Applied for a job, didn't get it but they're still advertising?

[PeatrixBotter]

The job I am most trained in, most want to do and am most qualified for is quite niche, very rarely see posts advertised for it so I was ecstatic when I saw one, seeing as I were made redundant earlier this year.
Interview went reasonably well although I did have a tech issue-then they got in touch (earlier than they said they would) to tell me I came across well, but another applicant had more relevant experience. I have been looking for jobs since, always am.

This morning I see that the job is still being advertised? It wasn't yesterday. Is this one of those 'fake jobs' situations? Doesn't seem to fully fit?

Should I email my contact there and ask if there's another position, should I apply?

I would definitely say you have with that one!

I mean, this one, I was only interviewed for it the Thursday before last and had feedback by the Monday. Now they're advertising again.

That all sounds very likely! And could well be you dodged a bullet.

I agree with this.

It's vanishingly rare that they wouldn't have thought 'Candidate A has turned us down but we wish we'd offered to OP, let's contact her to see if she is still interested' , so if they haven't done this I'd wager a bet that you are not 'the one'. They won't want to go through all the rigmarole of interviewing again if a perfect 2nd choice candidate is waiting in the wings. And I can see some companies having a policy of not contacting previous candidates months later for new vacancies, but straight away whilst this vacancy has not been filled, that would be very suprising.

I’d guess the person found a different job and rang back/ emailed to say they were out. I think you’re overthinking it because you want it so much!

Just contact them and ask if it's worth you reapplying.

If they encourage you to do it, then go for it.

If they say don't bother, then at least you'll know and you can ask for some feedback that might help you in the future.

I’d just ask if they would reconsider, but you do need to understand that there is a possibility they just don’t feel you’re suitable so don’t want to offer you the role and were just being nice.

Exactly, not doing anything gets you nowhere. Why do nothing when doing something might have a positive outcome. You don't know the reasons for the first candidate not working out, or why they haven't contacted you. Always worth a punt and if it doesn't work out it's back to the search.

Thank you all. Appreciate the different perspectives.

I guess sometimes it is also just a case of they don't like you/don't feel you're the type of person who fits their organisation!

Anyway, I have emailed them. If they get back to me, great and if they don't I am no worse off.

They came back to me and said based on my interview they will not consider me but they'd keep me in mind if anything suitable comes up (as if)!

Now of course this isn't the outcome I was hoping for 😂but, it has also left me a bit suspicious.

After my interview, they said they had been/would be interviewing every day for a fortnight. So that's at least 10 people, maybe less if one or two didn't turn up so 7 or 8 people, and perhaps a lot more, if they didn't just interview one a day.

And then they put the advertisement back up so,aside from me, none of the others were worth considering either? Seems a bit odd. Maybe I have indeed dodged a bullet.

Id say more likely the salary is out of whack with expectations. So they can't find anyome who has exactly what they want as they're not paying enough.

We’ve had a role open for months and have met some lovely people (over 10) but no one has progressed because they aren’t able to demonstrate in the interview they have the technical skills they claim (and can talk about) on their CVs. There has also been a total lack of being able to explain ‘why’ they would do something in a certain way or how they would choose the ‘best’ way to do something.
It’s been eye opening to say the least and the company has had to accept that we probably need to pay more to get someone who knows how to think about the best way to do things, not just produce to a set of predefined standards (or whatever ChatGPT says is the best!)

They're paying a lot more than is usual for that type of role. I had a similar role but a higher level in fact, a few years ago (2022) and was on over 10K less. Apologies for the drip-feed. Doesn't totally dismiss the possibility of course?

That is interesting. I can guarantee chat GPT played no part in any part of my application. I just accepted that perhaps they just didn't feel I was right and/or maybe me having a tech mishap didn't help. But it seemed odd to me that nobody else was suitable either.

Tricky one..I once saw a job I didn’t get (but felt that my interview went very well and got positive feedback) re advertised after 5 months. I bit the bullet and emailed them and they were delighted about me getting in touch, took the advert down and gave me the job. However if it is re advertised straight away then I assume that they didn’t find me convincing enough in the end and have decided to throw the net again.

I don’t think the number of candidates initially interviewed is necessarily suspicious in itself. I interviewed several perfectly nice candidates the week before last, all of whom seemed to have decent potential on paper, but unfortunately none whom came across quite right for the particular role to be filled. We can cover the vacancy in the interim and so aren’t yet desperate enough at this stage that we’ll just recruit a bum to sit on a seat, we’ll readvertise instead and see if that brings out anyone who missed it the first time around. Sometimes that’s just the way it works out: a number of promising candidates who then for whatever reason didn’t carry that over that into their interview.

No if they thought you were suitable they would be in touch with you
I would ask for feedback and why you were not offered though

Some jobsites are very poor at removing old job adverts. Could this be the case?

If it’s that recent, I wouldn’t.

Some years ago, I went for a job, and was rejected- it was readvertised some weeks later with a few adjustments to the requirements, so I reapplied and got it.

We're currently interviewing candidates for a role. We've already interviewed- first two were offered it and for different reasons, haven't accepted (wasn't surprised at the first, as he was clear he was at risk in his current role, and if not made redundant would stay.) Others haven't shown themselves to be sufficiently capable. Anyway, it all means it's taking longer than expected. However, in this case, previous applicants wouldn't be accepted.

You've already had a response, but unless it states previous applicants should not apply, it can always be worth asking, as they may have made adjustments. The worst that happens is they say no.

It wasn't that, as it were removed, and then reinstated.

I find the job market a lot different to it were the last time I were looking.

I understand, perhaps it were just a case of nobody was suitable. I just thought that with it being quite a niche role, and them giving me good feedback but 'others had more experience' that they may not be finding many other applicants if it is 'me but with more experience' that they're seeking.

Maybe, as said above, they're just casting the net again for anyone who may haev missed it the first time.

Despite my tech issues, I thought the interview went well and I have done the exact role before for a reputable organisation. I am not sure who exactly they want.

I have another couple of meetings for potential roles lined up, so I will keep my fingers crossed for those.

It’s likely they are looking for an exact fit which is why they didn’t contact you. You said you weren’t good with tech & that might have become evident in your interview.

It’s likely they are looking for an exact fit which is why they didn’t contact you. You said you weren’t good with tech & that might have become evident in your interview.

I am not generally bad with tech. But it seems that this wasn't the reason, if the others (who I assume didn't have the same issues!) weren't suitable either.

But they might have been unsuitable for different reasons. You can’t compare yourself to them when you have know idea who else applied. The fact is right now all roles are so tech heavy that if you demonstrate even a hint that you can’t handle it you won’t be accepted even if you meet the other requirements.