Didn't even get interview

[lalalonglegs]

So I went for my dream job in a really good organisation for which I have tonnes of experience and I wrote a really enthusiastic application. Just heard I'm not even going to get an interview - am I being weird to be so upset? What can I do better next time (I praised the area I would be working in for the product they put out, outlined in detail all my relevant experience etc). Where did I go wrong? HR dept say they cannot give feedback.

Sorry to hear this, how disappointing for you, and it's understandable that you're upset. Obviously very difficult to say what went wrong cos haven't seen your application form. One acid test is the "so what" question: you outlined your relevant experience - so what? Did you spell out how your skills match what they need? Did you provide evidence of your skills? - "I'm an outstanding sales person" - how do they know - because "I inroduced a new approach which resulted in x% increase in sales." etc etc. Have a look back through your application form and see if this sheds any light. Get someone else to have a look through it with you. Be super critical BUT don't let it get you down. Learn from it for next time. It could be that they already had someone in mind for the job but had to go through the process. Or that they had so many applications that they couldn't do a thorough job. Good luck!

they were not worthy of you. move on. forget it.

agree that most jobs are actually filled by internal candidates and advertised purely for legal reasons

I think that's a weeny bit simplistic wheelsotb..

Lala without seeing your application and knowing about the job can't really advise on what you can do better, or where you may have gone wrong.

As far as the feedback goes, it's a shame they can't give you any. It may be that they had loads of applications and can only give feedback to those who were interviewed.

Did you actually ring and ask for feedback or was it just written somewhere that they couldn't? You could try giving them a ring and hope you get someone helpful and sympathetic, just say you were really really keen and are disappointed not to be shortlisted but you would really like to know where your application let you down so you can improve it in future, is there any way they could take a quick look and give you any tips.

Might be worth a try. If not move on to the next one, keep your enthusiasm and come on here for application tips if you find something else you want to try for!

Message withdrawn

I'm sure they will give you feedback if you make pointed enquiries about sex discrimination at selection stage. Even if you have no proof that they simply weeded out all the CVs from women with apparent career breaks/of child-bearing age, I'd ask.

That's happened to me lots of times - and I get fed up/upset too because I know I'm good at what I do!

It might be worth a call back to them asking if you could have a chat with whoever shortlisted, but it's probably not worth it - just keep an eye out for other jobs - they'll be out there and the right one will come up for you.

Please don't make 'pointed enquiries about sex discrimination'.

If you speak to them, show your enthusiasm and desire to learn and do better next time, you may get some useful information, you may get yourself remembered for next time a job comes up.

If you launch in talking about sex discrimination just because you didn't get an interview for a job you won't do yourself any favours I'm afraid.

No, not about sex discrimination, flowerybeanbag, I worded that poorly.
If I was really confident I matched the person spec and JD I was sent, though, I would ask on what basis I wasn't shortlisted.

I work in a public sector organisation where we shortlist very carefully matching to JD and person spec and are able and willing to show this if asked by an unsuccessful candidate. We also give feedback on the application in general, if requested.

Second Marina's comments re job description and personal spec - I've found that to make it easy for interviewer/shortlister, a fairly mechanistic approach to job application form where you go through one by one what they want and how you already have the ability/experience has been successful in getting me interviews (and finally a job!).

Don't bother with too much waffle about why you love the job/organisation/product - they know that from the fact that you've bothered applying for the job. Save that for the interview, in response to specific questions (and to show them that you know what the company does/have done your research)

Good luck!

There will be another job along you can apply for but in the meantime it is worth an email/phone call asking for some informal feedback. You can also empathise that it's because you are keen to work for them if another opportunity comes up so you want to hone your application.

Don't be disappointed if you dont' hear though - lots of places simply don't have time to do feedback at the application form stage.

Oh they were probably filling the position internally or something, don't stress about it. Or they wanted someone without too much experience so they could mold them in their likeness, there are loads of reasons why you may have been overlooked.

I think everyone's agreed that there's nothing wrong with lala asking for feedback on why she wasn't shortlisted. Marina your applicants are fortunate if they are always able to get feedback on why they weren't shortlisted and on their application in genera. Not every HR dept has the luxury of being able to offer that - especially when there may be hundreds of applications as I said. Obviously don't know the situation with lala's job, which is why it may be worth her while pushing it slightly.

