Declined for Job but have been called back? Advise?

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Hi Guys,

I would just like a bit of help understanding the situation i'm in at the moment please. I'm currently 26 and a Network Manager for a school. Currently have 500 users, 150 xp clients, 5 2k3 servers and printers etc.

I was shortlisted for interview at another school and had the interview nearly 2 weeks ago. I was told on the day that they were interviewing 6 people for the position. The position is very similar to what I'm doing now just on a larger scale. They have around 800 users, 500 xp clients, some mac's and around 10 servers. The job also involves managing 1 technician.

Now, i phoned earlier this week having not heard anything and was told that they are still considering my application along with one other applicants. I was told that my interview was good and that I did well in the technicial test.

Last night I got home and had a letter from the school saying that my application had been unsucessfull. The second I put the letter in the bin my phone rang (spooky i know) it was the school. They said again that my interview and test went well and that they havnt appointed and would probably re-advertise the post.

BUT here is where i'm getting confused.

They have invited my back today at 2pm. The head of ICT said that they had an outbreak of conflicker last week and that they have had to pay an outside support company to come in sort the problem. He said this has been sorted so they are not inviting me in just to fix a problem for them for free. He said he'd like to talk to me about how I would of handled the situation and what steps I would put in place to minimise the risk of it happening again. He said (his words) " Take this as an opportunity to impress us"

I'm going to the school at 2pm today to speak with them . . .

Just seems odd . .

What do you think?

Thanks

 

Interesting as it looks like the other applicant was offered the job but declined. However, this is an opportunity if you're keen on the role and would attend the interview loaded based on the info already fed to you.

Check the internet for information on how you would deal with a virus or malware outbreak. Firstly, I would ask how the current anti virus software is setup and if there is a dedicated server or if client get updates direct from the internet etc.

Secondly, I would say I would make it a daily priority to ensure firstly the domain controllers are fully upto date with anti virus definitions etc. I would also say I would tackle the individual PC's affected by shutting them down and depending on the setup deal with them on an individual basis to prevent spread across the network infrastructure.

Frankly, this would all boil down to how the anti virus software get their updates as previously stated above. I would also suggest a central repository i.e. Sophos enterprise console or McAffe AV setup using groups and policy on the AV console allowing client PC's to be managed as well as pushing out updates from the AV server.

Best wishes and lets know how you get on

 

Thanks for your input guys.

Yes I would like the job as its the next step up from my current position.

I know the school use Sophos AV managed by enterprise console. This is also what i use in my current role.

So as for suggestions so far i've come up with the following.

1. Make sure all clients are updating sophos, check the console daily to make sure this is happening
2. Set sophos to quarantine all suspicious files
3. Make sure all clients are updating through WSUS and test all updates on a spare machine prior to updating the whole site.
4. MAYBE disable the use of the USB drives and CD-ROM drives on all student machines. Students then have to hand in USB drives for checking by the IT team and then placing on the network. We did this previously in another school I worked in.
5. force users to use a strong password by using group policy
6. make sure that shares are locked down to who needs to be able to see them only
7.Educate users about downloading email attachments etc....

 

I cant help you on the technical side of it but it does sound like the other person accepted the job and then was succesful on another interview he may of had and decided to take it. It would explain why you received a letter saying yuou werent succesful and then on the off chance of phoning up they have tried to get you back in.

Good luck

 

Yes this had crossed my mind too. They did take a long time deciding. My interview was tuesday 2nd March. On the friday I phoned up to see how my interview went and they said that it was between two if us and that they had rejected the other 4.

We shall see what today brings. I'm going to go in there give them the advice and then take it from there. I was nervous in my interview and to be honest thought it was a bad interview on my part but seems they didnt think it was too bad.

I dont feel nervous today so am just going to be straight with them and tell it how i see it.

 

ALSO**

sorry to go off topic here but someone may be able to answer (maybe Ken - as we've met and i know you work in a school )

This school will *should* be going through BSF in about 3 years time. That time scale maybe put back a bit because of how long its all taking so far etc...

Do you think it would be a good or bad move going into a secondary school activly knowing that they should be going through the BSF process within the next 5 years?

 

Good lad just keep calm about everything, don't let your nerves get to you and that will help you to think clearly, as you are checking for anything and everything run him through everything your checking as your doing it even if he doesn't understand some words you use just so you let him know that you know your stuff

I wish you the best of luck mate, I'm sure you won't need it anyway

 

Cheers Ken, and if your wondering I was also at the wireless course you attended at coventry uni about a year ago

 

If it's a job you wanted, took the time to apply and be interviewed for; do not allow the letter to put you off. I think it's human nature to feel a bit "don't want it now"

I've had a letter of "no thanks" only to be offered the position some time later (albeit not instantly). There may be many reasons for this and if it's a job you still want after knowing more about the position, working conditions, expectations and salary - I say go for it.

good luck whatever you decide.

 

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Well i've been and had my meeting today. My meeting was with the current technician and the network manager who is there on a temporary basis from an external support company. They basically showed me the network or lack of it!

its pants! there are nearly 500 xp client machines all at different service pack and security update levels. managing all these clients is ONE BLOODY SERVER! this server does it all. AD,DNS,DHCP, print server for around 30 printers, File server, SOPHOS, Backup Exec, and all user home areas.

The main comms cab is a mess. all hp procurve switches but NOTHING is labled - i mean nothing at all!

some fiber links to other cabs, which i havnt seen. 1 server room/dumping ground and 1 office which again is another dumping ground. They recently had the AD database corrupt and the server / network has been down since. students are logging on the computers locally as the ADMINISTRATOR!!!!!!

it really is in a mess!

. . . . . oh and they have offered me the job.

I'm thinking that all of the above and probably more should be really putting me off but the school i work in now was pretty much the same when i started 6 years ago and compared to back then its now fantastic.

This network is just as pants as my current one was just on a larger scale so its a larger scale of pants!!

I havnt accepted anything yet and were to discuss the salary they will be offering me on Monday....

 

Sounds like helluva challenge.

What are their expectations? Are you supposed to use duct tape and superglue to keep it running for few more years or do they want to throw some money in it, possibly set up hyper-v/vmware cluster host servers as VM's deploy proper AD rerollout all desktops. If the latter, it could be interesting.

 

blimey, is this a mainstream school or privately run entity?

 

I have seen this more times than I care to remember. My advice to you? Discuss the investment they are prepared to put in on the technology before you even bother telling them you're thinking about taking the job. Make them understand that it's not about the salary they offer you - without the budget to run things properly, it's pointless you taking the job. Let them know that straight away - as I suspect that the person they originally offered it to had exactly the same reaction you did when you went in there.

Personally, no matter how beneficial the role may be to your career, I'd forget about it right now and walk away. The absolute last thing you want to do is walk into a place where you've got to run everything on shabby equipment held together with pritt-stick and rubber bands, with no budget to get a decent network in place. You're probably also going to encounter a financial regime that doesn't appreciate the value (or associated cost) of technology - as you'll have seen when you walked round and noticed everything running off one ****ty little Poweredge in the corner

It might be depressing to you since you probably went for the job holding out high hopes for it - but my advice is to run away as fast as you can - there will be much, much better opportunities.

 

Thanks guys, yes it is a mainstream government school.

The only shimmer of hope is that there is a new head teacher starting in September and she is coming from a maths and computing specialist school. So hopefully here idea of how the IT should be will be better ?