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inotu-unotme · Joined: 26 May 2013 Posts: 197

There were many reasons I left my last position at school A including but not limited to: A - not seeing eye to eye with the school director. B - The pay was so low I came in over budget every week which caused me to drain my savings slowly but surely. C - I was treated poorly. D - Other teachers would not help me. I was lost.

School A needed a body to fill the position and I needed a job. So, I accepted the position. It was a horrible match. Now I'm applying for other positions in the same town. But, a problem has now come to my attention which is why I'm posting here.

When other schools call school A they are stating I was 'asked to leave.' This like many things this is partly true. It was more that we both came to an agreement that my position was not working for me at that school. Because school A is saying I was 'asked to leave' and not stating anything which may be negative against the school it is making new schools hesitate to touch me within the same town. My exit from school A was kept totally professional. I had no idea it would turn into this type of situation. The unfortunate thing is that school A is listed on all my resumes I sent out from long ago. I would have left school A off totally had I known.

Has anyone had to deal with anything like this? I would really like to hear from you. I'm interested to know what you did. I feel like I am now on damage control and need to address this issue during a possible interview. But, what exactly I should say or do I have no idea.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

fluffyhamster · Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 2:52 am Post subject:

I'd suggest you get back to school A and ask that they supply you with a written reference letter, rather than leaving them free to say who knows what behind your back every time they're rung by prospective new employers. (There will still be this risk even with the letter, but at least a letter will hopefully state things more openly and fairly, and give the new employer less reason to pursue whatever enquiries further). If they refuse to supply you with such a letter, you then have at least two options: threaten to name and shame them (or to pursue some sort of legal action yadda yadda); and/or write off the "experience". Or you could just do what Nomad Soul is suggesting with the pre-empting in interviews LOL. The main thing though is obviously to get new work experience and thus references, so that you can put this bad one behind you ASAP.

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

inotu-unotme · Joined: 26 May 2013 Posts: 197

Thanks for your suggestions. I really wanted to talk about it. It's so stressful to me because although I'm somewhat new at teaching abroad, I only want to do well and help others.

I did get a letter from the school which I asked for many times the last 2 days I was there. It's a letter stating how many teaching hours I spent on the job on that particular school. But, it's not a 'reference' letter.

I have made my perm residence Mexico for the time being and have settled into the town in which I live now... I live in the same town school A is located in. Maybe one day I will move but for right now I must deal with this.

I agree addressing what happened at the other school during a possible interview is the only way to go. Not addressing it makes it seem almost like a cover up. At the very least I think it would be considered a cover up based on what I have found out so far.

There is one other thing I'm curious about for those who may be familiar with the way things work in Mexico...
I may word this poorly. Is there some type of rule that prior places of employment are not supposed to say certain things to possible future employers?

I guess my question is more to the point of if non-Mexican citizens have any rights with this type of situation. I always assume the answer to that would be NO. Please keep in mind I am truly asking because I honestly do not know. I know theres some type of office for workers rights but it is not really meant for US citizens. Although I did go there to sign some paperwork with school A to make my contact ending official.

rtm · Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 1003 Location: US

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

inotu-unotme · Joined: 26 May 2013 Posts: 197

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

You initially posted the following:

inotu-unotme wrote:

There were many reasons I left my last position at school A including but not limited to: A - not seeing eye to eye with the school director. B - The pay was so low I came in over budget every week which caused me to drain my savings slowly but surely. C - I was treated poorly. D - Other teachers would not help me. I was lost.

School A needed a body to fill the position and I needed a job. So, I accepted the position. It was a horrible match.

If you can't admit to yourself that you're partially to blame for your predicament, then you'll continue to find yourself stuck and moping. If you don't want to move far, far, far away, then option 2 is still a viable strategy. But as a newbie, it may have been your inexperience that contributed to the problem with School A, so it will be tricky to convince those potential employers that you're an accomplished teacher who can handle difficult situations and get along with others.

inotu-unotme · Joined: 26 May 2013 Posts: 197

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 10:44 pm Post subject:

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

scepticalbee · Joined: 21 Jun 2013 Posts: 93

Hi Inotu!
Your topic is really interesting and, furthermore, really important to all the teachers...
We're living in such a crazy era where the school's reference is the most important thing to have stated in your resume when you're looking for a job!
The most terrible thing is that this reference is used by the employers as if it was some kind of a Bible verse: it's always completely true, no matter what!

scepticalbee · Joined: 21 Jun 2013 Posts: 93

It can bring you to the top or it can smear you forever, especially if the school you were working for was a famous one...
I think that it's completely unfair because they can say whatever they want, and what they say is totally subjective and mostly not professional at all...
If the person they have on the phone was jealous about your gift and hated you, well, you can farewell your future job...

scepticalbee · Joined: 21 Jun 2013 Posts: 93

I think that it is a real issue that has to be discussed seriously...
A non renewal of a contract doesn't mean that you've been fired at all. Same thing for those who had to resign for specific reasons: it doesn't mean that they did something wrong too!
But the problem is that the schools rely on your references when you start to look for a job and sometimes they'd favor them more than your other skills and work experiences.