AIBU to take this so personally?

[cobbleddream]

I am due to qualify as an AHP shortly and have trained at one Trust for all 3 years of my degree. I am a very mature student, this is a complete career change for me. I have loved my course, and excelled both academically and on clinical placement.... or so I thought.

I have applied for a job at the Trust I've trained, and also a couple of other local ones. Yesterday jobs were being offered (a few vacancies) and I have not been offered one, not been turned down yet either. I am gutted, I feel like 4 years of study and very hard work have been tainted, and I am clearly not cut out for this, as the one place who has known me for so long has said they don't want to employ me in effect.

Other students who have worked much less, been continually late and have very poor patient care have got offers. I have always been punctual, done all my hours, passed everything and had continual excellent feedback from everyone I worked with (this is a daily thing we have to record too).

I am so sad, and trying to be a grown up about it and be logical. The stupid thing is, I work as bank at another Trust in a related field and that is my preferred Trust anyway, their application process is still ongoing. But I still feel like I've had a kick in the teeth from where I've trained and it is making me question whether I should ever have done this in the first place.

I get told it is all down to interview, so I clearly need to improve my interview skills, and will get feedback to help with this. I've spent 3 years working really hard, commuting a ridiculous distance compared to the other students and being encouraged to apply and told I should get a job.... to this. And no, I'm not normally such a drama llama !

I echo the points based comments. We have interviewed excellent internal candidates for roles the next level up, but an external person got the job because they performed better at interview and gave better answers. See if someone will do some interview practice with you, and revise some answers to the values based questions. Always have a good example ready for a question, and explain what the example taught you/what skills it allowed you develop or practice.

My experience of band 5 questions is they'd alternate from very broad (tell us about current drivers) to very narrow (what are the basic skills for an OT). Elaborate and promote. Bring in examples of good clinical practise you have done or recognised in others.

Treat this like an exam, write down prep in a notebook and go over it, practise every time you're driving somewhere.

Its mad isn't it? My DH got turned down for a job he was actually temporarily doing (and doing well) and someone with no experience was brought in. They said the right buzzwords at interview and he didn't. Good luck for your other interviews, I hope you get the job you seem to really deserve!

@AmandaHugenkiss

I echo the points based comments. We have interviewed excellent internal candidates for roles the next level up, but an external person got the job because they performed better at interview and gave better answers. See if someone will do some interview practice with you, and revise some answers to the values based questions. Always have a good example ready for a question, and explain what the example taught you/what skills it allowed you develop or practice.

This. And — while this of course may not apply at all to you — I’ve had internal candidates who completely wasted the fact that they already worked there, knew the job and workplace inside out etc by either under-preparing, being complacent at interview, or assuming that the fact that at least one of the panel knew they knew this stuff meant they could not bother really giving good answers. It was incredibly frustrating!

It also works against to use an interview situation to fill a role.

A few years ago the company I then worked for offered a job to someone after he gave a brilliant interview.
He was a complete and utter twat who talked the talk but couldn't walk the walk. So fucking useless. Lasted three weeks. creating shit for the rest of us to sort out

Mind you, if they had asked me to sit in he wouldn't have started... I think his middle name was bullshit

Interviews are a terrible and inefficient way to recruit and I don't know why they're still the done thing. I give a practical "test" to candidates in the core task of the job. There's surprisingly little correlation between the people who give a good interview and the people who do well at the task.

That is all very well if it is a task based job but for most of the jobs I’ve done there’s no ‘test’ to see if you’d be any good at it! Interview is really the only way to find out if you actually know your stuff or not in that field.

What kind of job doesn't involve tasks?

Hi all, I thought I'd come back with an update!

I got feedback from the rejection, and it was fair, I hadn't given enough detail in answers. So I prepared better for my next interview (at the hospital I had originally wanted to train at, but didn't get the choice and was allocated the other one, further away)..... and I have got a job there!

I am over the moon, and now can see things from a more sensible point of view. I was hurt, but now have a job at the place that fits best for me, even though it will all be new.

Thank you for all the advice, it was definitely a case of if at first you don't succeed.....

Congratulations!! Well done on the job, and on recognising where you went wrong, swallowing your hurt and pride, and sorting it.
I do a lot of interviewing and have to give feedback to people on why they missed the mark. For us, it is NEVER personal but I fully recognise that for the interviewee it must always feel that it is. Some are so defensive when all I am trying to do is give them information and tips to help them succeed in their next interview - often I end up very reassured that we did the right thing in not making them an offer since we need people who can take feedback on board to improve their practice.
You took a deep breath and got on with it, and your reward is this shiny new opportunity. Enjoy!

@Justaonetimeting

Absolutely saying the right words doesn’t mean jack
Actions not words unfortunately the point system is what’s used .
Big regrets...

@ cobbleddream

Congratulations you deserve it

Oh that’s fantastic! Congratulations and good luck in your new role. Xx

Good luck! You'll be fantastic!!

OP this happened to me with my first applied for job in my new field after studying for a postgrad diploma. I'd done two weeks' work experience with the company (newspaper group) and thought it had gone well - I was gutted! So I emailed the editor and asked if there was anything wrong. Turned out another editor had gone through the applications and overlooked mine (first editor didn't say why as I def ticked all the boxes on paper, but implied that the second editor had rushed through the applications); I got offered the job about five days later.

Maybe worth double checking?

Also worth RTFT - which I do 99% of the time! Congrats OP :)

NHS is all down to the interviews. We have got crap people who were good at interviews and people we knew were good, havnt got

It's all in the interview. I could tell you dozens of stories of nightmares who interview well snd pip known, experienced, safe, effective workers to jobs. Don't be disheartened.