To assume I've not got this job?

[interoo]

I interviewed for a job last week and I felt that the interview went really well, which is not something I feel often.

It's a really good opportunity for me - it would allow me to change careers while still being financially comfortable and there aren't many opportunities like this going.

There are quite a lot of jobs going (more than ten) and I believe that there were about double the amount of people being interviewed than there were places.

The email I received that contained the interview invitation said that everyone would be told the outcome by the end of this Friday. During the interview itself they confirmed I'd hear back towards the end of this week.

I'm probably being really ridiculous and impatient but I am really starting to lose hope. I feel like if I'd been successful then I'd have heard already. Even though they say towards the end of the week, surely the successful people get told first so that they can choose to accept the offer or not? Because if they declined it would go to the next person down on the list?

Or does it not always work like that?

As I said it's a very good opportunity so, although I assume they'd tell the successful people early in case someone declined, I'd be surprised if anyone actually declined.

I just keep thinking about it and wanting it so badly.

YABU - if they say the end of the week then wait until the end of the week before assuming.

YANBU - usually the successful people hear before the "you will be told by" deadline.

Normally they tell you late rather than early

They may well be interviewing today and tomorrow as well if there are that many positions and candidates, so they can't tell you until everyone's been interviewed. Just wait until Friday / Monday.

I agree they'll almost certainly tell the successful people first. But it's only Wednesday - I'd take 'end of the week' to mean Thursday or Friday.

If I said I’d tell people by Friday I’d have a reason.
Maybe one candidate couldn’t make the original date and was scheduled for Thursday afternoon. Maybe other days are back to back meetings and they won’t have time to call around. Maybe they’re on leave a couple of days (bank holiday Monday, school strikes Tuesday, polling Wednesday so schools shut) so not in to call. Maybe the interview score sheets go through some sort of moderation process.
Wait until Friday.

HR also have to get involved as they need to know what salary to offer etc. this can take time.

But you haven't heard it's a no yet!

Also I would say you should wait until Tuesday to be sure, one way or the other, due to Bank Holiday.

Be patient - recruitment /HR can take ages just to go through internal processes. And now all interviews must have formal notes saved-you can request to see the interview notes under GDPR rules.

It's only Wednesday. I wouldn't could yourself out before Friday afternoon if they have lots of interviews.

I have found in my own opinion that places that give you the answer sooner rather than later usually are the places that tend to have the most trouble.

example: I went for a job in a school as a teacher and they offered me the job 10 mins after I had interviewed. I ended up starting and I realised why they were so keen to give me the offer and get me in as it was chaos and they needed me to fix sort things out.

I have also had another job which I interviewed and didn’t hear until the end of the week and I realised they hadn’t told me sooner I had got the job as they needed to sort compliances and a handover and such before I could begin.

wait until Friday and then give them a follow up call if you haven’t heard from them.

Ime every place is different, I can only speak for the private sector but there's no standard timetable for recruitment, lots of variables and no way to predict a specific situation

Thank you everyone.

I forgot to say that they did mention that they were finishing up the interviews last week but you are right that someone could have needed to reschedule for good reason, or HR needing to sort out offers or the bank holidays getting in the way. I guess I've not really thought about how much goes into it on their end.

Thank you all for bringing me back down to earth a bit. I am going to try to be patient and not assume the worst yet. I think it is just simply that I've had so many rejections and I'm so excited about the prospect of this job. I will of course update when I know!

I really don't think you can speculate. It is just a very hard waiting game.

@interoo I had a job interview two weeks ago. They told me they’d let everyone know by Friday last week. They phoned me yesterday. So don’t count yourself out! Though keeping fingers crossed you get good news before the long weekend!

No I waited ten days to hear about my last interview, a job I really wanted and I felt interview had gone well. I got it and love it so there's def hope! Good luck

If there’s more than one person on the panel with a vested interest in who gets the jobs it might delay the decision if each prefers a different candidate or if several candidates are equally matched. Give it until Tuesday and good luck!

If it's bulk recruitment it's pretty normal to get delayed, anything could have happened. My current role was delayed because of the guaranteed interview scheme, they were off sick but entitled to an interview so they had to wait a couple of weeks for them to be able to be interviewed.

Wednesday isn't "the end of the week"! I think you need to try and be a bit more patient.

The job I had before my current one was a 4 week wait. Turned out HR forgot to phone me to tell me. It was only when the guy who would end up being my boss asked HR why I had rejected the role (as that was his assumption because he hadn’t heard back whether I had accepted) that HR said oh we haven’t phoned her yet.

In your case OP if there are many applicants then the interviewers will have to have a calibration session to review candidates. Getting people together is not easy and will take time. So gently YABU when it is only Wednesday

Good luck op