Interview this week for a way up there senior role

[SupremeCommanderServalan]

So. After many years in a previous toxic workplace where I worked my arse off and became more and more stressed, I jumped ship this year and am in a new company in a role that is slightly more junior, with zero stress. But I am bored. Saw a role advertised recently, and reading the job ad, thought I might as well put in an application. For which I now have an interview next week.

Have been doing some prep for the interview today, and am only just realising just how senior the role is. I can only guess that I am being interviewed as an outlier to make up the numbers. I am already cringing at what the interview will be like.

Thoughts and prayers please.

Good luck OP

I hope it went well .

How was it??

How did it go?

It wasn't the complete car crash that I had anticipated. My presentation was fine and I gave competent answers to all the questions. I felt only one of the panel members warmed to me though.

They said I should hear Fri/Mon. Fingers crossed.

Well done, I refuse to do those sorts of presentations after 20 years ago missing out on a job at Virgin, where my sister was a junior in the team and the person who got the job was using my 100 day plan! Had my name on it still from the interview, I was going to pull them up on it but she was worried they would know it was her. They liked my plan enough to implement it, but not enough to give me the job, which went to an internal candidate.

that sucks @Doggymummar

Good luck!!!!!

Fingers crossed for you @SupremeCommanderServalan

Whatever happens, just know that if this one doesn't work out, there will be an even better one, out there for you.

Having interviewed nearly a week ago - I have yet to hear from them, which I think is pretty bad form. If I haven't heard back tomorrow I will email their HR dept.

Sigh. I think that means it's a no.

I had something similar where the other interviewee had a holiday booked so they ended up doing the second interview much later than mine. They told me that on the day though so it wasn't too frustrating.

I’d say either they are just taking longer to decide (well done- you’ve given them a tough decision!) or it means you are the reserve (also well done, given you thought it was a very long shot!)- they’ve offered it and the other person is umming and ahing, and they don’t want to turn you down yet as they don’t want to lose you as an excellent plan B!

So HR should definitely been keeps in touch but that timescale can be normal. Its easy to swiftly shut someone you have no intention down and they haven’t done this with you.

Agreed. Sometimes it takes us a week or longer to get together to discuss and decide. We'd prefer to decide much faster but if something major kicks of it can easily take that long to get senior people together

I recently did this for a internal role which I thought was higher than my capabilities but hey if you don't push yourself no one will! I did not get it and I got the information that some internal (fav) person of the boss got the job. But I got another role in the same team & I am excited for it (nervous too). It is not a step up but one can always take a longer step up once they are comfortable in the new team.

I didn't get it. I had to chase their HR to get a response - which was that I didn't have as much experience in x as the successful candidate. It was a minor part of the JD and there were no questions about x. But I saw last week they were advertising for their x person's role, so it was an internal promotion with me thrown in to make it look legit. Sigh.

Oh damn, sorry to hear that OP. How frustrating.

I am so sorry to hear! Sounds exactly like my experience. I also applied for an internal senior role & was even surprised I got an interview. But inside news told me that job was locked for someone else who was boss's favourite. So I got another role same scale as me.

I am currently working with that said person who literally took my job (I believe). But being here I must confess it was not as easy as it sounded on the paper. It is tricky and I am still learning.

It’s ok op - you have raised your profile and did well so it was so worth doing.

That sucks, I'm sorry. I've been in the same position and it really knocked me back for a while. But then I realised that was the direction I wanted to go in my career and I focused my energy on getting there. You may have been a "wild card" interviewee, but you've gained valuable experience in the process and can take that into any other interviews for roles elsewhere at the same level. And so you should.

Thanks all. I thought I would be really upset to not get it, but the way that they went about it left a bad taste in my mouth about the organisation. So that took the sting out of it for me.