Interviewing here left me traumatized about job applications and interviews in general. From the beginning, the school displayed constant red flags, but I still tried to pursue it as I genuinely desired a non-instructional job in the education field. Here's how it unfolded:
The Director of that department contacted me on LinkedIn for an initial screening and sent me a connection request. I prepared for this call as if it were an actual interview, but I was barely given a chance to speak. It was mainly her talking about how great the school is, their focus on sending kids to private high schools for the sake of the school's reputation, rather than prioritizing the needs of the students. This emphasis on the school's image rather than the students' well-being became evident early on.
They scheduled an in-person interview for a demo lesson the following week. I even took a PTO day for that, but the day before the interview, without prior notice, they updated the calendar invite, rescheduling the interview for a different date. This was disappointing, as my PTO went to waste. On the actual interview day, I conducted a demo lesson and enjoyed interacting with the kids. Despite the lack of structure, the positive experience with the children made me consider working there.
After the lesson, I had an extensive conversation with the director for over an hour about the interview and the school. It gave me a positive impression, and I felt optimistic about my chances. The following week, they initiated the reference check process, and that's when things took a turn for the worse.
Within 2-3 weeks, the school and I both received the reports. It raised concerns during the background check, citing discrepancies. After that, I promptly provided the correct documents to verify my previous employment and education. However, they did not respond for weeks, and I had to keep reaching out. Finally, HR replied, claiming I never submitted a completed application. This was perplexing, considering I had been interviewed twice without any mention of an incomplete application. I had to resend my application, and then they asked me to wait, stating they were still interviewing other candidates, only to reject me later.
While I can handle rejection, I find it unacceptable for a job to subject candidates to such emotional roller coasters instead of being straightforward. The pettiest part was the director removing me as a LinkedIn connection after the rejection. This is highly unprofessional, especially considering she was sharing posts about what it means to be a good leader on LinkedIn. If you're considering applying here, I strongly recommend having another job secured as well.
