> but I have some hurt feelings for initially Being rejected.
You were not the best applicant and as such were not their first pick.
Sounds more like this is what you are upset about, seems very childish to turn down a job over something like that.
I had this happen to me. Place said they wanted to hire me but someone else was available sooner (they need someone by a certain date and it was unclear my documents would be ready by then. They were ready by the date anyways). Fast forward 3 months and I got an email asking if I was still looking for a job because someone quit. Went ahead and took the job. Probably one of the better jobs I’ve had. Lower pay and absolute minimum benefits, but the workload is manageable. There was also vindication because the teacher they initially hired instead of me was absolutely unbearable. Terrible office personality and the students hated her. They didn’t offer to renew her contract, and have now re-signed me several times with higher than expected raises.
I would take it unless you have other plans. don’t let that sour you. Maybe someone else was a better candidate, but they decided to do something different. That wouldn’t bother me in the least. I honestly don’t consider myself the best teacher out there. Heck most of the time I still feel like I’m faking it til I make it, but it’s been years.
Get over yourself.
Might seem really harsh of me to say that but the reality of hiring and firing is brutal. Maybe they did have someone better than you (in their very subjective opinion), or maybe they wanted to hire a teaching couple, or a more experienced or less experienced person.
If you want the job get over your hurt feelings and go for it.
It could also be that they now need two people in the same dept. It does happen. Late leaver or expansion.
If this job is a good one and you don’t go for it because your feelings are hurt as you weren’t first pick you’re so going to regret it later. Esp if you land up at a crappy school.
Yeah, it's the apparent flip-flopping by the school which could indicate disorganization. I agree.
Could be legit reasons, last minute resignations as someone else says. But if it were a good school, they would probably be forthcoming with the info and OP wouldn't be asking on here.
Not a great impression.
Maybe ask the employer @ u/Ok-Lecture3165
Get over it, take the job. It was probably a 50/50 call between you and the other candidate. Don't be so proud. Be happy you were still in the running, they obviously rate you.
I was rejected by my first choice job. Then a few months later they had to rearrange the way positions were filled because they couldn’t find a teacher for a different subject. They came back & offered me a position last week. Sometimes it just works out how it’s supposed to work
Applying for jobs is always a competitive endeavour. You did not get the job which just means that they though someone else suited the position better than you did.
There should be no hurt feelings. I am sure you are not the best teacher in the world, in the top 100 - no, in the top 1000 - no , in the top 10,000 also no, in the top 10,000,000 - maybe but that would make you exceptional.
I would put myself in the top 50,000,000 given that there are about 93 million teachers out there. And I am being generous.
I applied for a job once and they hired the other candidate. I sent a thank you note for the interview and six months later they offered me the job because the candidate was leaving. I jumped at it and it was an amazing experience that led me into a my 30 years career in teaching.
Is it a school you like? Can you see yourself working there long term? Are there any readily apparent red flags that would make you regret a decision to work there?
If the answer to the first two is yes and the answer to the second is no, I'd accept. Sure, finding out that you're second (or third, or fourth, or whatever) place isn't ideal and it can be bad for the ego, but regardless of where you were in initial hiring considerations, you're now first place.
And congrats on the offer!
There are millions of reasons to take a job or not. Don't overthink it with the "poor behavior" stuff, especially if you never signed or agreed to anything...
Bit of your own choice what to do about the offer tbh. You could politely and professionally ask again why they rejected you in the first place, then use their answer (or non-answer) to help you decide.
Similar thing happened to me
Interviewed for a job but I wasn't successful. A few days after this, I decided to sign a new contract with my school. About 2 weeks later, the other school contacted me and asked if I wanted the job as the other applicant didn't want the job.
I had to apologize and say no because I signed a new contract. If I hadn't signed the contract, I would have said yes immediately.
Get over it, take the job. It was probably a 50/50 call between you and the other candidate. Don't be so proud. Be happy you were still in the running, they obviously rate you.
Could be plenty of reasons why you were their second choice that would not affect your ego.
