Moving on Up/Out

[Mrs Danvers]

It's also a chance for you to grill them, so it's a useful process even if you're not 100% at this stage.

[Shoe]

Yup, that's my feeling too. Over the weekend I need to spend a bit of time working out what I want to ask about. My only slight worry is that this interview is with the head Director so I don't know how much use he will be at telling me the ins and outs of the roles. It's definitely worth further investigation, not least because it's currently my only option!

[olive]

Even if he doesn’t know the ins and outs of the role he’ll probably be the person to sign off on any pay rises so it’ll
be good to get an idea of his expectations and obviously impress him.

Good luck!

[Mrs Danvers]

I had my interview for the charity role yesterday. I met the CEO again, the recruitment woman and the Chair. It was at the Chair's house somewhere in Ayrshire so I decided not to drive as I had no idea where I was going and am subsequently very glad I didn't as it was literally in the middle of nowhere up a remote farm track covered in snow and full of potholes! The cab I booked on Friday to meet me at the station didn't turn up - of course- so I had a panicked call with them and they sent someone really quickly, thankfully. The Chair met me at the door and he said he was actually really angry that they CEO hadn't arranged for me to be met at the station and had just given him a real telling off. He was very apologetic, so that was an interesting start It seemed to go ok, though the Chair was clearly going massively off-script and just asking me questions as they came to him. I felt fairly confident throughout and the Chair asked me about 3 times, in slightly different ways, how soon I could start (about notice period, and about giving notice and start times). I also know that the recruiter came up and down from London in one day to sit on the panel, a good sign, I think. They will be seeing more people next week so I don't expect to hear anything though the CEO did say he would like to get me in to meet the other directors, so the lovely Chippy and two others.

Interestingly, one of his questions was 'How do you see this working with another Director of Fundraising, can you tell us how you would approach that?' and I replied that actually, that was going to be one of my questions for him and I would be interested in his thoughts Blah blah, collaboration, blah blah was his response.

So, we will see.

[Leap]

Oh well done Mrs D, that sounds really positive. I'm amazed at the location choice, not just for you but also for the poor sod who had to get to remote Ayrshire from London and back in one day

It definitely sounds like you're a front runner, fingers crossed next week is just good experience ;) for the other candidates and you will be faced with a decidedly less chippy Chippy in the next meeting.

[smalex]

Did it make you feel any more positive about the job, or do you still have big reservations? Hopefully Chippy will have been de-chipped.

[Cosmopolitan]

I think that sounds quite fascinating and I think they're really aware of the issues they face. I think if you take the role, you need to be very clear about where the boundaries lie with Chippy and how to manage them when she invariably tries to cross them. I expect that they will put her on a PIP if she continues to be difficult and that it's a tactic for her removal. I think they realise what an amazing candidate for them you are and how you can revolutionise things - especially after your work in Oxford and how much you proved yourself there.

I can't wait for my existing contract to end so I can look for a new job.

[Mrs Danvers]

Thanks everyone and for your kind comments

Yes, the Chippy thing is interesting. I was very clear when the CEO was going on about collaboration that I thought such a process would have to led by him so that all parties understood why it was important. The recruiter and I managed to have a very brief catch up before she headed back to London and she asked if I was interested and I said I still had misgivings about Chippy. She said if it did get to offer stage, I should have a frank conversation about my role, and her, before I took it. I agree but by the same token don't want to come across as a difficult to handle troublemaker- I think that role has been taken already!- so would say something in a more general way about my long-term goal to be a Director of Fundraising as a medium-sized organisation, responsible for all income generation and how likely that was to happen there.

Anyway, it's by no means in the bag and I really don't want to make any assumptions. It's a very good salary in a well-regarded organisation locally so I do think they will have some strong candidates and as well as I have done in my job, I have never brought in a 7 figure gift and I know other people have. If it's all about the money you have brought in, I won't be the strongest candidate. If it's more about a mixture of skills, including building stuff from scratch, turning around failing fundraising teams and overseas fundraising (which I know is a bit ambition for them) then I am in with a good chance.

Cos, I am sorry your job is still so crap. When does your contract finish?

[Cosmopolitan]

June! And I'm about to book a holiday for half of June so not that long really. It's not unrelentingly awful but I am sick of the politics, the commute and my boss. She's a lovely woman but her management style is that of a seagull. Drift up high for ages and then swoop in, shit all over everything and fly out again. It's quite depressing and I dread meetings with her now.

I think that employing someone who has brought in a big gift as their only skill is short sighted, if you bring in someone who can manage a team and enable all fundraising members to be able to bring in that gift then in the long term it's a better strategy. Supporting your team to get them into the right place to bring in gifts like that is possibly the best skill.

[Shoe]

It sounds pretty positive, Mrs D, and definitely like they are aware of the Chippy issues which is good. Hopefully you'll hear back soon and then you can decide if it's the right move for you or not.

