asked to interview for a position in the district I grew up in but they will only interview me at 3:00 on Wednesday. School gets out here at 2:55 and I have to grade my student's final projects on Wednesday. There is no make up time as we're on mid term schedule and grades are due out next week. My husband is telling me to do whatever I have to to take the interview. I can't even think of a decent excuse for leaving half an hour early on a day when I'm supposed to be grading mid term assignments the students have put six weeks into.
I am so frustrated. This is the second of two job interviews I've been asked to go on in a year and both required me to compromise my current position to interview. The attitude seems to be if you're not willing to drop everything, you don't deserve to interview with us. Yet, if I did drop everything, I wouldn't be the kind of teacher I want to be.
I want to go to my principal and explain to her what's going on but my husband says they'll fire me and he's right. They probably would if they knew I'd applied for another position. The students could, easily, finish in time for me to leave 30 minutes early and make the interview. What excuse could I use to leave early without calling in sick (my husband's suggestion) and being unable to grade the final assignments?
It seems like you do have to be sneaky so you do not put your current job at risk. If calling out the whole day is not possible, I would have someone(son,daughter, husband, mom, dad) make an emergency call and you have to leave right away. Not a death or accident as that is a little extreme, but maybe your mom and dad or son or daughter are locked out of the house and you have the only spare key and have to leave. You can also use the same thing saying their car is running at the mall and they are locked out and you need to go get them.
any spur of the moment emergency that requires you to leave then would work in my opinion.
It seems like you do have to be sneaky so you do not put your current job at risk. If calling out the whole day is not possible, I would have someone(son,daughter, husband, mom, dad) make an emergency call and you have to leave right away. Not a death or accident as that is a little extreme, but maybe your mom and dad or son or daughter are locked out of the house and you have the only spare key and have to leave. You can also use the same thing saying their car is running at the mall and they are locked out and you need to go get them.
any spur of the moment emergency that requires you to leave then would work in my opinion.
That's a good idea. I can make my husband call and lie to them.
This is so frustrating. I don't like being dishonest and I don't like compromising the job I'm doing now. Both go against my nature. I'd rather take my chances and tell the principal why I need to leave early. However, I have no doubt they would fire me. If not on the spot, within a few weeks once they'd replaced me. We're supposed to accept low wages, no benefits and buying our own supplies and act like we are blessed to work here. Sadly, this woudln't be a bad place to stay if there were a future. There is none. Wages go down not up and benefits just get cut along with classroom supplies. I have to leave but every time I get an offer to interview, I'm asked to compromise the job I do here to accomodate it.
This is depressing. I can't buy a job inteview during the summer and I can't make the ones I get offers for during the year because they want me during what are our normal school hours or so close to quitting time, I can't make it. I can leave here at the time they want me there. It's a 20 minute drive and they won't accomodate it. I guess, in the new economy, they only hire people who will jump through hoops to work for them.
If it weren't mid term week, I'd just take off but this is mid term week and I'm not giving exams because the students did projects they're presenting. I can, probably, get through the presentations in time to leave but I need that excuse to leave. I think I'll bounce that ball into my husband's court. I'm figuring there isn't much chance at my getting the job. If they were that interested, they'd accomodate the fact I need half an hour to get there. My husband says I deserve what I get if I don't go on the job interview. That being stuck here will be my prize.
I can't figure out why a school would want to even talk to a teacher who would compromise her current position (as in fail to meet her obligations) to interview with them yet that's what they ask. I guess you really have to demonstrate you're willing to bend your ethics for a job these days.
The sad part is if I could be honest, I'd just need to leave as soon as the presentations are done. I can meet my obligation. I just have to figure out how to get out of here half an hour early. Let's see what emergency my husband can come up with.
I'm willing to bet this is all for nothing. If they didn't have several viable candidates, they wouldn't be insisting I come at one time and one time only. Every time a science position posts here, there are 16 applicants. The market is so glutted with science and math teachers here it's not even funny. You need either a special ed or english/spanish combination to get a job here. I feel like I'll be doing this for nothing.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 01-25-2010 at 02:19 PM..
Unbelievable that they won't accomodate you. Good idea about your husband saying there is an emergency. Best of luck!
I know. It's midterms. It's not like it's even a regular week.
This is telling of how bad the job market is. This isn't even considered a good school district. They're rated 3 out of 10 and they pay lower than the surrounding districts. The only reason I'm interested is I really do want to be somewhere where I can make a difference and I grew up there so it would be like coming home. I could grow roots there. Heck, I already have roots there.
Hopefully, we'll figure out something to get me out of here early.
Well, I've long hated these "family emergency" excuses. It's also possible to get caught doing that. Do you not have any personal time whatsoever that you could use?
Well, I've long hated these "family emergency" excuses. It's also possible to get caught doing that. Do you not have any personal time whatsoever that you could use?
We don't get personal time. We get 7 sick days a year. I've used 4 1/2 to cover when my kids had the flu, when I had the flu and a doctor's appointment I couldn't get in the evening for my daughter.
The problem with going to them with "an appointment" is it's mid terms and I'm supposed to be grading projects. They're going to want to know why it has to be this week and why I can't get the appointment later. I'd rather be honest but I can't be.
You're right about being caught using the "emergency" excuse. What's worse? Getting caught using the emergency excuse or being caught interviewing for antoher job?
I don't want to go home. I'm going to hear it all night about how I owe it to our family to interview for this job. About how the kids don't deserve to do without what they do without because of our pay cuts (they have done nothing but cut our benefits since I came here and they were scraping the bottom of the barrel when I took this job). He's right. My kids deserve better. I deserve better. I just wish I didn't have to lie to interview for a job and I can't afford to get fired, as I will be, if they find out I'm looking. This just sucks. I keep thinking about how I'm now worth more dead than alive and what my family could do with the life insurance money.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 01-25-2010 at 03:22 PM..
Just tell them you had something completely unavoidable come up. If they ask what it is, tell them it is personal and you do not feel comfortable telling them. There's not a lie in there, you keep your private matters private, and move right along...
You're right about being caught using the "emergency" excuse. What's worse? Getting caught using the emergency excuse or being caught interviewing for antoher job?
Well, if you're caught lying, you might get reprimanded and you would likely not be trusted again for a long time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by melbern
Just tell them you had something completely unavoidable come up. If they ask what it is, tell them it is personal and you do not feel comfortable telling them. There's not a lie in there, you keep your private matters private, and move right along...
That is probably a better approach than the "family emergency". Having been a supervisor, I learned to be very skeptical of these emergencies, as sometimes the person was then seen out on the town.
Just tell them you had something completely unavoidable come up. If they ask what it is, tell them it is personal and you do not feel comfortable telling them. There's not a lie in there, you keep your private matters private, and move right along...
I like this approach better than any other. I think my students can be done in time for me to leave if I can find someone to cover my class for 30 minutes. It's probably not worth bringing in a sub but I will have to take half a sick day. If we leave early at all it's half a sick day.
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