Should I apply for a job I can't accept?

[cheesemebaby]

A position has come up in an excellent organisation, which I am qualified for. Normally positions advertised require 3+ years more experience than I currently have.

Unfortunately, even if I were to be successful in my application, I can't back out of my current contract until a certain date. There are financial penalties and to be perfectly honest I wouldn't want to, my current employers have invested a lot in me and I'd like to fulfill the agreeement. Plus I like this job, but professionally the other job would be much more valuable for me in the long term.

AIBU to apply even if I can't accept the job? I think it would be helpful to get an insight into how their recruitment process works and give me an advantage when applying again in the future. Or would this piss off the organisation and be a black mark against me when re-applying?

Has anyone ever done this and had a good/bad experience?

HR people and people who know about this sort of thing, help!

Why waste their time and yours? I don't understand.

You could easily be shooting yourself in the foot if you ever intend to apply to this organisation again. I wouldnt risk it.

If you won't accept if they offer you the job under any circumstances, then don't apply, you'll be the one who 'messed them about'. However, is there no ways underwhich you'd accept? What if they offered to buy you out of your current contract? Would they do that?

It really won't help you in the future if you gain then reject the job, they will always think it wasn't good enough for you last time round.

The only conceivable thing I can think is to apply and be straight about when you could take it at the end of your current contract (if we are talking months not years) that way it's their choice to see you or not and you are on their radar.

It's a risk. If you get the job and then don't take it, you'll be the one who messed them around. If I was recruiting and someone applied, went all the way through the process and then said 'oh sorry, I can't actually accept' I'd be fuming and it would prejudice me against you in the future.

However, if you don't get it, but just get so far, a) as you say, you'll gain valuable insight into the business and b) if you were to re-apply in the future I'd think 'oh brilliant, cheese is committed and tenacious.'

So it could work either way. But it is a big risk...

How long is your current contract due to run for? If you are the right candidate they might be willing to wait for you. Also, interviews are always good to give you experience so I'd go for it.

Do not do it.

The organisation I worked for would never interview again (kept records for 2 years? but the Head of HR had a memory like an elephant.) Really don't. If it is meant to be, a vacancy will come up when you can apply for it.

Why on earth would you do that? To prove to yourself you could get the other job? Bit odd.

Unless you are upfront and state that you would need a financial incentive package to be bought out of your current contract then YABU.

If you are shortlisted for interview then it is at the cost of another applicant who could be currently out of work or desperate to re-locate etc. That is quite unfair.

Thanks for all replies!

The job is super competitive and will probably have lots of applicants. Although I have the right qualifications/experience, there's a very good chance I won't get it.

So, basically, the consenus is no- or, if I must, be straight with them from the outset?

Maybe I'll email HR and ask their opinion. Good idea?

I would email your CV to them, and say that you would have love to have applied however your current role prevents you from being able to do so at the present time, and you would like them to keep your CV for future reference, or something along those lines..

I think honesty is the only policy here.

If it's a very competitive work environment, then any potential black marks against your name won't help in the future when you might be in a position to move.

There's no harm in asking, but you really do need to be open and up front with all involved in my opinion.

What squeaky says.

I think to apply knowing you won't accept it unreasonable and a waste of people's time.

It depends how you want to portray yourself to this company - presumably not as an inconsiderate timewaster?

Apply.

You might never be offered it, but it's good CV and interview practice and might get your name noticed by the organisation. There's no guarantee that you'll get it, so no point in putting the cart before the horses.

In the event that you are offered it, you can explain your agreement with your present employer - the new organisation might offer to negotiate something with them if they really, really want you. Even if it doesn't work out, it is your right to pursue your career and explore your options. It will be very, very odd for an employer to hold it against you - if they would, that's probably a company not worth working for.

I only have a very small business but in the past have interviews people who have gone on to decline the job which has caused a lot of hassle.

If they apply again I won't consider them.

I bet you would if you really needed their skills and had no other takers.

inconsiderate timewaster- ouch! I know this is AIBU, but I'd like to point out that I haven't actually applied for this job!

I'm canvassing opinions about the ramifications of this course of action before I take it, which I would argue is actually pretty considerate and may well prevent me from wasting mine/other people's/ other jobseeker's time...

Go for it.

You never know what they might offer package, start-date wise.
You can weigh up their offer and any counter-offer your current employer make if and when they offer you the position.

This 'inconsiderate timewaster' argument is rubbish.

Say they get 20 people applying for the job. They only have 1 position. So the other 19 people are timewasters? How dare they apply when they aren't going to end up working for the company? Nonsense. If anything, it would be the company wasting the applicants' time who don't turn out to be successful.

An interview is a two-way process, in order to mutually explore the possibility of working together. It's not a promise of a new job and not a promise of immediate and unconditional availability for the candidate's part either.

Bottom line is, if you are interested, apply. See what happens, take it from there.

I didn't say you were an inconsiderate timewaster. I said that is how you risk portraying yourself if you apply for a job you have no intention of accepting.

OK, that's a fair point. Definitely don't portray yourself as having no intention of accepting it, that would be pointless.

First they have to make an offer to you. Then you can consider it, explain any constraints you may have, and see if they can be overcome.

Hi everyone,

We'll be moving this to Employment Issues soon, at the OP's request.

Hi, I worked in HR and there is no way we would offer you employment if you had previously turned us down.

Is that legal toofattorun?