Contacted for interview, but was told the job was taken two days later.

[SketchMaster]

I've been putting feelers out for a new job and got an email this Monday at 8AM from a manager for a job I applied for. She wanted to do a phone interview that day or Tuesday, but I didn't see the email until ~3:30PM Tuesday. I emailed her apologizing for not getting back to her sooner, and asking if we could talk later this week.

Just got an email back saying the position had been filled...

Whoa... wait, what? My phone number was on the resume, and she gave me less than 24hrs to get back to her via email!? At the least, isn't that's a bit unprofessional?

 

[cbrunny]

you dodged a bullet!

 

[GRIFFIN1]

I don't see anything unprofessional about it. Unprofessional is not checking your email for a whole day. I'm shocked they even bothered to send you an email letting you know the position had been filled.

 

[Tweak155]

I don't see anything unprofessional about it. Unprofessional is not checking your email for a whole day. I'm shocked they even bothered to send you an email letting you know the position had been filled.

Sounds about right.

 

[purbeast0]

they probably had been interviewing people for a while for the position and someone was further along the interview process who just finalized the position. it's not like companies interview 1 person at a time, and if they don't work out, they find 1 new person to interview. they interview multiple candidates constantly and when someone works out, they stop the interview process.

i don't see anything odd about this at all. you're not a special snowflake. you're a possible candidate in a pool of many possible candidates.

it's business as usual.

 

[akenbennu]

they probably had been interviewing people for a while for the position and someone was further along the interview process who just finalized the position. it's not like companies interview 1 person at a time, and if they don't work out, they find 1 new person to interview. they interview multiple candidates constantly and when someone works out, they stop the interview process.

i don't see anything odd about this at all. you're not a special snowflake. you're a possible candidate in a pool of many possible candidates.

it's business as usual.

This about covers it. Happens all the time.

 

[SketchMaster]

I guess I'm just used to how we handle interviews. We put out the Req, collect the applications, close the application window, review, contact, interview, then decide if anyone is a fit. If not, we open back up the req and see if we get new applications.

Oh well, c'est la vie.

 

[Matthiasa]

I think it's a little strange but only because they typically get a number of people at once then go through the process and not just start randomly. What was even stranger is they actually let you know the position was filled.

 

[waggy]

I don't see anything unprofessional about it. Unprofessional is not checking your email for a whole day. I'm shocked they even bothered to send you an email letting you know the position had been filled.

/this

nothing wrong with how they did it. in fact pretty normal.

 

[kranky]

I think it's very company- and hiring manager-specific. I've been asked to participate in screenings/interviews where they didn't talk to anyone for 6 weeks until they had all the resumes they wanted, interviewed all of them, cut down the pool for a second round of interviews, then made a decision.

And I've been in on ones where they started interviewing right away and hired someone before they even finished interviews that were already scheduled, like what happened to the OP.

 

[MixMasterTang]

I've been putting feelers out for a new job and got an email this Monday at 8AM from a manager for a job I applied for. She wanted to do a phone interview that day or Tuesday, but I didn't see the email until ~3:30PM Tuesday. I emailed her apologizing for not getting back to her sooner, and asking if we could talk later this week.

Just got an email back saying the position had been filled...

Whoa... wait, what? My phone number was on the resume, and she gave me less than 24hrs to get back to her via email!? At the least, isn't that's a bit unprofessional?

I think your math is off. You said you received the email at 8am Monday but didn't see it until 3:30pm on Tuesday and responded after that. That's at least 32.5 hours!

 

[zinfamous]

I don't see anything unprofessional about it. Unprofessional is not checking your email for a whole day. I'm shocked they even bothered to send you an email letting you know the position had been filled.

:thumbsup:

 

[OverVolt]

they probably had been interviewing people for a while for the position and someone was further along the interview process who just finalized the position. it's not like companies interview 1 person at a time, and if they don't work out, they find 1 new person to interview. they interview multiple candidates constantly and when someone works out, they stop the interview process.

i don't see anything odd about this at all. you're not a special snowflake. you're a possible candidate in a pool of many possible candidates.

it's business as usual.

