Is it ok to apply for a job you know you couldn't accept?

[ElfCakes]

I don't want to waste the time of the recruiter, but would like to see how far I get in the process. I am 20 weeks pregnant so would be daft to leave my current job until after the baby is born and I've come back from mat leave for the required 3 months. Thing is, I know after this point I will be looking for a new job and one I'm really interested in has come up, in a location more convenient for me as well. I'm not sure I'm quite experienced enough for it so would use it as a learning experience and to get my name and my interest out there too.

Also, for reasons too long and boring to go into, I wouldn't mind my current employer thinking they were at risk of losing me to somewhere else and it might support my case for a promotion! It's an empty threat though really as they know I won't leave whilst I'm pregnant.

So what do you think, shall I apply and just see where I get?

I think it sounds like a total waste of time.

Sounds like a waste of time and energy to me.

No, you’ll just piss them off

It's a waste of time, both yours & theirs.

I don't think you'll get "your name and interest out there", I think you might look like you're not serious or wasting their time. There'll be other opportunities later, save your effort for those.

Could you go for the job, think about it if they offer it to you and use it to leverage your current employer? It's a bit dickish but ultimately job offers are just offers. You're never obligated to accept and can choose to stay where you are if that's what you want. Maybe consider if you may shoot yourself in the foot pissing off someone who could a potential employer in the future.

You'll get your name out there alright. As a waste of time.
You're also planning to let your current company know you're looking for jobs ? So they will promote you? Looking elsewhere would have the opposite effect OP. They'll think you have one foot out of the door.

It just sounds like a waste of everyone time to be honest.
If you did get offered it and turned it down, but then came up again when you were truly interested, not sure it would be looked at favourably.

Another vote for 'you'll piss them off, they'll remember you for all the wrong reasons and it's a complete waste of your own time'

I don't want to waste the time of the recruiter, but would like to see how far I get in the process.

^Don’t be an idiot and waste peoples time.

Good way to get yourself marked as a time waster IMO.

Also ime getting your employer worried they might lose you often ends up having the opposite impact.

I totally disagree with PPs - I think it's good practice to do a job application about once a year, just to keep your eye in. I think you should do it, especially as you want to look for new opportunities post mat leave. It's only an application ffs, not in the least bit a big deal, although clearly from this thread some people can be funny about it, so perhaps don't advertise it to your current employer.

I would apply. If you get an interview you can always decline and say your circumstances have changed. I think going for an interview for a job you have no intention of accepting is a waste of time.

I understand your logic and I would do it. In my industry it happens, although I can see why it would be unheard of in others.

I do a lot of senior recruitment and if you did this knowingly then I’d not be inclined to see you again. Our time isn’t there for you to use it for a test and learn exercise!

How far would you plan to take it? If you get to final round and you come across better that the other candidate, they may turn them down at the same time as making an offer. That could be someone left out of work, so you could see how far you can get...

A total waste of your time and more to the point taking the piss to potentially use up a limited interview slot when you have zero intention of taking the job.

If I was ‘recruiting’ you I would be really pissed off and it would put me off shortlisting you again.

I agree that if you pull out before interview it isn't so bad, but at that stage what useful feedback have you got? You'll know whether or not you get to interview - and if you don't I doubt they'll tell you why - but I'm not sure that really tells you that much about what will happen next time around, and I certainly don't think it's worth the hassle. For it to be an actually useful 'learning experience' for you I think you'd need the interview, but at that point you get properly into wasting people's time.

I work in recruitment and would be annoyed if someone wasted my time by applying for a job they had no intention of taking. We can only interview so many people and you'd be taking up a slot a genuine candidate could have taken.

Thanks for the advice MNers! The last thing I want to do is piss people off and have this all backfire. Glad I asked!