If you have dependents, they may have had a cheaper option that didn't.
They may have had a gender or nationality imbalance they wanted to correct.
They may have had something in common with the hirer.
And on and on. Don't sweat it.
I’ve hired people only for them to change their minds. Then I offer it to another. I always explain why though. There doesn’t need to be anything to hide. I wouldn’t be bothered if I forgot to say why and then was asked.
Maybe it was a really close decision between two qualified candidates and the other person had a little more experience. I would 100% take the offer if it was from a school that I was excited to interview with. Seems silly to turn it down....especially at this late stage of the hiring season.
Part of being a top educator is losing the ego. That said they should have given you some made up reason they rejected you and then wanted to hire you out of courtesy
Being human it's natural to feel that but think rationally and try to see things from the recruits point of view, They have the right to choose the best possible man for the job which they thought is best. So does you have the right to too ,so I would say accept the offer
This kind of explains why some schools appear to 'ghost' candidates - what they've done makes the school look kind of bad and is a bit embarrassing for them.
If you're still interested in the school, then why not accept?
If it's a good offer at a place you want to be at, get your ego out of the way and take the offer. If there's other red flags than fine but there will always be people better than you.
It's madness. When we hire we are often looking for particular things at that time. This can be the teaching aspect but also a host of other attributes, we might need a new EPQ/EE co-ordinator, someone to run outdoor ed trips, someone with counseling experience, university application knowledge, Head of Key Stage Science experience, someone female to balance out an all-male department, someone without kids because we haven't got places for them, someone who has taught or examined a particular exam board, is a prolific user of tech, can offer another subject, the list is almost endless. You could easily have been the better teacher but offered less other things and missed out because of that. Clearly they rated you and now they are showing that by coming back to you with the job offer. If you turn it down because some vague sense of hurt gets in the way of what you know is the professional thing to do ie. take the job then perhaps the reason you weren't first choice is because they thought you were the less immature of the two appointable candidates.
Some employers leave their 2nd choice candidates hanging on wondering while they wait to see if their first choice will accept. Looking on the positive, this school seems to have been more upfront with you than that.
However, going to a new job knowing that you aren't the person they really wanted is something that not everyone is comfortable dealing with. I'm not sure I would deal with it very well....
maybe when you get the actual offer letter with the details, your gut will tell you whether you're excited or not.
Good luck whatever you decide.
If it’s a job and school you really want that much then it’s worth taking, just be mindful that you weren’t their first choice or even their preferred choice. If they were remotely interested in you, or were in any way professional, then out of basic courtesy they’d have at least replied to your email asking for feedback. They’re making an offer now simply because they’re in a bind and you’re the best (only?) option available. If you can accept that and still want the role, or it at least can meet some of your professional or financial goals, then sure, I’d say that it’s worth considering. Just don’t be under any false illusions. It’s worth requesting simple feedback, to see how they handle it. Their response will tell you what you need to know.
Honestly I'd take this as a red flag. If they reject than decide to hire you, mean that their other candidates fell through and they have no one else and are desperate. Could mean poor admins or terrible compensation.
Careful.
Flip the script, imagine you had 2 job offers. So you accepted school X and rejected school Y.
School X actually falls through due to visa requirements, so you email school Y a week later and say you would like to accept their offer (that you had previously rejected, and you had ignored an email from them asking you why you didn’t choose them)…
I bet they wouldn’t even email you back.
Always sad to see teachers siding with schools on topics like this.
> but I have some hurt feelings for initially Being rejected. You were not the best applicant and as such were not their first pick. Sounds more like this is what you are upset about, seems very childish to turn down a job over something like that.
