Job searches - vent

[Reynolds531]

So this is mostly a venting session. I've got very few people that I can do this with in real life.

Three years ago roughly I lost my job in finance. Took a construction job to pay bills and continue to "be in the workforce" last year. It's tough work, but a safe harbour while I try to find something in my rust belt city. Can't move, joint custody.

After ninety applications and a dozen interviews I had a REALLY good interview two weeks ago. Project management at a financial institution. Called back last week to meet the VP. She was all business, no chit chat. I was unshakable though another great interview, all green lights. They need three people asap. Now it's been a week of silence. Working my ass off in the heat I can feel this one slipping away. Just another good interview, with no offer for no good reason.

I'm whining, overanalyzing, don't have enough faith, feeling sorry for myself. I know. It's been a long road.

[Jesstache]

Don't be discouraged, though I know it's hard not to be.  My husband had an interview 5 weeks ago, the manager told him that their HR is slow moving and to let him know if he didn't hear anything in a week.  Sounded like an offer would be coming.  A week later, he hadn't heard anything so contacted them and their response was that they'd get back to him within a week.  Never heard anything so we wrote it off and moved on.  This past Monday was 5 weeks since his interview and it's been crickets.  YESTERDAY, they emailed him about setting up a phone call with their HR and today he received a written offer. 

[Lanthiriel]

Just another “it’s not over til it’s over” story. My husband had a couple of phone interviews around Thanksgiving two years ago after he’d been laid off and was looking for work. It took HR three weeks go check his references. Then they flew him out for an interview after Christmas. Then it was radio silence for two more weeks. He finally took another job that we were less excited about because we were almost two months into the hiring process. A week later they finally showed up with an offer and gave him $10k above the salary he had originally requested because he was prepared to continue with the other offer. It was too good to pass up so we had to cancel our lease on a new apartment and do all this other leg work. I was worried the company wouldn’t be great to work for, but it was just HR that was a mess.

[NextTime]

I was once offered a job 7 months after the interview.

I really, really hate interviews. I have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder) and can mostly keep it in check, but I'm never more nervous than when I'm in a job interview, and I'm sure it shows. 
That said, I've been given a job offer after what I thought was a terrible interview, and crickets after what I thought was a fantastic interview. Even when I've asked, it seems most people don't want to give you feedback on the interview.

What I've come to realize is that people are fickle. You never know what the particular interviewer is looking for. Many times I think it has nothing to do with your qualifications. Here's a true story. I once had an interview at a company for a position on a team with someone I knew from the MBA program. That contact gave the manager my resume and was on the interview panel with the manager and another associate.  This contact told me he and the other associate thought I nailed the interview and wanted me hired.  Instead, the manager (male) hired a mid-20's female with very little experience (for a mid to upper level analyst position) because she was more "bubbly." Guess I didn't stand a chance in that case.

[formerlydivorcedmom]

Kudos to you for prioritizing your child so highly.  I know parents who would move and leave the child behind.

Interviewing is awful.  It really is.  So little control in your hands, so much in the hands of people who likely make pretty arbitrary decisions.

You never know when you're going to meet that one person who has the perfect job for you, but I hope you find it soon.

[Linea_Norway]

I was once in the running for a job very close to home. After a while I heard they were hiring two, the other one (male) was going to be the leader. I would be number two. That was disappointing to start with. I still didn't get an offer. But a good time later I found out they weren't hiring two anyway, so I was kept on line for no reason.

Please keep looking other places.

[ice_beard]

I also received a call months after an interview for a position I was told I had not been selected for.  The reality is that quite often the people that companies want for specific positions don't accept their offers, so they work down the list.  This is basically what happened to me.  I didn't care that I was 2nd or 3rd choice, I just wanted an offer.

Is it possible one of your references has turned sour on you for some reason?  If you keep crushing interviews and are not getting any offers, especially after very positive interactions with those doing the hiring, then maybe something is amiss with your references??   Is your application complete and accurate?  Good luck, keep your chin up and try to be positive. 

[pecunia]

I commend you for not giving up.  You are making an honest living at construction.  That alone is enough to be respected.

If you keep pounding the pavement looking for something better and working for something better, it will come although almost certainly not in the way you expect.  It is simply a matter of probability.

[NextTime]

I was once in the running for a job very close to home. After a while I heard they were hiring two, the other one (male) was going to be the leader. I would be number two. That was disappointing to start with. I still didn't get an offer. But a good time later I found out they weren't hiring two anyway, so I was kept on line for no reason.

Please keep looking other places.

Yup. This is particularly commonplace, especially in government.  By law they have to advertise a position and interview people, even though the job has already been filled internally. All it does is waste peoples' time and get their hopes up.