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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think the job was mine?

87 replies

cryingwithdisappointment · 06/12/2011 17:41

Had interview yesterday - first since being made redundant. Recruitment agency actually rang me and said they thought I'd be ideal for the job and had put my cv forward. Interview went very well I thought, I was in there for 90 minutes, interviewers seemed to like me and by the end of the interview were saying things like 'when can you start', 'what hours would you like to work' and 'we can be flexible in terms of days you work because of your childcare'. They insisted on giving me the grand tour of the building, saying stuff like 'this is where you'll sit' and 'you'll report to Mr x'.

At the end the main interviewer insisted on giving me his business card and said he'd be in touch and he hoped I was interested in the job. I said I was and I looked forward to hearing from them etc etc

To be honest started thinking the job was mine (especially as recruitment firm told me I was the last person they'd seen and they'd discounted all previous applicants) and was on a real high.

Got a phone call from recruitment agency today saying interviewers had liked me, thought I'd fit in well but since they'd interviewed me they'd arranged to interview other people. They thought I had been too 'general' in my answers to their questions.

I'm gutted Sad if they had really liked me and wanted to employ me they wouldnt have arranged to see anyone else (it's not like they had already set the interviews up).

Feel so disheartened and rejected. Especially when I thought I had it in the bag. Talk about being over confident, had even bought celebratory bottle of wine to share with DH. That will teach me.

OP posts:
thebigkahuna · 06/12/2011 18:28

Yes it was cryingwithdisappointment.

Don't think you could be one of my colleagues though (we all went) as most didn't have children.

Def think you should make contact with this guy, and let us know what happens.

JaxTellerIsMyFriend · 06/12/2011 18:30

crying please drop the person who gave you the business card an email, it will show that you are interested and might help you in future interviews.

I agree with natasha

hippoCritt · 06/12/2011 18:33

Ring rather than email, you will get a better response

Xmasbaby11 · 06/12/2011 18:33

Good luck - do try to get some more feedback about where you could improve or what happened.

I've been in that situation before, and I think it's wrong of interviewers to give the impression it's in the bag before they have even had chance to discuss it with each other.

Tinselrella · 06/12/2011 18:34

Definitely agree with calling/emailing. Years ago a friend went for a job. Thought she'd done really well at the interview - very similar scenario to you. Agency then called to say someone else got the job. Friend and I sat down and composed a letter together (shows you how long ago it was), saying how she'd loved their organisation, would really like to work for them, would answer any further questions, if any new openings came up to please consider her, etc. A couple of days later she was offered the job and never looked back Xmas Grin

But - cautionary note - don't harass the hiring manager. I was chatting to a friend the other day who is the MD of a software company. He had been interviewing the week before and had the ideal candidate. Offer him the job. Candidate then arsed about, making out he had other offers on the table. Friend decided to retract his offer. Failed candidate then bombarded friend with emails and phone calls. It did not go down well.

Good luck. I am sure something will turn up soon...hopefully this will work out for you Xmas Smile

Original poster
cryingwithdisappointment · 06/12/2011 18:34

Ah yes the whole 'why do you want to work here' err because I need the money, desperately. Having interviewed myself I never asked people this, people always spout on about what a great organisation it is to work for blah blah when we all know its about paying the bills.

OP posts:
Original poster
cryingwithdisappointment · 06/12/2011 18:36

thebigkahuna did you get another job? Desperately need some positive stories!

OP posts:
thebigkahuna · 06/12/2011 18:38

Cryingwithdisappointment - no, but that's because I chose to go the SAHM route for now as have 2 pre-schoolers. All of the people in my team got jobs though, of those that went for them (a couple went travelling). They got work pretty quickly as I recall.

Good luck x

Lightofthemoon · 06/12/2011 18:39

I've had this happen before and know other people this has happened to, they are practically begging you to start on the spot and then you unexpectedly get a rejection letter.

I'm afraid more often than not the people do genuinely want to hire you, but they are not the ultimate decision makers and it's HR getting in the way. Some process or internal candidate or as others have said fee disagreements.

I've learnt the hard way, only ever celebrate when you see the offer in writing. Not very helpful but just wanted to know you probably were right for the job and it's things beyond the interviewers control...