I am just back from a second interview; I think it went pretty well, it's the one I thought I messed up the first interview and then decided I wasn't very keen on the role anyway but they wanted to see me back so clearly I am rubbish at reading the feel of interviews. I feel marginally more positive about the role now, I got a chance to speak to the woman who is in it just now and she clarified a few things which make it seem less daunting. I met with the CEO and he was a pleasant enough man, I don't think he'd be too difficult to work with.

It sounds similar to what I am doing at the moment but with a different title (which would be beneficial to have on my CV based on feedback from the other interview I had, and the recruiter), the money is a bit less but it's the same hours and dead easy to get to so the commute wouldn't be an issue at all.

I think I need to hear back from them with a decision before I know whether I want to job or not, I think I am leaning in the direction of yes if it were offered to me. I'm so sick of looking that I might just take anything at this stage.

[Mrs Danvers]

Drift up high for ages and then swoop in, shit all over everything and fly out again. It's quite depressing and I dread meetings with her now.

Nightmare! It's so frustrating. I had a boss like that, a complete control freak who was never there which meant nothing got done and everyone was paralysed by indecision! June isn't too bad- maybe you need a nice long weekend in Glasgow to help give you something to look forward to. We are moving to a bigger flat in March so will have a spare room

Shoe, that sounds positive. It's good that you feel a bit more positive and really, you don't need to do it forever. When will you hear?

[Shoe]

No idea, they didn't say and I haven't been able to get hold of the recruiter yet. I can't imagine I'll hear anything this week so I'm trying to wait until Monday to start getting flappy about it.

[Mrs Danvers]

So, I didn't get the job. I was a bit disappointed when the recruiter told me but was utterly seething when she told me the reason. Apparently they went for someone who had extensive knowledge of the Scottish fundraising market and a strong background in institutional fundraising. They 'moved away' from it being more of a Philanthropy role and yes, 'changed the goalposts' a bit during the process. I was fucking furious when she told me this.

I asked her why I had wasted my time having two meetings, preparing a presentation and traipsing to some fanny's house in the middle of nowhere when it was abundantly clear both from my CV and the fateful coffee meeting that those were not my strengths. I mean even the bloody presentation they asked me to do was about preparing for a meeting with a HNW individual, so what was that all about?? She was very apologetic and said she suspected they changed their mind during the process which is really great for chumps like me but sadly not very unusual. I was quite angry on the phone and told her that there were actual people at the other end of their idiocy who put time and energy into this stuff and that the CEO needs to get his shit together if he hopes to raise the kind of money they want. All my misgivings came to bear; I was very wary of a some finance guy donning his Superman cape and thinking he could run a charity when he has absolutely zero experience and lo, he had no idea what he wanted or actually what the fuck he was doing. I would have been way more sanguine about it if she had said, look they went with someone who has raised millions from individuals or knows a lot about medical fundraising but they could see exactly what I had been doing for the last 15 years as it was all over my CV.

I think I have probably dodged a bullet but fuck me, I am still at the angry stage. At least I will never have to see Chippy again

[Leap]

How infuriating Mrs D! God I am seething on your behalf after reading that. It definitely does feel like you dodged a bullet, but then again it would've felt that way if they had told before the presentation and the trains, planes and automobiles for an afternoon of hoop jumping in Ayr

[Mrs Danvers]

Right? I mean, I took a fucking half day holiday and spent money on trains and taxis to get out there. God, I am SO mad right now. One of the questions the Head Fanny asked me when discussing HNW people and how to access them was, 'And so to find these people, is it your black book or ours, the Trustees?' This is not an uncommon question but seeing as I am sat there in your multi-million pound converted farmhouse with an S-type and massive Range Rover in the drive and I'm clearly looking for a pigging job, it's not going to be mine is it I said as much but in a much nicer and more professional way (honest ) But as I said to Mr D, I think what he wanted in answer to that question was for the interviewee to say, 'Mine' and I think that's what they probably got. Most Trustees think everyone but them should be giving, IME.

[Princess Morripov]

Is there any way of suggesting they compensate you for those costs involved (trains/taxis etc), given that they changed the goalposts?

How infuriating though, I'm not surprised you are angry, however I do think not having to work with Chippy will only be a good thing.

[Derek Nimmo]

Interview costs should be covered full stop, whether or not they changed the brief - I'd be sending receipts on to the Recruiter to pass to the client.

Absolutely, 100% infuriating all round. Especially as you were so 50/50 about taking it beyond the first stage anyway.

[Mrs Danvers]

I thought about that Porri, but I didn't keep any receipts or anything. I also just think I don't want any more to do with them right now. I should also probably ask for more feedback but I don't really feel like I want that either, not from any of them anyway. I did get the 'You did a great interview' chat from the recruiter but whatever. Also, how can they give meaningful feedback when I was clearly being measured against some yardstick I didn't even know existed?

[Mrs Danvers]

I don't have receipts, Derek.

[Ella77]

Fuck those guys! That’s terrible.