To apply for the job my colleague needs?

[CrossCountryWoosh]

This sounds really arrogant and obviously Alice's application and interview might blow mine out of the water.

A colleague I really like (Alice) and I have both seen a job. Alice is applying for it and I am thinking of. We both have a really good chance of getting it. We both earn about the same. Jobs like this dont come up much.

Alice's husband is a dick. The pay rise with the new job would give her the option to leave (she doesnt feel finamcially able to right now) or at the very least give her a bit of power back.

Alice is actively looking for a new job.

I'm happy enough in my current job and wasnt looking.

So I guess, Alice needs this job and it has the potential to be life changing for her. Whereas Im thinking "that'll be fun" and "more money for shoes".

Alice wont hold a grudge if I apply or get the job. I wont hold a grudge if she gets it and doesnt make any life changes.

Obviously, her application and interview might not even give me a chance.

Should I apply and accept if I am successful?

YANBU - all is fair in love and job applications
YABU - dont potentially ruin her chance. That makes you more of a dick than her husband.

Dont come at me for my arrogance, Im just trying to think of all the possible results.

Apply.

I would apply. If it were my sister in Alice's shoes, I would still apply but deliberately bomb hard, so my sister looks better 😂

Someone else altogether might get it.

If it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come up often then you would be silly not to apply just because a colleague is.

Oh I can see the difficulty. How did you find out about the job? If it was through her telling you about it then I wouldn't apply. If you saw it independently then I would apply.

I would say go for it.

My only reservation, if it were me personally, would be if I only knew about the job because Alice had mentioned it to me. I might leave it in that case.

Unless it's your absolute dream job then yes it's a bit of a dick move to add in another candidate if your content in your current role.

If it's your dream job then absolutely go for it but if not then why add in extra competition which keeps her locked in to a marriage she feels financially unable to escape.

Personally I wouldn’t given the respective importance to both of your lives. It may make a huge difference to her but it wouldn’t to you save for more spends. I certainly wouldn’t do it if you are friends beyond just being work colleagues. And as others have said if you only know about the vacancy because she’s told you that would be even more of a reason to stand aside.

However, it’s a matter for you and I’m quite sure many people would do it.

I assume ‘outside’ people will be applying too? As others have said, if you only know about the job because Alice mentioned it, it would be unkind of you to apply as well.

This

Did you see/hear about the job through Alice? Or did you both come accross it separately?

If Alice mentioned it and that is how you found out I wouldnt. Or if you were scrolling jobs for her together.

If you both came accross it seperately then fair enough.

Obviously other people will probably apply (and possibly get it) but I dont care. 🤣 The only reason I do care is because I like Alice and I know her situation. We work in different parts of the country so dont see each other outside of work but do message.

I didnt hear about it from her. It was mentioned by soneone else in our team meeting and she confirmed. I probably wouldnt have seen it otherwise because like I said, Im not really looking.

Would you have applied for it if Alice wasn't?

Just curious.

Given this update, no, I wouldn’t apply. It means nothing to you and everything to her.

I would always go for a role that is a higher salary if it was something I wanted and I knew I'd be good at the job - but I've learned over the years to not see colleagues as personal friends and always keep that distance. This is one of the reasons why.

I wouldn’t.

A close colleague and I both applied for the same job. Big step up for me and a smaller step up for her.

I got the job- we’re still close as colleagues. It’s work not personal

It would depend on how close I was to the colleague. I wouldn't apply if it was a friend, if I really liked the colleague and knew she needed it more than me I wouldn't apply.

I would absolutely apply. Suppose you dont and Alice doesnt get it anyway, what a waste of an opportunity for you!

If you are indeed the best person for the job then you will get it. If Alice is the best person then she will. I cant see how you could be any fairer than that. You cannot spend your life shrinking back for others benefit

I wouldn't because it sounds like you only heard the full details of the job from her, even if you were vaguely aware of it before.

Yes definitely apply. My colleague and I both applied for a better internal job. We were sure she'd get it. She bombed the interview and I got it. Better it goes to you than someone else.

Alice could get the job and still not leave her husband 🤷‍♀️ not your problem what Alice does or doesn’t do! Apply for the job too and then the only thing that happens is one of you or someone else gets it and someone else makes that decision.

Alice! Alice! Who the fuck is Alice?

Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Apply for the job. If the appointment is made based on meritocracy then the best candidate will get it. Good luck!

I'd apply for a job I wanted, without giving a second thought to who else was applying. If that means competition with colleagues/ friends then so be it. But it doesn't sound like you even want the job, so why bother.

I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking the job for extra clothes and shoes when other people could really do with the money.

Do you really want the job though? Would you have applied for it if Alice wasn't going for it? You just don't sound very passionate about it.

If you do want it, apply. After all, neither of you might get it. But if you're lukewarm and not that bothered, don't.