Visit school before job application

thecoffeehouse204

Just wanting some quick advice on a job i've seen advertised.

It's a school administrator position that would be ideal, only problem is that i've only just seen it on the council website due to being on holiday and the closing date is this Thursday. It's a very involved application form with a person spec and full page for relevant skills on the back page so i'm not even sure if i'll have time to complete it as well as I would like.

My main query is that in the advert they say visits to the school are welcome by arrangement. Will my application be looked on less favourably if I don't take a look round beforehand? I don't want to go to the trouble of looking round and then not having chance to get my application finished but if I don't look round will they just discount my application straight away if I do get it done in time?

Grr why couldn't they have given it a longer closing date!!!

Sncjw

could you not work on your application now. most jobs have person spec and job description. surely its just to read. check the date they are interviewing from if theres a a week or so arrange to look at school during that time

jackieblack

thecoffeehouse204 wrote: »

Just wanting some quick advice on a job i've seen advertised.

It's a school administrator position that would be ideal, only problem is that i've only just seen it on the council website due to being on holiday and the closing date is this Thursday. It's a very involved application form with a person spec and full page for relevant skills on the back page so i'm not even sure if i'll have time to complete it as well as I would like.

My main query is that in the advert they say visits to the school are welcome by arrangement. Will my application be looked on less favourably if I don't take a look round beforehand? I don't want to go to the trouble of looking round and then not having chance to get my application finished but if I don't look round will they just discount my application straight away if I do get it done in time?

Grr why couldn't they have given it a longer closing date!!!

It may not be looked on less favourably, but visiting is a good opportunity to make a good impression before they select who to interview.

I'm guessing that the date is short because if they appoint someone who's already working in a school then that school needs to advertise/interview/recruit before the end of term.

thecoffeehouse204

Thanks for the advice - hadn't thought about arranging a visit between the closing date and interview date which isn't till the 8th July, was thinking I'd have to go before Thursday. Think I will give them a ring tomorrow once i've made some progress on the application form and see when I can make a visit.
Just ploughing my way through the person spec to tailor my skills to it, normally like to spend at least a week refining these skills sheets so feel very under pressure.

poorlittlefish

jackieblack wrote: »

I'm guessing that the date is short because if they appoint someone who's already working in a school then that school needs to advertise/interview/recruit before the end of term.

Yes, that's a good point, but the OP said she'd only just seen the vacancy because she'd been on holiday, so the timespan could well have been perfectly reasonable. Admin roles are often attract a very high number of applicants so sometimes the advertisement period is kept relatively brief in order to avoid sifting through literally hundreds of applications.

jackieblack

Very true, or OP could have been away a fortnight and the advert was posted the day after they left.
Or it could be that they've got a candidate in mind already so aren't looking for hundreds of other applicants.

Auntie-Dolly

The visit is more usually aimed at teaching roles and if you do visit it is unlikely that you will meet the person interviewing for the job. You could always call them and ask if it will jeopardise your chances, but I don't think it will.

Mojisola

poorlittlefish wrote: »

Admin roles are often attract a very high number of applicants so sometimes the advertisement period is kept relatively brief in order to avoid sifting through literally hundreds of applications.

Auntie-Dolly wrote: »

The visit is more usually aimed at teaching roles and if you do visit it is unlikely that you will meet the person interviewing for the job. You could always call them and ask if it will jeopardise your chances, but I don't think it will.

No-one will say that it will reduce your chances but if there are loads of applicants, it may be used as a way of selecting a short list.

Voyager2002

thecoffeehouse204 wrote: »

Just wanting some quick advice on a job i've seen advertised.

It's a school administrator position that would be ideal, only problem is that i've only just seen it on the council website due to being on holiday and the closing date is this Thursday. It's a very involved application form with a person spec and full page for relevant skills on the back page so i'm not even sure if i'll have time to complete it as well as I would like.

My main query is that in the advert they say visits to the school are welcome by arrangement. Will my application be looked on less favourably if I don't take a look round beforehand? I don't want to go to the trouble of looking round and then not having chance to get my application finished but if I don't look round will they just discount my application straight away if I do get it done in time?

Grr why couldn't they have given it a longer closing date!!!

If you like the job and think that you are a strong candidate, then get cracking on the appliation form. At the same time, I suggest that you arrange a visit. Ideally, what you learn on the visit will help you to make a stronger application and so increase your chances. Even if you visit after submitting your application, your visit may give you hints on what they need that would enable you to perform better at interview.

However, unless you think that you will be a strong candidate don't bother: hundreds of people will apply so only those best qualified are likely to be offered an interview.

jackieblack

Auntie-Dolly wrote: »

The visit is more usually aimed at teaching roles and if you do visit it is unlikely that you will meet the person interviewing for the job.

This will differ from school to school.

Auntie-Dolly wrote: »

You could always call them and ask if it will jeopardise your chances, but I don't think it will.

of course they're not going to say it will jeopardise your chances, whether it does or not will, again, vary from school to school.


OP is it a small/big school? Primary or Secondary?

mandragora_2

In our school, it wouldn't make a difference to us one way or the other. It might be worth doing for you yourself, to help you get an idea of the place/role etc, but on the other hand, it can be a pain for whoever is tasked with dealing with prospective candidates, because time spent dealing with that is time away from the other jobs you have to do that day. Like I say, our school works to its own routines - when we have people in looking round, they're given a brief tour by a couple of pupils we task with that job (it can be a good bit of development for kids at certain points); we ask the visitor to complete a 'visitor feedback' form and then they go on their way. Our head takes the view that we want the best candidate for the job, and that the selection process has to be fair, therefore no-one is given any additional information by anyone who will be involved in the selection and recruitment process that they wouldn't get from the advert and information pack anyway. Of course, anyone who turns up and is offhand with reception staff, or inappropriately dressed etc is remarked on, and that doesn't do them any favours! Every school is different of course, but the only thing I would say is that I don't agree with the idea of asking to look round the school after applying but before being invited for interview - it could be a waste of everyone's time, and might come across as a bit presumptuous. If you can manage it, and think it would be helpful, ask for a visit before applying. But, if it might mean you run out of time and don't then apply, forget the visit, get as much info as you can from the stuff which is freely available via the website etc, and then do the very, very best job you can do on the application form. It's that that they will look at. Good luck! Don't be put off by any thought of 'there will be hundreds of other applicants'. So what? Make your case for yourself, in the best way you can. If it's you they want, great!