The Job You Interviewed For Has Been Reposted. Now What?

Nancy Anderson
Posted by in Career Advice •


Checking for a reposted job is one way job seekers may attempt to alleviate post-interview obsessions. Such an action by a company may not necessarily mean your future employer feels negatively towards you. Although a job posting for the exact same position can be worrisome, it does not portend doom, nor does it mean the end of your job search.

Career Nook explains a company's lack of response after your interview means nothing is for certain. A reposted job does not indicate you are out of the running for a job. There are several reasons why a company puts the same job up for consideration again. Perhaps the job is for another department. The most likely answer is that the initial pool of candidates did not stand out enough to be effective and the HR manager wants to try again.

The applicant pool may have been too narrow for an equal-opportunity employer despite a large pool of candidates. The reposted job could indicate the initial haul was too small in general to ascertain the best person for the job. Perhaps upper-level executives simply want to wait for another round of candidates.

Other internal reasons may reflect the reposted job. Maybe someone took the position initially but then backed out. Perhaps the HR manager left in the middle of the hiring process and a new person came on board to vet potential candidates. It could be that the company you are interested in is contractually obligated to post the position again with a recruiting agency.

Keep in mind, going through another pool of candidates is time consuming for the employer. If you think this process is hard on job seekers, a reposted job can be equally as nightmarish for an HR manager who needs to budget for more staff time, more resources and more money to spend hiring for the exact same position as before.

In the meantime, brush up on your interview skills. The fact that you got an interview means you are more than qualified to do the job. During an interview, your passion for your job should come through to the HR manager and your future boss. Display genuine interest in your future employer. Do further research on the firm and get ready for a second interview, if need be. Practice in front of a mirror, your friends and family to master displaying positive emotions to your interviewers.

If you receive a polite "no" from the firm when you call to the human resources department, don't get discouraged. Other companies may have similar positions for you to apply. You simply haven't found the perfect job for you just yet.

The key to this is your attitude. Do not lose hope when you see a reposted job. If you haven't heard back yet, put in a polite inquiry and then keep looking in the meantime. You will get hired eventually.

 

Photo courtesy of photologue_np at Flickr.com


 
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  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Diane it certainly can be frustrating to be told that you are the best candidate only to receive the dreaded email. We have all been there - trust me. The issue today is all about the money. Companies can hire a young candidate for a fraction of what they feel you would command in salary. Make sure you are not pricing yourself out by requesting a salary that is larger than they are willing to pay. It doesn't make sense to most of us why companies would not want to hire someone that is already trained and ready to just jump in and start working instead of having to take months to train but there it is. Employers know, upfront, that they are not going to get a candidate with the whole package and that, even if they did, they are not going to pay what the person is worth. In many cases the qualifications listed are a dream list. Don't let it deter you. If you have the majority of the qualifications go ahead and apply. We wish you all the best.

  • Diane M.
    Diane M. •

    I keep reading on LinkedIn, that recruiters are bidding on the best young candidate for the position, when there are other candidates that have years of experience that are being overlooked. I believe it is the employers best interest is to hire someone that has the experience and to train the person on the areas that the person is lacking, such as knowing a software program the company uses. I would guarantee, that person would be an asset to the company, more than a person with no experience and considered the cream of the crop in that field. Because the person with the experience already has the background to do the job, the other person knows they could go anywhere to better themselves. Every job I have had, I always learned on the job the software programs the company was using. I always adjusted to the position and what was required of me. These days an employer wants a candidate with the whole package before walking in the door.

  • Diane M.
    Diane M. •

    I had an interview with a local company and by the phone interview prior to the face to face interview, the HR mentioned that I was the best candidate over all the others. Two hours after the interview, I received an email that I was not selected for the position. A week later I did see the same job position posted again.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    @Betty so sorry. It's hard to understand why states do this. Sooner or later things are going to turn around. The younger nurses don't have the experience and know-how as the more seasoned nurses. It will take a hospital being sued for neglect or something else before they realize that it's cheaper in the long run to pay for expertise than to try to get by on the cheap.

