What to ask * never been in a stiuation like this*

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JenTaz

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hey guys right im needing major help i applied for a job yesterday is Salisbury and she asked me to go down and see the yard and meet her to discuss the job further and im going to go when she gets back to me about a date however im 406 miles away in scotland lol so i need to make sure this will be worth it in my opinion it is but im putting both feet in at once

what should i expect and what questions should i ask as it is a long way to ask my horse to travel as well who is welcome as part of the job, accomadation is part of the job as well
 
406 miles???? I would be wanting some kind of phone interview first as this will give you a good idea of what they are like and whether you want the job before going all that way.

Do they know how far away you are?

I'd would also hope that they don't expect you to pay all your travel costs if you do go there!
 
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I'd would also hope that they don't expect you to pay all your travel costs if you do go there!

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Why the hell not? OP applied for the job, knowing how far away it was!

OP If you are successful, I would ask about doing a trial period - maybe a weekend or week or two before you both commit so that you don't move your ned all that way for it to go tits up and you have to move all the way back...

As for what to ask, I would ask EXACTLY what is expected of you and how they like everything done...
 
I agree..Do they know how far you are?
Id write down everything you want to know about the job, the yard, the horses. I was worried as once I worked on a sj yard and hated it when I started, horses had no turn out, treated like crap, really upset me so I left, things that you think might bother you etc, Im sure youd rather find out before save you wasting your time hun x
 
Find out what you get by way of a contract and try to pin things down as someone else has advised. There is nothing worse than leaving things loose because you like the person etc then things going pear shaped and you have nothing to fall back on. I would define time off very clearly for instance, plus any costs you are expected to contribute eg is your horse welcome and free keep or are you going to be paying back most of what you have earned to keep him/her??

I know it all sounds negative and not the frame of mind you want to be in starting any new job but clarity is important in keeping things running smoothly!!!

Good luck and I hope she is a drem employer and turns out to be a friend as well!!
 
I was in a similar situation many years ago when I applied for a job in Norfolk, I was living at my parents in Lancashire at the time.

We agreed that I would have an extended interview over a weekend, my parents took me down (I didn't drive at the time) and stayed with a relative who lived locally, I lived in over night and spent a day working on the yard, getting to know the job and them getting to know me.

I was offered the job and went back down a couple of weeks later to stay.

I would suggest you do something similar - leave your horse at home until you know you want the job.

I also got a job working in USA - too far to travel for an inverview! So I had lots of phone conversations first before I went for it, and yes, I did pay for my travel (as expected) to both positions, although the USA one was refunded after 12 months employment.
 
Do your research!
I applied for a job on a dressage yard in November last year. Chatted on the phone & the lady was very vague but suggested I go down for an interview to see if I liked it etc and if my riding was good enough.
So I drove 2 and a half hours down for an hour and a halves interview/look round the yard (where I spent maybe 10 mins with YO/manager) and no riding, to drive all the way back.
Still none the wiser I ended up going for a weekends trial. That did at last open my eyes and help me make a decision (I got offered the post but turned it down, if you look through my previous posts you should find the post I did on it)
I still lost 3 days and about £70's worth of fuel. But better that than take it blindly, move down, move my horse to realise I hate it.
If I'd taken the job I would have left my horse at home for a month to give me chance to settle in/make a firm decision before uprooting him too.

Ask questions about pay, accomodation, what the horses are like, routine, what's expected of you, what you get back in return.
For me those things were satisfactory, it wasn't until I visited and picked up on an uneasy atmosphere between the staff and saw the way the place was run that I could make my decision. So you may need to take a trip but I would suggest you listen to your gut instinct and ask your instructor/local horsey bods/google etc for any info on the rider too.
 
i'm hoping to go down next weekend to spend the weekend at her yard to see how i fit in it would have been during the week but she's away competiting i planned to see if i could get a fortnights trial just to make sure that everything woud work out if she offered me the job

yeah she knows how far away i am however i am paying the travel costs as it was my choice to apply for the job as i didnt want to miss outt on an oppurtuntiy working for an eventer who could possinbly help myself to benifit taz
 
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