To think employers should just say don't bother

[feelinguseless2019]

I've NC and posting here for traffic I've had two interviews recently both have gone to internal candidates both have never done the job before...was told I gave excellent interviews and clearly knew my stuff...I've lost money for taking time off to go to the interviews...why can't employers be honest and say we have somebody already lined up for the job don't bother!

I have cried my eyes out as I'm genuinely fed up I've not had a permanent job in 5 years...constantly worrying about pay and when i have to take toke off etc how am I going to make the time up...just feeling useless, worthless and stupid thinking that I might have actually got the job. This is the 5th interview this year all gone internal.

Nothing helpful to say except I'm sorry, that sucks

How do you know that every times its gone to an internal candidate? The employers actually phoned/emailed you to say that?

@upthine thanks

@Zbag 3 of the jobs I know people who work there, the last two i work at one and the other they told me on the phone.

I once went for what was my dream job at the time. Full exams, interviews, case studies and a presentation. It was advertised locally and nationally and I really aced it. When I got the call I wasn't able to get any feedback at all because they basically said that I did brilliantly but they'd given it internally - to the person who showed me round, made me a cup of tea etc. There was never any intention of giving it to an outside candidate but legally they have to advertise it outside. It sucks and doesn't actually do what it's meant to do.

There was never any intention of giving it to an outside candidate but legally they have to advertise it outside.

I've seen this happen now and again and it's immensely frustrating. Some companies want to employ someone from outside the EU and must 'prove' that there's no suitable EU candidate available in order to organise a visa. I understand why it's necessary but it results in a huge waste of other people's time when the recruiters themselves know that there is not actually a job available in the first place.

There was never any intention of giving it to an outside candidate but legally they have to advertise it outside.

Really? Where I work, an awful lot of appointments are made internally, and often staff don't even have to complete an application form, it's done by "expression of interest". It's done this way because lots of projects are having funding cuts and staff would otherwise be facing redundancy.

I'd be very surprised if they were acting illegally, as the organisation has a culture of doing everything by the book.

Yep it’s happened to me a dozen times. Some organisations advertise internally first and then open up if no suitable people.

It’s so frustrating taking time off work to go these pointless interviews.

I'd be very surprised if they were acting illegally, as the organisation has a culture of doing everything by the book.

You're quite right Lakie, it's only for certain situations (for example having a non-EU candidate in mind as in my example). Most businesses wouldn't required to do this by law (otherwise nobody could get a simple promotion), though I suppose some have internal regulations.

A few years back I tried to get into teaching the subject I have a professional qualification in to students at FE colleges. Applied for posts which stated they were particularly looking for candidates with commercial experience.

Invited to three interviews. Full day of interviews, pre-prepared presentations etc. At the end of each day the job was given to the internal candidate. In one case the internal candidate told everyone else at the start of the day that he had already been offered the job and had been told he just needed to go through the motions for the interview day. Sure enough, at the end of the day he was offered the job.

A few days after that last interview I had a call from a fourth college inviting me to an interview day. I firmly turned it down and told them I had no intention of wasting more of my annual leave when I was sure an internal candidate had already been earmarked.

I then dropped the whole idea of teaching and stuck to posts in the commercial sector as at least there is usually a fighting chance of there actually being a job on offer.

I think the organisation in question has a particularly code that isn't the same as private industry. So illegal may not be the right term but certainly - as a body - they had to advertise externally for it.

I know in teaching they have to advertise externally even if someone is great for the job. I thought that was a legal thing?

I know it's different in private sector.

There was never any intention of giving it to an outside candidate but legally they have to advertise it outside.

This isn't true.

Dont be disheartened OP, I know its a lot easier said than done.

It's a massive waste of everyone else's time hence I will never go near the sector again. Massively annoying as the ads always said they particularly wanted to recruit candidates with current commercial experience. Can't see that happening any time soon.

It's a massive waste of everyone else's time hence I will never go near the sector again. Massively annoying as the ads always said they particularly wanted to recruit candidates with current commercial experience. Can't see that happening any time soon.

This happens in the NHS all the time where I work. The interviewers clearly have an internal candidate they want to get the job (which is fine in itself) but because of legal requirements have to advertise externally and go through the process of interviewing external candidates they clearly have no intention of giving the job to. It's a massive waste of time and money for so many people, and for the organisation.

It's crap, isn't it OP. Although I think it's valuable from an equal opportunities point of view, less nepotism etc. the downside is a lot of people's time is wasted in reality. If it helps, I was once (I thought) lined up for an internal promotion and an external candidate turned out to be better, and got the job! So it's not for nothing.

I can also work the flip way - in my workplace someone had been doing a job on a temporary promotion for 2 YEARS - they advertised it, he didn't get it, an external candidate did, and he then had to train them up! You couldn't make it up!

Has happened to me too .I had a brilliant interview left feeling very confident only for the job to go to the person who had arranged my interview and shown me round. Had only recently moved to the area so didn't know anyone but later found out the job was always going to her , they just needed an external candidate to show they had followed their recruitment policy.

It sucks op, but you never know what might come from those interviews. There may be another job in the offing that they consider you for, that might be even better than the one you originally went for. Also, you now have even more interview experience under your belt, which will stand you in good stead for next time.

Are you interviewing through an agency?. If so perhaps you can get them to find out if there are internal applicants going for the role. You can then make your own mind up if you want to proceed.

The last time DH went for a Deputy Head job it was marked for an external candidate. He did such a good job they created another job for just him. So it can happen if they don't want to lose you and can afford to create extra positions.

INTERNAL candidate

Often it's not so much what you know as who you know. I got my last job on the basis of a) qualifications and b) local connections - they knew I was who I claimed I was, and that they could work with me. I applied for a job for which I was very well qualified and would have loved, but where I knew no one and didn't even get a bloody interview. And the job I have now I applied for, was (I was later told) put on the back burner as overqualified, and then two friends who worked their approached the boss and said, you'd be mad to turn her down.

It's not fair, but employers want the safe option.

But you run the risk of the job going to someone else every time!

Personally, if I genuinely thought they were only going through the motions, I'd send them an invoice for my time and expenses.

I had that issue with both civil service and local authority jobs but I did get one of each in the end. It was so frustrating though, especially when one interview for a job I would have loved went so well and the lady who phoned me afterwards told me outright it was going internally but that I interviewed better and to keep applying because I'd be an absolute asset to them. Really helpful when I desperately needed a new job because we'd just had to relocate to a new city because of dh's job.

The civil service job I eventually got I didn't even apply for, they just asked at a previous interview if they could keep my details on file and then when someone dropped out just before their start date, I got a phone call asking if I still wanted a job and could I start on Monday. It was for a grade higher too.

The LA job I got, they were advising 28 posts...they had temp staff who they had offered permanent positions prior to interview doing 22 of them. The rest were maternity leave or similar short term contracts. I got offered the maternity cover and then used to that to move upwards to a better/more interesting permanent job. Oddly enough, one of the people I was in competition with for that permanent job was already doing it, covering maternity leave which was due to end just after the start date. They had 2 positions, they gave one to me and left the other empty because no other candidate was "good enough".

Yes, it's horrible and painful and frustrating but you'll get there.