  • BETTY B.
    BETTY B. •

    I do not think it is fair to lie as so many companies have in regards to age. A well rounded working unit is based on experience, and the newer nurses ideas. I have run into age discrimination on so many levels, it's ridiculous. Even with the offer of returning to get more education, they want the cheapest. Our Indiana Nursing Association is doing nothing about the situation. They are not even trying to help my fellow nurses by making this a compact state. It was talked about then nothing has been heard in several years. They just want the money.

  • Nancy Anderson
    Nancy Anderson •

    I feel your pain as I, ,too, have been in your same situation. You have a great interview and think that the job is in the bag and then silence. Yes you have the right to call the company and find out why you did not get the job. More often than not you get the answer that although your credentials were impressive they hired someone else. Honestly they don't have to tell you WHY they did not hire you, either. The job world really has changed a lot since the financial crisis and I have no idea what it's going to take to change it back - or at least make it more human. But yes, if you can, put the HR to task. Ask why you didn't get the position. Ask what you need to improve upon. If you see the job re-posted, there is nothing that says you can't call and ask why. I am not saying that they will answer but it's worth a shot. It's going to take a real tragedy for companies to sit up and take notice that they need to hire experienced workers - or at least have a mix of experienced and non-experienced workers. After all it's our experience that teaches the new workers.

  • Cindy B.
    Cindy B. •

    I have so many interviews like the one you are discribing that I have lost. What makes me mad is that every time that they tell me they will get back to me I can tell by the look on their face that all they are lying to me and that all they want to do is get read of me so that they can go back to doing something other then interview me. I have even had some one once tell me "You don't need a job do you". I am really getting tired of going to interviews with people who openly act and some times have told me that they would rather be doing anything, but interview me.

  • Jocelyn F.
    Jocelyn F. •

    I have had six interviews in the past 30 days. One was for two locations at one company. The phone interview was great and so was the face to face. The hiring manager said he woulds call me one way or the other. I have still not heard from him, even though I called and let a message. It has now been 20 days and I recently saw the position and location reposted.

  • Deldric D.
    Deldric D. •

    I applied for an IT position at the University of Alabama back last year in July. I was one of the ones selected for an interview. I had all the credentials that were required for the position. I felt i did great on the interview also and from the vibe i received from the interviewees, i felt i was a good fit. Upon leaving the interview, i asked what's the next step in the interviewing process. Their response was, "We'll contact your references within a week and you should hear back from us." Well, i waited two weeks and never heard anything back. Also, i checked with my references and none of them said they received a call. I then reached back out to UA Human Resource department through email and phone and i never received a call back or email as to why none of my references were contacted. I was highly disappointed! I tried one more time to reach the hiring committee and no, i mean no one responded. A few weeks later, i get an automated message saying the usual, "Thanks for your interest, but we are declining your application for employment." I don't know what else to do when you know you are qualified. I even applied for several more there but didn't receive an interview for them.. :-(

  • Engbert W.
    Engbert W. •

    I'm wondering: I recently applied for a rather unique (French translator) job that I had really set my heart on. After an online interview and a translation test that I thought went quite well, I just received n email stating, "We appreciate the time you spent applying with us; however, we will not be proceeding with your application at this time." and the company has re-posted the job. Would there be anything wrong with trying to find out the reason for their employment decision, and if not, how should I go about it?

  • Garry H.
    Garry H. •

    I am told that they are feeder sites that do not take down the order.The message here is don't dispair.

  • Garry H.
    Garry H. •

    Staying positive and keeping your efforts turned towards networking and preparation work are very helpful as well. Something I found as troubling is some of these reposting are not actually reposted.

  • Garry H.
    Garry H. •

    Very good comments about legislation with regards to Equal Opportunity Employment and other factors.

  • Ayodola Olomola
    Ayodola Olomola •

    That's nice. Noted

  • Niranjan Wijesinghe
    Niranjan Wijesinghe •

    That is nice

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