Interview Success, but...

Willem-de-Blois

I attended an interview for a position within a large, national company during the week before Easter. I thoroughly revised and prepared for the interview. Perhaps I prepared more for this interview than any other one that I have attended.

The interview itself was very strange. I was interviewed by a director and a line manager and someone else whom I thought was a PA who sat in to observe the proceedings. The interview began with the director telling me about the company and his department within it.

Half an hour later, he was still talking about the company and I was already wondering if researching the company so thoroughly was a waste of time. Finally the questions about me started but they were based on my CV that was in front of them.

One of the questions was about the position's salary. It was lower than I thought and when I was asked about my most recent salary, I explained truthfully that it was higher than the proposed one. I asked when the position would become live and the director replied that it would be as soon as possible.

The interview ended with the assurance that a decision would be made the day before Good Friday.

I heard nothing by Good Friday but received a telephone call on the following Tuesday on my voice mail. I thought that this was a good sign. I called the line manager the following day to be told that the position would not be live until September when the company would know what its major customers had budgeted for the new financial year. He reassured me that I am the preferred candidate to be employed and that the company was not planning to interview more people. He advised me to contact him in 2 months and suggested the odd 'work-experience' day between now and then.

This is all verbal, nothing negative or positive has been written down.

This week, I noticed that a similar job has been advertised in a professional magazine by the very same office. It is a slight notch above the role that I applied for but the lower level of the salary matches my previous salary which is £2k more per year than the role that I went for.

Recruitment agencies are calling me to try and put me forward to this role apparently because I match the requirements.

Does anyone have an idea what is going on?

fruitedeli

Sounds like they want someone better than you, and willing to pay more for that role. Could be they are looking for more than one person, or soon as they find someone better you won't get the offer.

bevanuk

I think that the line manager didn't have the balls to tell you that you were not successful in securing the job - but that's my option.

If I were you I would call them, what do you have to lose? A loose job offer? Explain that you have seen this job and ask if it's the same one. Let them know you would like some feedback as to why you were not successful - if that comes out to be the case.

silentkiller

The manager sounds like my old manager who used to spend a whole interview talking about himself and the company (including how he and his wife were getting divorced etc). Everyone he employed lasted 5 minutes in our company because he bigged the role up ..

But anyway I echo BevanUK and fruitedeli.

Willem-de-Blois

I emailed the manager, he has replied that he will know what the clients' likely budgets will be in two weeks

bristol_pilot

I wouldn't even consider working for a Company that suggested I could come in and do a couple of work experience days without being under contract. The organisation sounds like a total shambles.

Willem-de-Blois

bristol_pilot wrote: »

I wouldn't even consider working for a Company that suggested I could come in and do a couple of work experience days without being under contract. The organisation sounds like a total shambles.

I agree. I have had three interviews since then and another one on Tuesday so I am keeping other irons in the fire.

Willem-de-Blois

I was actually offered this job but I had already accepted another job offer. In fact, being messed about worked well because the job that I did accept has a £2.5k 'golden hello' and its annual salary is £6k/ annum more. :j

So that's closure to this thread.