I've got a new job!

For anyone who checks my blog regularly (yes, I know, just pretend, okay?!*) you will know that I am updating this very retrospectively, but as I have been whinging about not having a job for ages, I thought I ought to update my blog to let anyone who reads it (*see above) know the good news.

Over half term I received a letter inviting me for interview on Friday 7th November following my application for a maternity cover year R teaching post. I had had an interview there before and had been given some fantastic advice by the headteacher which had helped me get the next job I had been interviewed for.

I worked really hard to prepare for this one. I made resources, borrowed resources and used some I already had. I spent a long time thinking through, planning and then practising my lesson until I felt it was good. I practised interview questions & answers over and over. I did lots of reading on the new EYFS and other relevant topics so that I was ready for anything they could possibly throw at me during interview. I was lucky that most of the interview questions were the same as they were last time, so were on my list of 'likely to be asked' questions which I'd prepared answers for.

It worked. They loved my lesson (children and interviewers) and I was pleased with how it had gone. The interview also went very well. I was glad I had prepared - it paid off. I left the school at 12.15 feeling very confident, but knowing that they still had one more candidate out of three of us to interview. At 2.15 I received a call to offer me the job. I am not sure if I was more excited or relieved. If I didn't have a job for January, things would be very tough financially.

I have to remember, though, that it is a temporary contract to cover maternity leave and no matter how many times people say, "well, you never know, she may not come back." I am not taking anything for granted. I want to have a job ready to go to when this contract finishes. I am not going to hang around to see if there is a permanent job at the end of it, because there may not be one. I've been there, done that and learnt a hard lesson I'm not likely to forget for a while.