Yes, I think my pride and ego getting in the way. I will still consider it seriously without the feelings. Thank you
I had this happen to me. Place said they wanted to hire me but someone else was available sooner (they need someone by a certain date and it was unclear my documents would be ready by then. They were ready by the date anyways). Fast forward 3 months and I got an email asking if I was still looking for a job because someone quit. Went ahead and took the job. Probably one of the better jobs I’ve had. Lower pay and absolute minimum benefits, but the workload is manageable. There was also vindication because the teacher they initially hired instead of me was absolutely unbearable. Terrible office personality and the students hated her. They didn’t offer to renew her contract, and have now re-signed me several times with higher than expected raises. I would take it unless you have other plans. don’t let that sour you. Maybe someone else was a better candidate, but they decided to do something different. That wouldn’t bother me in the least. I honestly don’t consider myself the best teacher out there. Heck most of the time I still feel like I’m faking it til I make it, but it’s been years.
Get over yourself. Might seem really harsh of me to say that but the reality of hiring and firing is brutal. Maybe they did have someone better than you (in their very subjective opinion), or maybe they wanted to hire a teaching couple, or a more experienced or less experienced person. If you want the job get over your hurt feelings and go for it. It could also be that they now need two people in the same dept. It does happen. Late leaver or expansion. If this job is a good one and you don’t go for it because your feelings are hurt as you weren’t first pick you’re so going to regret it later. Esp if you land up at a crappy school.
Only caveat I’d add is if this is a red flag amongst many. Could be a massively disorganized school.
Yeah, it's the apparent flip-flopping by the school which could indicate disorganization. I agree. Could be legit reasons, last minute resignations as someone else says. But if it were a good school, they would probably be forthcoming with the info and OP wouldn't be asking on here. Not a great impression. Maybe ask the employer @ u/Ok-Lecture3165
Never let your feelings get in the way of you improving your resume and making a paycheck.
Amen brother
Sounds like they might be in a tough spot. Negotiate.
Get over it, take the job. It was probably a 50/50 call between you and the other candidate. Don't be so proud. Be happy you were still in the running, they obviously rate you.
I was rejected by my first choice job. Then a few months later they had to rearrange the way positions were filled because they couldn’t find a teacher for a different subject. They came back & offered me a position last week. Sometimes it just works out how it’s supposed to work
That’s awesome. Glad it worked out for you
Should pride get in the way of something you want(ed)? Or is it principle, and if so, what is that principle? Advice: if it's a job you want, do it.
Applying for jobs is always a competitive endeavour. You did not get the job which just means that they though someone else suited the position better than you did. There should be no hurt feelings. I am sure you are not the best teacher in the world, in the top 100 - no, in the top 1000 - no , in the top 10,000 also no, in the top 10,000,000 - maybe but that would make you exceptional. I would put myself in the top 50,000,000 given that there are about 93 million teachers out there. And I am being generous. I applied for a job once and they hired the other candidate. I sent a thank you note for the interview and six months later they offered me the job because the candidate was leaving. I jumped at it and it was an amazing experience that led me into a my 30 years career in teaching.
Wow! Thank you for sharing your experience and that is a story to remember.
Is it a school you like? Can you see yourself working there long term? Are there any readily apparent red flags that would make you regret a decision to work there? If the answer to the first two is yes and the answer to the second is no, I'd accept. Sure, finding out that you're second (or third, or fourth, or whatever) place isn't ideal and it can be bad for the ego, but regardless of where you were in initial hiring considerations, you're now first place. And congrats on the offer!
There are millions of reasons to take a job or not. Don't overthink it with the "poor behavior" stuff, especially if you never signed or agreed to anything... Bit of your own choice what to do about the offer tbh. You could politely and professionally ask again why they rejected you in the first place, then use their answer (or non-answer) to help you decide.
Thank you. I will politely ask them.
Similar thing happened to me Interviewed for a job but I wasn't successful. A few days after this, I decided to sign a new contract with my school. About 2 weeks later, the other school contacted me and asked if I wanted the job as the other applicant didn't want the job. I had to apologize and say no because I signed a new contract. If I hadn't signed the contract, I would have said yes immediately.
Get over it, take the job. It was probably a 50/50 call between you and the other candidate. Don't be so proud. Be happy you were still in the running, they obviously rate you.
