Welcome to the last post in this job search series, all about what to do after the interview! So you had an interview for a music teacher position, and you nailed it, because you prepared with this blog post. Yay! But what’s next? Well today I’m sharing some recommendations for next steps.
SAY THANK YOU
You’ve probably heard this before, but that’s because it’s true. After the interview, be sure to thank the interviewers that day. I recommend something like this,
“Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with me today. Meeting with you has made it clear to me that I would be a great fit at ABC Elementary, because XYZ. Please let me know if you have any further questions. I look forward hearing from you soon. “
THE WAITING GAME
This part is the worst. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find out right away, but unless there’s a teacher shortage in your area, you’ll probably wait a while. For my second job, I waited nearly a month to hear back from the district. In the meantime, I applied and interviewed for other jobs. However, I knew I wanted to work for the district I was waiting to hear back from. Two weeks after the interview, I sent a follow-up email to Fine Arts director to let her know I was happy to answer any further questions she may have, as I was still very interested in the position. Two weeks later, she called with her offer. It turns out she was still trying to figure out which school would be my secondary school before she officially told me.
Unfortunately, sometimes the waiting ends with the administration choosing a different candidate. It happens to all of us. The best thing you can do in this situation is thank the administration for their time and consideration, and ask them if they have any notes for you. If they have any feedback for you, take it into consideration. Let it help you prepare for future interviews.
OFFERED A CONTRACT?
Congratulations! …But don’t accept right away. Thank them for the offer, and ask them if you can have time to consider, or discuss it with your family. Any employer that won’t give you at least a day to think on the offer should raise some red flags. I’ve never had an employer that didn’t understand that I wanted to go over logistics with my husband before making such a big decision.
Let’s be realistic about your consideration time. When I received my first job offer, I was in no position to decline. I was fresh out of an expensive private college, with student loans breathing down my neck, and a recession causing a teacher surplus in my area (oh 2010!). So my consideration time time of one night was about creating a very tight budget for my new Catholic school first year teacher salary offer. The next morning, I called and officially accepted. Sometimes, you need to accept the job no matter what. We all have bills to pay.
If you have multiple offers, you have a little more room to be choosy. The most important factors for me are administration support, happy staff that stick around, how often I’ll see the students, and the location of the school. Finding a supportive administration is like winning the lottery. I’d follow my current principal to the ends of the earth, because I know she will be there for me. When the principal is great, the staff have a low turnover rate; they don’t want to leave. Who doesn’t want a job where everyone’s happy to be there?! I also care a great deal about how much instructional time I will have, and that I will not be spending a big chunk of time on my commute.
TIME TO SIGN
Once you’ve made your decision, get back to the admin ASAP. Sign the contract, and then let any other schools or districts that you have accepted another offer. As soon as you sign, STOP LOOKING. You’re done! The tiresome job search is over. Congratulations! Now you can focus on preparing for your new position. Best of luck! You’ve got this!
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