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Thanks but no thanks

Jay.T

Jay.T

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So new year i quit my job, very physical and left me with a long term injury, since then i've had a scan and seen a specialist and made a reasonable recovery although a career in the UFC is now off the table.

It's been 5+ years since i've had to apply for a job, i've been semi selective on my choices on roles i'd like to do rather than have to.
From a dozen applications i've had two interviews which i felt went well, the first was 6-7 weeks ago, the 2nd 3 weeks ago.
So i sit patiently awaiting a response, but nothing. nadda. diddly.

Now some sites advise you to email/phone for an update, but both of these roles they wanted someone yesterday, so my assumption in that the position is closed.
There is alot of careers info online which refers to this as ghosting
  • Employer Ghosting: Over half (56%) of UK hiring managers admit to ghosting unsuccessful candidates, often due to high volume, lack of time, or fear of delivering bad news.
I have no issue if they have found a better applicant and a simple email to say Position closed, would allow you to move on rather than living in hope.
One of these jobs was at a local store where i could have potentially spent thousands, i'd just feel awkward going in there now so guess i'll find somewhere else to spent my money.

I'd put money aside for a rainy day which has kept a roof over our heads, but mentally it's becoming a grind.
I appreciate there are folks dealing with their own struggles, sams corner often leaves me in tears.
Sorry for the rant , but this seems to be the section for it.
Thanks for reading.
 
One of the reasons employers do not notify unsuccessful applicants is cost. Picture this scenario. 50 people apply for a job, one of them is successful. To let the other 49 know the result of their application it would cost 49 letters, 49 envelopes, 49 2nd class stamps or the time it takes an employee to send out 49 emails when they could be more gainfully employed.
I am not saying that ghosting is right just giving a different perspective as to why it sometimes happens.
 
Some places will tell you if you are unsuccessful and others wont and it may be due to a number of reasons .

High number of applicants , though they could have an automated system's to reply to those who were unsuccessful if they supplied an Email address . That may then require some one to add them all to the system though .

Some will do it due to legal reasons . Fear of being taken to court because the person did not get the job and wants to know why and not telling them may lead you to being accused of discrimination .

Avoiding conflict . If you are told you are unsuccessful , you might start telling them they are wrong and cause trouble for them . Some people do this .

We had a guy come for an interview at the engine recon place who was deemed unsuitable and my boss called him to tell him but got his answering machine . He called my boss to tell him he was wrong and my boss had to put the phone down as he would not accept it and kept telling him he was wrong .
He called another two times and the phone was put down . My boss then started telling people if they had not hears back in two weeks they were to take it as they were unsuccessful .

ACAS has this about giving feedback .

Being rejected or told not to apply - Rejected job applications - Acas

What to do if you're told you cannot apply for a job, or are rejected for it (for example, after a job interview).
www.acas.org.uk www.acas.org.uk
 
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During my time as an employer, unsuccessful job applicants were always told as soon as possible.
It seems it was a lot simpler in those days. . If someone didn't get the job, they moved on to find another employer. . They certainly didn't come back (backed up by ACAS, etc.) insisting on the reasons why they didn't get the job, or argue the toss about it, with the possible ramifications of finding excuses to take an employer to court, etc., etc..

Strewth, I am not sure I would want to run a business nowadays. It's hard enough keeping a business afloat without specialist organisations trying to screw you for not employing someone. Homer face palm
 
Working in Development I’ve had a typically roller coaster career with the highs & lows the Property Industry goes through cyclically so, I know your pain on the job search front. Over the years I have submitted dozens of suitably qualified applications without ever getting a reply let alone an interview.
Recruitment companies are even worse if you have to deal with them and, as another member said;- it’s just plain bad manners.
You’ve got to keep your self belief in tact and keep plugging away until something eventually breaks.
Good luck mate !
 
I was a manager in the NHS.

Due to Covid and other issues we had a heavy demand for engineers. Finding the right people was a nightmare with lots of people lying about skillset and experience.

I the NHS the job application system is automated so every unsuccessful applicant gets notified.

We only had one person ever get stroppy about being unsuccessful and we had to ve quite brutal about telling him why he was unsuccessful. Having had that conversation with his solicitor and himself, the solicitor told him to drop the matter.
 
There are definitely jobs out there, one of the hardest things I had to do as a manager was recruit and retain good staff, I could get two hundred applications, half were just not suitable, some were just applying for the sake of their dole money, and some could not string a sentence together. So don't give up, the days of being able to personally reply to every candidate are long gone, even the big companies struggle to do this, although, I must confess, anyone I ever interviewed always got a reply, it's just manners, regardless of the number of applicants.
 
Engin said:
I was a manager in the NHS.

Due to Covid and other issues we had a heavy demand for engineers. Finding the right people was a nightmare with lots of people lying about skillset and experience.

I the NHS the job application system is automated so every unsuccessful applicant gets notified.

We only had one person ever get stroppy about being unsuccessful and we had to ve quite brutal about telling him why he was unsuccessful. Having had that conversation with his solicitor and himself, the solicitor told him to drop the matter.
Click to expand...

I've had this, the very fact they kick off about not being selected means you make the right call ;)
 
My Wife was out of work for 5 months after being made redundant. She applied for tons of jobs. Had quite a few interviews, but very few actually got back to her. I put it down to poor management, and she was better off not working for a company that behaves like that.