Correct.

I don't see anything unprofessional about it. Unprofessional is not checking your email for a whole day. I'm shocked they even bothered to send you an email letting you know the position had been filled.

Incorrect. Enjoy your shit eating grin of a job.

 

[SP33Demon]

You are replaceable. And rather quickly, it seems.

 

[core2slow]

> Put out feelers for a new job

> Doesnt check email for correspondence

Not every company/firm/agency have time to wait around if it's a position that they're looking to fulfill immediately. Regardless if that person who got the job was less than ideal for the position, some "at-will" employment state will hire someone on the same day.

 

[Sonikku]

I've had times when a place I applied to months ago calls about an interview and they want you there within the hour. My mother tells me in the past they would most generally give you a certain day and time to pop in.

 

[slag]

I've had times when a place I applied to months ago calls about an interview and they want you there within the hour. My mother tells me in the past they would most generally give you a certain day and time to pop in.

Now that's extremely unprofessional and very unrealistic to expect someone to drop everything they are doing and show up within the hour. I wouldn't give that place the time of day.

Normal professional businesses will do like what the OP said. They have a certain number of days the job is open where they gather resumes. Then they place calls for people they want to interview and give a reasonable amount of time for a return call (48 to 72 hours) where they schedule a time for an interview, either on the phone or in person. Then they might schedule a follow up and eventually make a decision on who they want to hire.

I agree with the OP. Seems rather unprofessional and unrealistic that they didn't even give him 48 hours to reply and had already filled the job.

 

[kt]

Now that's extremely unprofessional and very unrealistic to expect someone to drop everything they are doing and show up within the hour. I wouldn't give that place the time of day.

Normal professional businesses will do like what the OP said. They have a certain number of days the job is open where they gather resumes. Then they place calls for people they want to interview and give a reasonable amount of time for a return call (48 to 72 hours) where they schedule a time for an interview, either on the phone or in person. Then they might schedule a follow up and eventually make a decision on who they want to hire.

I agree with the OP. Seems rather unprofessional and unrealistic that they didn't even give him 48 hours to reply and had already filled the job.

OP can take his time to respond, just don't expect to be waited on.

 

[Imp]

You are replaceable. And rather quickly, it seems.

Everyone is! If not by one person then maybe by a team of 5 that would cost the same as you in India, China, or maybe even Mexico.

 

[Matthiasa]

OP can take his time to respond, just don't expect to be waited on.

Given the timelines the person that got it was likely already done with the process before he was contacted...

 

[slag]

OP can take his time to respond, just don't expect to be waited on.

48 to 72 hours for a reply isn't being waited on. It's professional courtesy at worst. If a job is in such a hurry to fill a position within 24-48 hours anyway, they deserve to get what they will.

 

[Ns1]

48 to 72 hours for a reply isn't being waited on. It's professional courtesy at worst. If a job is in such a hurry to fill a position within 24-48 hours anyway, they deserve to get what they will.

Maybe they did a phone interview with the perfect candidate on Tues, offered, and rec'ed a response same day.

Happens at my work place all the time. YMMV.

 

[kt]

48 to 72 hours for a reply isn't being waited on. It's professional courtesy at worst. If a job is in such a hurry to fill a position within 24-48 hours anyway, they deserve to get what they will.

OP said the hiring manager asked to phone interview same day or the next day. OP didn't read the email until almost end of business next day. It would be a different story if the hiring manager didn't set any expectation, but he obviously did in his email to OP. Yes, you can say they deserve to get what they will but they also dodge the bullet on the OP who can't be bothered to check his emails for almost 2 entire days!

 

[kt]

Given the timelines the person that got it was likely already done with the process before he was contacted...

How do you know? Maybe the hiring manager sent the same email to several candidates on Monday and got candidates replying back for same day phone interview. Then scheduled an in-person interview the next day and got hired that same day. A lot of things can happen in 2 full business days.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The world may be ending, I agree with cbrunny, you dodged a bullet. Any company looking for Mr. Right Now instead of Mr/Ms Right, isn't worth working for.