Job went to another internal candidate, how to move on.

[finfitrulesok]

I was the better candidate. The other person has been unreliable. I have more experience, more qualifications, and have a lot more proof of what I have invested and achieved. I am baffled that they chose the other person. I don't want to go back in and face it all. This is such a huge set back and I am gutted at all the time and energy I invested in making sure I was ready for this role. No career progression for me now. Unsure what to do.

I had this, I was the better candidate in every respect except she did a better interview than me. I will admit I told my manager not to put me on shift with her as I wouldn’t let her hide in the office when emergencies happened. Petty I know, but given history it felt justified.

two months later I applied for and got a job jumping a band completely which I absolutely loved.

It's very frustrating and disappointing OP.
Really the only decision you can make is are you able to continue or not. If this is too much to stay, then you'll have to start looking.

The problem here, OP, is that when you apply for a role, you don’t get to decide who the best candidate is. The interviewing decision maker does. That is the reality of how the workplace operates.

Hold your head high, stay professional, congratulate the successful candidate and start looking for another job.

Good point.

Not very helpful advice. Stay professional, request a feedback meeting and apply for other roles. It’s perfectly normal to reflect on your experience and redraw boundaries but tbh things like the NPQ and mentoring other teachers are great for your cv and will help you get your next role so don’t cut off your nose to spite your face.

History, CV and experience gets you shortlisted for interview for the interview itself it’s about performance on the day, particularly if it’s an interview that’s scored against questions/tasks.

Yes, maybe. But as it is an internal post, still a massive kick in the teeth. I have also been on the panel at this workplace, and it didn't work like that. We took the letter, task and interview all into consideration and chose the best candidate, not just the best answers. So that would be inconsistent.

This has happened to me. I lived and breathed the job, took on loads of extras, went above and beyond. Really good worker, mentored staff etc etc. Promotions went to younger staff with barely a year of experience (I had a few more years). I saw a pattern in who they promote: young people with no dependents who are moldable.
Each time I was knocked back a bit of the genuine love i had for the job died inside. I can see why they would think I'd never leave, the job is known to be great for mums. But I will be leaving. I no longer want to be part of management,. If that is their values, they aren't the same as mine. And I'm no longer doing the things that I was told would be great to highlight in an interview. None of those new managers have done anything apart from the basic job.

And that's what I've done as I've burnt out. And man have they panicked. NOT MY PROBLEM.
Put yourself first op. These people do not appreciate your talents.

You're too useful doing all those extras, they can't face you no longer doing them if you got a promotion. Give them up and explain you need to concentrate on self development to progress your career. And then spend that time getting a new job, with better prospects. You can still mention all those wonderful extra things you did for the school in applications and interviews. I'm sure another school will be delighted to have such a committed and experienced teacher.

It seems a bit crap OP but now you know where you stand. Remain professional, don't go the extra mile anymore and look for another job. This promotion wasn't meant to be, a better fit will turn up. Good luck with it all.

I’m so sorry OP. I’ve been in your position and I’ve been the preferred candidate and had to work alongside the disappointed one. Neither was great.

You say there’s no career progression for you but you never know what opportunities will present themselves. It’s gutting at the moment and the injustice stings but it will pass. Feedback might give you closure although IME it’s usually an exercise in arse covering by the interview panel.

Onwards and upwards …

I read somewhere that most people who are overlooked for promotion end up leaving as soon as they can.
I recently withdrew from an amazing opportunity due to bullying and am actively applying elsewhere.

My DH has had similar recently (not a teacher). Promotion went to someone else, with a lot less experience. She’s now struggling and forever asking for his help (then taking the credit..!). We just assume his face didn’t fit - he’s older, male in a female heavy team. He’s looking elsewhere now as the staff change was handled miserably and he doesn’t want to work somewhere where his efforts aren’t seen. He’s been a right miserable bugger at home (understandably), so I can’t wait!