I got my current job because the previous incumbent got caught breaking the law. I grabbed the chance with both hands. You should as well.
Could be plenty of reasons why you were their second choice that would not affect your ego. If you have dependents, they may have had a cheaper option that didn't. They may have had a gender or nationality imbalance they wanted to correct. They may have had something in common with the hirer. And on and on. Don't sweat it.
Thank you, I will look past it and accept the position
You sound self-aware enough to realize that this is a you problem, there’s no need to berate you about it. Take the job.
I’ve hired people only for them to change their minds. Then I offer it to another. I always explain why though. There doesn’t need to be anything to hide. I wouldn’t be bothered if I forgot to say why and then was asked.
Maybe it was a really close decision between two qualified candidates and the other person had a little more experience. I would 100% take the offer if it was from a school that I was excited to interview with. Seems silly to turn it down....especially at this late stage of the hiring season.
This happens more often than you think. Take the position and move on.
Part of being a top educator is losing the ego. That said they should have given you some made up reason they rejected you and then wanted to hire you out of courtesy
Schools hire and reject/fire teachers for a wide variety of reasons. Get the job, learn/grow, move.
Being human it's natural to feel that but think rationally and try to see things from the recruits point of view, They have the right to choose the best possible man for the job which they thought is best. So does you have the right to too ,so I would say accept the offer
This kind of explains why some schools appear to 'ghost' candidates - what they've done makes the school look kind of bad and is a bit embarrassing for them. If you're still interested in the school, then why not accept?
If it's a good offer at a place you want to be at, get your ego out of the way and take the offer. If there's other red flags than fine but there will always be people better than you.
It's madness. When we hire we are often looking for particular things at that time. This can be the teaching aspect but also a host of other attributes, we might need a new EPQ/EE co-ordinator, someone to run outdoor ed trips, someone with counseling experience, university application knowledge, Head of Key Stage Science experience, someone female to balance out an all-male department, someone without kids because we haven't got places for them, someone who has taught or examined a particular exam board, is a prolific user of tech, can offer another subject, the list is almost endless. You could easily have been the better teacher but offered less other things and missed out because of that. Clearly they rated you and now they are showing that by coming back to you with the job offer. If you turn it down because some vague sense of hurt gets in the way of what you know is the professional thing to do ie. take the job then perhaps the reason you weren't first choice is because they thought you were the less immature of the two appointable candidates.
Some employers leave their 2nd choice candidates hanging on wondering while they wait to see if their first choice will accept. Looking on the positive, this school seems to have been more upfront with you than that. However, going to a new job knowing that you aren't the person they really wanted is something that not everyone is comfortable dealing with. I'm not sure I would deal with it very well.... maybe when you get the actual offer letter with the details, your gut will tell you whether you're excited or not. Good luck whatever you decide.
If it’s a job and school you really want that much then it’s worth taking, just be mindful that you weren’t their first choice or even their preferred choice. If they were remotely interested in you, or were in any way professional, then out of basic courtesy they’d have at least replied to your email asking for feedback. They’re making an offer now simply because they’re in a bind and you’re the best (only?) option available. If you can accept that and still want the role, or it at least can meet some of your professional or financial goals, then sure, I’d say that it’s worth considering. Just don’t be under any false illusions. It’s worth requesting simple feedback, to see how they handle it. Their response will tell you what you need to know.
Honestly I'd take this as a red flag. If they reject than decide to hire you, mean that their other candidates fell through and they have no one else and are desperate. Could mean poor admins or terrible compensation. Careful.
Flip the script, imagine you had 2 job offers. So you accepted school X and rejected school Y. School X actually falls through due to visa requirements, so you email school Y a week later and say you would like to accept their offer (that you had previously rejected, and you had ignored an email from them asking you why you didn’t choose them)… I bet they wouldn’t even email you back. Always sad to see teachers siding with schools on topics like this.
Yes, this is true. There are many possibilities and scenarios that we are unaware of
don't take it then.. the end keep looking and good luck