Interview for job that's already gone
My main gripe is knowing, soon after you have sat down to be interviewed, that the job you have yearned for for so long... is going to someone else (probably internally) and that, no matter how good you think the interview is going, at the back of your mind you know you're not gonna get it!
How do I know this? Well, recently I went for an interview at the local Council, a job that I have done within another Council. Brilliant I thought, bound to get it! How wrong could I be? Firstly, I had put more effort into my clothing than the 3 panellists, never a good start if you are being interviewed by 3 women (they get jealous don't you know). The next thing was being confronted by 3 blank faces whenever I answered a question, totally disinterested in what I was saying even though they wrote down SOME of what I said. Also, one question tends to lead swiftly on to another and I am not asked to elaborate on my skills, whether they be interpersonal (God I hate that word) or typing, it all becomes, well, rushed is the best I can describe it.
Then comes the phone call bang on 4pm. I reckon they always ring up the unsuccessful candidates first to "get them out of the way." Then you get the dreaded words, "Your interview went extremely well....but" and the excuses come after that for me not getting the job, namely I didn't elaborate on my skills (well, you didn't ask I'd be tempted to say). Then you put the phone down and think about what you should have said which is, "It's obvious you have given this job to an internal candidate judging by the total lack of interest shown by the 3 of you." But I didn't... I just took it on the chin instead.
Another example of a job being earmarked for someone even before I sat down to be interviewed was a couple of years ago, for the NHS. The 2 women on the panel had pen and paper but CHOSE NOT TO WRITE ANYTHING DOWN! Not surprisingly, I didn't get the job and the woman "rejecting" me on the phone said the reason they didn't write anything down was "we wrote detailed notes from memory after the interview as we found it can be very off-putting for candidates." Yeah, right!
The way to win over people in an interview is simple; smile and hope for the best. The first few seconds count! One woman got a job where my Mum works because the interviewer "liked her suit." If they go the other way and become jealous there's not a lot you can do about it!
By: Jane
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Not a muggle - 19-Nov-10 16:25
I was selected for an interview at a well known organisation in the welfare to work sector that prides itself on investing in people and “Making a real difference”. The 30 minute interview was rushed and it seemed to me that the organisation was just going through the motions of interviewing me. I had to chase the organisation one week later to find out the result of the interview. Surprise, surprise, I didn’t get the job. I received the following feedback:
1) not enough experience in the area that I wanted to work in (My CV was very clear, so why was I selected for an interview?) and;
2) the organisation hasn’t got enough time to train me.
Now I consider myself fortunate that I am not working for this organisation. Why would I want to work for an organisation that lacks integrity and has a high staff turnover?
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+7
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Rockchick2112 - 7-Jun-10 12:58
The college sent a short formal 'you failed' letter, with the usual platitudes. But it boils down to the usual BS: they had someone already in place, needed to get round the employment laws, so they held a fake application and interview process. One week after the interviews, but before the rejection letters had been posted, this new appointee is grandly announced on the college website! My wife emailed the college to get some feedback. She was amazed to be told this 17 year old had more experience of the job than someone who had been doing it for 6 years.
-2
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Flaming angry! - 4-Mar-10 17:18
+4
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I am amazed that this person specified an actual figure at the interview! In my experience, this is an absolute no-no, as you stand the risk of being seen as either too optimistic or not enough!
He probably got the job because of his 'assertive' attitude! The whole logic's beyond me!!
+3
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We are sorry to inform you that you have not been successful on this occasion.
The reason we have rejected you is because you are not black or disabled, and while ever black and disabled people are applying for jobs within this organisation, we regard it as politically incorrect to consider offering you a post.
We will of course keep your application on record, however this is just so our marketing department can use your personal details to forward you their junk mail.
Yours Faithfully,
The Management.
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hy cant rejection letters at - 10-Oct-08 02:08
Candidates must be allowed for up to six months to inspect all application forms and papers associated with a job vacancy.
All job vacancies must be advertised
Candidates must be allowed to have a "friend" appointed to the panel of interviewers.
The laws of procedure as that which apply in court room for obtaining evidence from a witness must be extended to the interview. That is the asking of leading questions must be made illegal.
"Lotteries" for jobs should be forbidden.
An aggrieved candidate who wins an appeal must be entitled to up to 1 year's salary compensation the job applied for would have paid.
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Change the Law - 26-Jan-08 07:20
A complete list of candidates/applicants should be published
A complete list of those shortlisted should be published
The winner's name should be published
Written reasons for Rejections of any candidate or application should be given.
Interview expenses should be paid. Postage should be free. Envelopes provided free where required.
Companies should use standardised application forms.
Companies must hire disinterested third party outsider to attend the interview.
Online application forms should be standarised and not require/use proprietary software, like Word for Windows, to complete them.
The receipt of all applications should be acknowledged.
Procedure for appeal should be published.
The names/addresses of those interviewing should be published.
The interview should contain no Equal Opportunities questions
The list of questions to be asked in the interview should be published in advance.
Interviews which "test the candidate's knowledge" should be banned.
+11
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hange the Law about Jobs and - 25-Jan-08 17:52
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Annoyed Interviewer - 25-Jan-08 15:06
This being said because my father really is a lvl 3 manager and is part of the management that runs the area I applied for.
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Sorry to hear about that - 24-Jan-08 21:59
a) Competed in at least three paraplegic Olympic games.
b) Own 5 lesbian cats.
c) Speak Welsh with a pure accent from Ceredigion.
d) Know the Equal Opportunities Acts inside out; have three cousins on the Equal Opportunities Commission.
e) Or are newly arrived from the new commonwealth on a banana boat.
f) Fourteen undeclared relatives on the Council.
g) or can add up in Jamaican: one, two ... many
No man you are not goin' to get shartliistted at all far dis jab.
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+8
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To be honest, during interviewws I make very basic notes, and generally on the candiates CV. I try not too but sometimes I need to remind myself on questions to ask rather than interupt.
However, I know what you mean about applying for jobs that have already gone, I work in IT and a couple of years back there seemed to be an abundance of jobs, however I soon found out that these were "fishing trips", basically the agency put a really interesting and lucrative job on the web to entice you to apply, and then when you applied and then contacted them they told you that that position had just been filled and thatthey would add you to their database!
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