I’ve been in your situation a few times OP! I work for a civil service dept with different sites within commuting distance (for me, my limit is an hour by car). I’ve been able to get two permanent promotions (as opposed to temp ones which are common in my sector) by moving site. Consider moving to a different school for promotion. Make sure you get feedback though.

Why would you do that? Extremely unprofessional

@andherewegoagainonmyown - because she’s done being professional! That’s all it sounds like she has ever been and look where it’s got her. Time to look after number one, nothing unprofessional about that!

I’m on the other side of this where I’ve applied for an internal promotion but I’m the less experienced candidate.. I do expect the job to go to my colleague, but equally I’ll do my best at interview and we’ll see what happens. We do have different styles and different ambitions within the company and I think it can be those things that make the difference.
I think all you can do is hold your head up, be professional, but start looking for jobs elsewhere, as it can be easier I think to move upwards as an external candidate.

Not teaching but this happened to me once. The “preferred candidate” was someone much more junior that myself. In fact, I had previously interviewed him when he was a new graduate. I was highly experienced in our field. I had suitable and specific post grad qualifications that had me way high and above any other candidates that had applied.

and yet… not successful. Very upsetting, hurtful, knocked my confidence. Just awful. At the time, ( and I still feel this) my profession was very female heavy, and this was a male and I think they were wanting to even out the numbers a bit.
However the feedback was that our CVs/experience/application forms only went as far as securing an interview. The preferred candidate would be selected on interview performance only. ( NHS role )
as it was, a similar position opened up about three weeks later within the same organisation. As my application was still open, I was contacted and asked if I wanted the job. It meant a bit of a longer commute. But I absolutely love it, and I am
doing a good job.

I now work closely with the original preferred candidate, as equal colleagues, and I really respect him. He does a good job, is popular, fair and hard working. We both have our place in the team and the wider organisation. Whilst it really hurt at the time, life sometimes has a way of working out.

If looking after number one means she needs to move jobs, she’ll still need professional references from her current place of work. She should rise above the nonsense, “smile and wave” and find a better job without taking sick leave which will have a detrimental effect on her pupils and other hard working colleagues.
I do agree with other posters though that she should be doing her job only and not aiding the preferred candidate in any way.

I don't intend to prop up the department any more. There are other opportunuties available, but I can't put myself through any more interviews. I need to take a huge step back, I think.

Not getting any job is an absolutely horrible feeling, but so much worse internally as you have to face them all and keep going in. Years ago now but I can still remember how dreadful it feels. It's happened to me twice, and both times I left for much better roles elsewhere within a few months. It can be a signal that it's time to move on. I felt particularly humiliated about one of them, but they actually contacted me later and begged me to come back, as the preferred candidate had made a predictably awful mess of things. My advice is to stay calm and professional but (harder for teachers I know) start making plans to move on when you're ready to face it.

Of course it's about being the better candidate. The word 'better' is pretty clear. The OP says this other candidate isn't just less good on paper, they have also been unreliable.

Sympathies, OP. Maybe the SLT have some ulterior motive for choosing the other candidate. Maybe they are just crap at recruitment.

Edit: quoted the reply rather than the original post. Can't seem to edit that!

I know how it feels, it’s gutting. But it’s been made. Best to do is start thinking of a move. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how good u are they know who is getting the job. It’s agony the hours we put in preparing and cramming and it goes to someone that everyone else is totally shocked about too. It really sucks. But the best thing to do is get on. Suck it up and look for someplace who will appreciate you. Some workplaces don’t like proactive chargers who will make the current management have to actually do things, or might expose management for what they are. This is the case with my work and I hate it but I will never progress there as I am too mouthy. Too proactive, too reactive. So I’m told anyways. It’s shite, but good for you for giving it a go.

I think the best thing to is not overthink it. Recruiting decisions are not always right or fair. Lots of good candidates are unfairly overlooked.

One of my previous workplaces had two long-standing experienced members of staff go after a promotion. Both would have been excellent in different ways but the role went to an external candidate. She turned out to be useless and left after a year. One of the two existing employees left within the year as well.

Focus on yourself and what you want going forward. Something better will come up.