GaramMasalaGirl · 06/12/2011 18:54

Hi OP I wholeheartedly agree with MrSpoc and LittleLucifer...make the call. You have nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain!

He gave you his business card for a reason...you HAVE to call him!

Good luck and can't wait to hear your good news.

TroublesomeEx · 06/12/2011 19:17

I also want to know what knowledge management is otherwise my public sector head is going to come up with all sorts of nonsense! Grin

I also think you should phone and ask for feedback.

TroublesomeEx · 06/12/2011 19:18

I also want to know what knowledge management is otherwise my public sector head is going to come up with all sorts of nonsense! Grin

I also think you should phone and ask for feedback.

eurochick · 06/12/2011 19:18

I agree, Lightofthemoon. I reckon someone else has stepped in and queried whether they want someone with the originally advertised qualifications or experience.

There is no harm in dropping the person who gave you their business card an email to say how much you enjoyed meeting them and hearing good things about company x. It leaves it open to them to start a dialogue if they want to and if not they might keep you in mind so if something else comes up they could contact you.

I have to say I always give business cards out at interviews. It's standard now in my profession (law). Everyone does it.

PigletJohn · 06/12/2011 19:36

phone call is better than email

it might be that the next person through the door was even better

unless they have given it to an internal candidate or somebody's nephew and were just going through the motions.

Shit happens.

sorry.

Onemorning · 06/12/2011 21:42

My sympathies, OP. I went for two interviews for a large organisation. Brilliant feedback... but they didn't employ me as they were 'going to review the job'.

The job was readvertised within a fortnight - same job description apart from one word!

The agency were useless, no-one gave me honest feedback and I wasted over 10 hours (interview plus prep time / preparing presentation) on a company that didn't want me, but didn't have the balls to tell me why.

Good luck with your next job xx

LoopyLoopsWoopDeWoops · 06/12/2011 21:49

Fingers crossed Mr Spoc is Spoc on!

Original poster
cryingwithdisappointment · 06/12/2011 22:24

A couple of glasses of wine is helping numb the pain! Have decided if I haven't heard anything by Friday morning I'm going to email them. I would ring but get so nervous I'm sure I'd mess it up.

really perked me up hearing about other peoples rubbish experiences with interviews.

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 06/12/2011 22:49

if you feel you have to email, ask if there is someone who can call you to talk it over.

emailing alone won't really work.

hippoCritt · 06/12/2011 22:52

I don't think they would admit to agency problems in email, however if you ring them they may consider you for another/same position

Pandemoniaa · 06/12/2011 22:56

Will someone please put some of us out of our misery? WTF is "knowledge management"?

PigletJohn · 06/12/2011 23:34

I think it's where you cut the important parts out of people's brains and store them in a chilled filing cabinet in case they come in useful one day.

Particularly handy when you make redundant all the long-serving people who know how your business works.

amistillsexy · 06/12/2011 23:41

crying...

I, too am desparate to know what 'knowledge management' is.

I'm having visions of you trying to corral all the questions from Trivial Pursuit into the box! Xmas Grin

Pandemoniaa · 07/12/2011 00:23

Up to now I've assumed that "knowledge management" is what the keeper of the stationary cupboard at a county council near was a master of.

It went like this:
Q: Barbara, do you have any fine point drawing pens?
A: Yes. But I know that you are not allowed to have one.

alphablock · 07/12/2011 00:41

I once had an interview with the MD of a v small company. Halfway through she told me she thought I would be perfect for the job and the rest of the time was spent discussing when I could start etc. She said she just needed to clear it with one of the directors.

You guessed it - phonecall next day, she'd discussed with a director and they didn't think I was quite right, i.e. someone I'd never met managed to talk the MD out of hiring me!

I've also had the full tour of the office at some companies, meeting everyone etc. and still been turned down.

I have interviewed a lot of people and I am always really careful not to give any suggestion that they have the job until I am 100% certain, but I have learnt to my cost that others are not so cautious.

It is definitely worth calling them to discuss and if they are borderline re recruiting you it may make all the difference. If not, you will just have to remind yourself that some people are very unprofessional and maybe you are too good for them!

butterfliesandladybirds · 07/12/2011 00:48

Curious here too, what is knowledge management?