I have been applying for senior leadership jobs this year. I have primarily targeted assistant/vice/deputy/associate principal roles, preferably at Middle School with a focus on student welfare, pastoral care or something similar. I have applied to quite a few schools and have had as many rejections. While humbling, depressing and at times soul destroying this experience presents an ongoing opportunity for professional growth.
One of my consistent practices is to always ask for feedback when I receive rejections from a school. This isn’t an easy thing to do, it is much easier to accept the rejection at face value, but taking the experience and trying to use it for professional growth becomes a valuable experience.
I have heard consistent feedback from most schools who take the time to provide the feedback I am seeking. It typically follows a format similar to this…”Thank you for seeking feedback, it is great to see you are seeking to develop yourself professionally. We can tell you, that you were a strong candidate with a good range of experiences and good references. We were lucky enough to receive a lot of applications from educators with more experience in this role and you will not be moving onto the next stage of application.
They often ackonwledge the catch-22 of seeking these positions to gain experience, but not getting further in the application process because you don’t have the experience you are seeking. While this can be frustrating, it is understandable, there is an increasingly high level of professional educator on the international circuit and the nature of this profession means there will always be colleagues with much more experience applying for similar jobs.
It is rare to find a school, no less a director, who takes the time to speak with you directly. I was lucky enough to have this experience last week, after receiving a rejection and seeking out feedback the director made a point of finding time, in what I am sure is a busy schedule, to speak 1:1 on the phone. Much of the advice was consistent to what I have received by personal mentors and other schools; however, a major difference was the personal touch and the clear links to my previous experience.
What has stuck with me about this experience is an analogy to jigsaw puzzles. Figuring out how you can make yourself a corner piece in the puzzle should be a priority when seeking positions. Creating a profile that highlights the unique aspects of your experience, leadership and abilities is the most important part of getting your foot in the door. I have always understood this in a general way, but this analogy really pushed me to consider my current role(s), what I do to support the school as a leader, regardless of title, and how I can make a deeper impact to my current school not only in a way that allows me to continue my professional growth, but also provides the school with support and growth in needed areas. There are always areas we can improve and grow in, and this discussion has really helped me start the process of a deeper reflection on my role(s), my capacities and how I might see myself progressing professionally.
For a relatively short conversation the impact has already been large and I am looking forward to seeing how much further I could take myself professionally. Specific areas I am considering are volunteering to take on more specific roles within the day-to-day organization and management of the school – as the director I spoke with mentioned, volunteering to take something off someone else’s plate frees them up to collaborate, mentor and coach you to more effectively.
I am already involved in many of the activities that were suggested as part of the feedback, however, some of the new suggestions include finding ways to expand the perception of my role within the school – am I only seen as a leader of a single grade and/or committee? What can I offer to change this perception? Am I involved in enough whole school work? Does the whole school work I am involved with include a wide enough cross section of the school? What can I do to set myself apart as a candidate?
This conversation provided me with more to think about and clear direction than I have had in quite some time. It was refreshing to have this candid, critical conversation in a way that helped me more effectively consider my own role in my development and progression as a leader.
Learning to Lead 