I apologise if I misunderstood the pointed enquiries about sex discrimination remark.

I really don't think there was sex discrimination at play this time round - it was a job share and the organisation is very right on.

Yes, I did praise the organisation because I wanted them to know how keen I was to work for them specifically but I also balanced that, I feel, with plenty of examples of how my previous experience would qualify me for the job.

Thanks so much for all your comments - I will call the company to see if I can get any feedback but have decided it is healthiest for me to take the view that they allocated someone internally.

as my mum always says, if they don't want you - you don't want them.

flowerybeanbag - our HR department always expects us to provide the "narrative" feedback on why a candidate failed to be shortlisted , they just provide the mechanistic "matching" data!
I never mind doing it tbh. But we don't tend to get 100s of applications for posts, so easy for me to say. And, as a WOHM, I come pre-programmed with an inclination not to sift out other WOHPs/returners etc
Good luck with your job-hunting lalalonglegs

Please bear in mind that the application process might not be being handled by the HR department - it may be being handled by the person you will be working for. I handle my own recruitment(because we have centralised and tiny HR dept) and often get flooded with application forms. I get them in, have my list of criteria and then select for the interview the few people who tick the most boxes. Since I am also doing my actual job in addition to all of this I do not have time to give feedback to people who don't make it to interview process - in fact to be honest it is hard to find the time to offer feedback to those who do (though I do try!). I do at least make sure that our HR dept. writes to every applicant to tell them they have been unsuccessful but it is just a standard letter. I used to hate it when I applied for a job and never heard a thing back at all.
Lala - sorry that you were unsuccessful, but hopefully you will be successful elsewhere.

Marina managers like you who are happy to give feedback are a joy to work with!

I have spent many a happy hour harassing managers for feedback for unsuccessful candidates, it is a thankless task!

I get a lot of help from HR so expect it to be a two-way street!

I wish I had your HR dept., Marina, I get f* all help

lala, do you think the job had lots of applicants? You say it is for a really good organisation.

I think you could at least ask the organisation how many applicants they had and (possibly) how many were shortlisted. Just some rough figures. I do think it worth pressing for more feedback. You could ask this as part of a general question on future recruitment - ie is the organisation likely to be taking on more staff soon?

I am applying for jobs in Devon as and when the come up (not many in my field of work). They are public sector jobs, so I have always got feedback of sorts. Sometimes I have to make more than one phone call to get this. I have had some interviews and some knock backs.

One experience with a large Devon organisation left me feeling really gutted! I felt the job had beem made for me - my experience was such a close match to their person specification. They were asking for a very specific set of skills and expereience that I just happened to have. I methodically answered every point on the application form.

But my application fell at the first hurdle - it didn't even get to go to the selection panel. HR told me I was a strong candidate, in their opinion, but they couldn't pass on my application form to be considered for short listing.

The reason? On my four page answer to the person spec, I had missed out a space between two paragraphs (a formatting problem that didn't show up on my own computer) and also, spelt 'Exeter' as 'Exert' due to a too hasty spell check.

So be warned - and it might be worth asking HR if they automatically bin applications with any spelling mistakes.

I imagine there were sackloads of applications but, having spoken to a friend of a friend who works for the company, he has said that the job had already been pretty much allocated to an internal candidate and HR were just going through motions of advertising it. So frustrating - it takes ages to fill in those wretched forms. I have worked for a company that never, EVER recruited externally and that did seem very unfair but seems even worse to invite applications and then routinely bin them - at least, this is what I am told by the fof. Am too old and penniless to do work experience for them as a way of getting foot in door but don't know if I will be tempted to apply again when seems such collossal waste of everyone's time.

Incidentally, HR have refused to give me any feedback on my application, how it stood up against others etc. Just repeat that there were too many candidates .

just as i thought. it's ludicrous and totally unfair to encourage external applicants when the job is pretty much sewn up from the inside.

lalalonglegs
If it's any comfort, EXACTLY the same thing has just happened to me (dream job, jobshare, loads of relevant experience etc etc).
It's a bummer, isn't it?