Terrible Experience

[aliogilvie]

Hey all

 

Well I should have known that all was going too well a few weeks into our arrival in Adelaide....

 

I am beginning to wonder if I am going mad due to the situation I found myself, quite unexpectedly, in today - I would appreciate a steer on this in case there is some big, Australian cultural etiquette I have missed or something....here is what happened.

 

A couple of weeks ago I did a skype interview for a post with a major University, all seemed to go well and they asked me back for an "informal second interview" which was last Tuesday. This second interview was just me and the direct line manager of the post (Director of department) and was in a coffee shop.

 

I pride myself on being a pretty good reader of people (I have to be in my field) and felt that we clicked and got on really well, like a house on fire in fact, conversation flowed, he shared the plans for the role and his hopes and expectations, we discussed strategies and it felt like a done deal. This was reinforced by me thanking him for the opportunity to meet in person and him responding that he never makes an offer without meeting people face to face, asking me when I could start and settling on a mutually agreeable date at the end of the month and at the end him stating that he just had to get the paperwork signed off before going on holiday but to expect something in the post. It could not have gone better.

 

Needless to say I was expecting to have the offer confirmed in writing when today I got an automated (not even personal) email from the University saying that on this occasion my application will not be progressing any further. I was so confused I wondered whether this was an error and called the Director's PA - he is now on 2 weeks holiday - and she said initially that someone else had been offered the post but then two minutes later when I said I had been under the impression I was the only candidate invited back for a second interview she said "yes, you were the only one he met face to face". Confused?!

 

I have asked for some specific feedback and will apparently get that tomorrow from an assistant director. I cannot wait to hear what on earth went wrong and feel utterly like I have had the wind knocked out of my sails. I feel truly led down the garden path. The most annoying thing is that another post I had gone for came back last week and said although I didn't get that post they thought I was very suited to a different post and invited me to apply - I did not do so as it was after the "offer" and that post closed on Friday.

 

Back to the drawing board and square one I guess. Utterly demoralised by this whole thing!

[ken&wendy]

How dreadful for you. I don't really know what to say to that - seems like they offered you the job!

 

With regards to the other position - phone them back and ask if you can submit a late application - it might not be too late yet.

[Diane]

I am so sorry to hear that - it won't make you feel any better but something very similar happened to my OH a few years ago: he even had a visit back to the UK for his mum's 80th birthday, and cut that short to come back for a prospective start... waited and waited and finally got a very brief impersonal, unprofessional email saying basically "thanks but no thanks"! It was pretty gutting so I know how you must be feeling. Some HR departments here need a serious amount of education. Also in work terms, there have been times when my boss has met with people, given them lots of advice and help, been pretty much given to understand she would get the contract, then we get a standard "someone else got it" letter. It happens, you have to put it down to experience, know the perpetrators will get their just reward at some stage, and move on. Good luck for the future, you will find something bigger and better and it is their loss that they didn't recognise quality when they saw it.

[erobertson]

You poor thing, it's wrong to raise peoples expectations and unprofessional too! I have had similar experiences looking for work, it's horrendous! My first interview went really well and they said I was what they were expecting from having read my CV and I got on really well with them, good rapport etc. Then nothing. I even chased them for an answer and still nothing. Utterly rude in my opinion.

 

An agency set me up a second 'informal' interview where they more or less told me I had the job, then it all turned out they never even had a budget approved to recruit - so that went by the wayside!

 

My third interview also went really well and he showed me all around the office and gave me an overview of the work they had on and after the 'interview part' the guy was Googling what kind of dog I have and showing me pictures of his (bit random but there ya go!) and he went back to the agency and said I was over qualified (maybe he didnt like my dog, who knows!)

Arghhhhh - very frustrating!!

 

Good luck with your continued job hunt - you'll find something

[aliogilvie]

Thanks folks, your responses have been reassuring - I guess I need to get back out there and consider it a lesson learnt!

[scooterdan]

Should be great full you got a 'no letter'..... Must ppl don't seem to get that far!

[Jessica Berry]

You are not alone in your experience, a lot of us have been there, done that and got the t-shirt! I could sit here and type all day giving you examples of Adelaide recruitment and selection 'practices' and quirks, but I must get on with some work! I know it can be hard not to take it personally, but often it is nothing to do with you, it is just the way things are.

 

This is one of the reasons I cover this on my workshop because once you understand how things 'work' it will help you in the long run. As I say to people, until an offer is signed, sealed and delivered take nothing as gospel.

[Mr Technical]

I got my first job in Adelaide via a text message from the boss offering me the job! Luckily it worked out ok.

[Guest Flo]

well, my job came with the offer of an offer.... so literally I had half a week to decide whether I want them to make me an offer or to invite me to another round of interviews....

 

the reason they did this was that none of the interviews had happened in Adelaide yet and the offer came with a short deadline (two weeks or so) while the further round would have given me a visit and much more time to decide about

[Jessica Berry]

Posters might find the thread below on PomsInOz interesting....

 

http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/jobs-careers/180836-interview-bhp-any-tips.html