What to do about job interview

[unmp]

Hello all

I applied for a senior role in another organisation at my current level however they have taken some time to shortlist and I am told that applicants are still under consideration

I also somehow had also applied for a slightly junior position in the same company eg Service Manager was first application and Team Manager the second application

Offer interview for the TM role, which is tomorrow but thinking of just waiting to see if I am offered an interview for the SM position

my current job has a long commute (2hr) and we will be expected to be in the office more in the new year which will be unaffordable for me, plus stressful as have teens and have to leave home by 6.30 to get to the office for a 9am start

The new roles are local to me 30min walk/ 7min car journey so far better. Worried about what stepping down to a TM role would do to my career if offered the new role, plus there is no guarantee I will be shortlisted/ successful for the SM position either
I have a fairly important meeting in current job tomorrow but am unsure of whether to go in or go to the TM interview?

I don’t want to be commuting so far from next year as oldest would be starting GCSE’s. Have been at current role for 4yrs, and wanted a change

Also worried that if I get TM role, they may not consider me for the SM position as I will be already pigeon holed/ they may not want to go out to advertise again for TM role so quickly

O what to do…..?

They've invited you to interview with less than 24 hours notice?

I was actually told about the interview last Thursday, but remain undecided about whether to attend or not

So you've applied for a job that you potentially don't want and you're now considering cancelling with a few hours notice? If its the same people/person managing both processes I suspect you'll be marked down as a time waster if you pull out at such short notice. I certainly wouldn't interview you for a senior role if you'd applied for a junior role and then wasted our time by pulling out on the day.

That is an interesting perspective, but would you discount an applicant who applied for a job below their current pay grade, who still wanted to interview for a higher position?

Go. You can always say that you want to learn about the culture and company from the inside out, as a TL, but you do fully skilled to take the higher role too.

What? So you're either going to lie to work tomorrow and let them down at short notice for no good reason, or let down an interview panel which has been assembled to meet you? "Remaining undecided" isn't a good enough reason to mess people around. You've had almost a week.

Essentially yes, I know it doesn’t sound great but it’s the situation I’m in

You make that sound like it happened to you. You're the one that has been indecisive!

Yes, the situation you chose to be in. Decide who you want to let down less then.

I would think it was very odd that you hadn't called me to discuss it. I'd probably make the assumption that you were right for the lower role and being aspirational for the more senior role (as opposed to being right for the senior role but prepared to take a drop for the junior one). Or that you were just wanging out applications all over the place without any real thought for which role you want and which role you fit with. It would put me off you for applying for both but if you are a spot on match for one or the other, I wouldn't rule you out. If you do attend, make sure you're prepared to answer the question of why you applied for both.

It is unfortunate that it's this way round. I have recommended candidates who are good but don't quite make the grade to apply at a more junior level. That could have worked for you but the junior role first makes it more difficult.

I would. It takes a lot of energy and money to conduct interviews. Cancelling at less than 24h notice would immediately disqualify you from any position in the organisation regardless of your experience and paygrade. Because, essentially, it reflects your reliability as an employee.
What I would do instead is go to the interview and be upfront with them about the fact that you also applied for the SM position and would like to be considered.

I am already at a senior role and actually applied for the senior role first which is a direct match for my current role but in a different location, however there has been a significant delay in progressing to shortlisting for the senior role

Due to wanting to desperately work closer to home, when I saw a slightly lower role come out for the same service after applying for the more senior role, I decided to also apply for that as this is also managerial, I would be going down a grade if offered the role I interviewed for tomorrow hence my question of should I just withdraw at this late stage and hope I am again shortlisted for the senior role?

I can't believe you're considering cancelling on the day of interview and would expect to be considered for a more senior role. It makes you look unreliable, disorganised and disrespectful of the time and process.

I would absolutely not under any circumstances cancel the interview if you are wanting the other position. If the other role is competitive and they have to shortlist from a number of suitable candidates you want to make sure that you ensure they see the best of you and cancelling an interview at short notice wouldn't be the best first impression.
I'd go along, do the best interview you can and see what happens.

Ok it seems that the room has spoken, I will go tomorrow

Withdrawal with no notice looks unprofessional. If you would take the role if offered (which presumably you would) then why wouldn't you attend the interview? Bit crap for your current role when you could have booked off time mind you. You could have managed that a lot better.

If you put your skill set across they may well see that the other position is more appropriate and give that hiring team a nudge along with sorting out their shortlist for interview.

All communication with a company is a chance to tell them about yourself. Go and sell yourself tomorrow, if you go in apologetic that sorry I probably shouldn't have applied for this role I want the other one. You are going to stick in their mind for the wrong reasons.

You have spent the last 4 years doing what ever role with these and these achievements.
I'm now ready for a new role. I'm really excited by the work here and was interested by both positions. Senior one more matching to current role but the other one gives you the opportunity to change companies, something new. Keen to build a career within the company blah blah blah.

I would treat the interview as showcasing to the company why they would want you to work for them and let the matter of which position for another day.

I know this to be true , I have just been so undecided about taking a ‘step down’ role that this has preoccupied my thoughts, which is no excuse I know

I'm sorry if I sound rough - maybe I am being grumpy. Good luck tomorrow - if it's what you need to get you out of where you are then I really hope you get it.

@unmp How did the interview go?

Still waiting to hear