Eventually she landed a great job. Has been there nearly a year now and loves it. Very busy but she has a great boss and is well appreciated.

Dont give up. Your skills will always be transferable and your life skills are worth a lot. You shall land a good role.

All the best.
 
I can remember back to the last recession 2008ish? Just moved to Manchester, scratching around for welding work. Literally hundreds of applications for all sorts of jobs, nearly all went without any reply. It's soul destroying. I ended up stacking shelves at night in Sainsbury. BEST JOB EVER!! Great crack with workmates, felt like there was zero responsibility, and 10% off the shopping! Ide never have considered it at one point, but so glad I did. Don't give up J
 
There is a lot to be said for trying a job not in your field as above, obviously it's different with high paid specialist jobs, but so many people get focused on what they are used to doing rather than what they could do? Even money can be a distortion, if you work in the city, pay for parking, have extra rent, and you local pubs £7 a pint, then you have to ask - is the extra £5/10k a year worth it? Or could you do something lesser on your door step with little drop in lifestyle?

I remember two companies I used to work for literally begging me to work for them in London, at the time they were offering an extra £10k - which was about a 30% wage increase back then - more like £20/25k increase now. When I looked into the costs of it I turned them down, I reckoned they would have to probably double my wage to make it similar to my existing lifestyle, and even then - I didn't want to work in a city Shrug tt

So think laterally, I feel despair when I hear university graduates saying they have applied for 200 jobs and not even had an interview - and in the real world they have an easy degree not worth the paper it's written on, or because they are applying for jobs they are simply not qualified for, and have a distorted vision of their value in the work place Shrug ttThe phrase "I'm not working for that" is a modern day plague :oops: It's far better to be in a job looking for another rather than holding out for your dream job which is a very long shot.

My analogy is just look at the number of people in acting, professional sports, singing etc............... people do make it in these fields, but 99% don't, and I think a lot of people get tied up in this - to a lesser extent in their own fields if that makes sense, and in overreaching they miss the opportunity to get the job which would elevate them to a better chance in the future?

None of this is to disparage the Ops situation, which I'm not totally familiar with, far from it, it's just my observation of real life which I feel prompts the potential to not always follow what your thought you should, and thinking like this can open doors :unsure:
 
About 20 years ago (I would have been about 50), after many, many job applications sent with hardly any responses I tried something new.
After the interview and as you now had the name of the person that interviewed you, the following day I would write this person a letter of thanks informing them that you had appreciated the opportunity of the interview and their time. The plan was to keep my head above the parapet and give myself a slightly better chance of getting a second interview.
One company that I sent a letter of thanks to did invite me back for a second interview and at this second interview I was told that this was their method of short-listing the candidates. This was a position that required very good social skills as it was for a major company supplying food and beverage to large hotel groups.
I didn't get the job but at least I got a second chance at it.
 
I remember back in the '80s when jobs were scarce and any advertised could get 200 applicants or more. Knowing someone in personnel I was told that half went straight in the bin unopened and they selected for interviews from the rest. They only replied to those interviewed that were unsuccessful, simply because of the impossible drain on resources. So nothing has changed.

I remember going up to Durham for an interview, which involved a return train ticket and a lunch. After the interview I asked where to go for my expenses? Two shocked faces, but I did leave with them and obviously didn't get the job.
 
It is tough out there at the moment. Gone are the days when someone would accept a neatly presented basic CV then call you in for an informal chat, shake your hand and look you in the eye then, make a decision based on how you presented and carried yourself during that interview.
People seem to be very careful about how they reject an application now when you have issues like mine 🤷
..... That's ok though - I'm still fit and physically capable. My experience is worthwhile to any employer that I'm willing to work for and, I know that I can produce good references. It's just taking a while to find a firm that is happy to take a chance on me. Until that happens, I'll just keep pushing on.

There's a right sized hole for every peg mate - Don't give up 👊 🙂👍
 
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Rudolph Hucker said:
It is tough out there at the moment. Gone are the days when someone would accept a neatly presented basic CV then call you in for an informal chat, shake your hand and look you in the eye then, make a decision based on how you presented and carried yourself during that interview.
People seem to be very careful about how they reject an application now when you have issues like mine 🤷
..... That's ok though - I'm still fit and physically capable. My experience is worthwhile to any employer that I'm willing to work for and, I know that I can produce good references. It's just taking a while to find a firm that is happy to take a chance on me. Until that happens, I'll just keep pushing on.

There's a right sized hole for every peg mate - Don't give up 👊 🙂👍
Click to expand...
A lot of job applications going into large organisations don't even get a human eye cast over them - the online application just gets scanned by a computer program looking for key words and either makes the cut or gets binned with no further contact.
 
IMG_7017.webp
After 23yrs+ in structural steel draughting, 10 in social care - I really pushed for an agency position as a binman (took on contract within 3months) I’m practically a professional athlete; they pay me to run/jog around 12miles a day, finish early and have a great craic with the lads - real man’s work.
I hate running - but if they’re paying - bring it on, rain or shine!
I could never go back to an ‘inside’ job, let alone an office job.
Oddly enough, it’s a really fulfilling experience too.
I guess what I’m trying to say is don’t confine your job search to the familiar.
 
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