Am I just over-sensitive?

LegacyUser

Hello everyone, just wondering if I am just super-sensitive or if I work with a pack of g0bsh!tes.

I'm being made redundant next month. Lots of people have been let go in the last year. I went for an interview for a p/t job last month. I didn't get it and thought no more of it till today. A colleague said to me 'do you know who got that job you went for?' Of course I say no. Reply: 'It was xxxxxx' (xxxxxx being a previous colleague). They happened to be in the office today passing by and mentioned it to someone. It obviously became office gossip.

I was shocked - I didnt need to know this. I am not friends with the other person and it's rotten enough getting rejection. At the same time, they are more suited to the role and I'd never begrudge them.

Another colleague then came up and said 'can I talk to you privately?' I said ok. Went outside and they proceeded to ask me the same thing. Then when I said I knew they actually looked annoyed that I hadn't told them sooner.

Is it just me, but I'd never be that insensitive. Firstly not when I have a lot of pressure to find another job and secondly because I haven't even left yet and I feel as if everyone is gossiping.

Maybe it is just me.

No I don't think you're being over sensitive. Jobs are a particularly touchy issue at the moment, and there's a strange sense of desperation about job hunting. What I mean by this is that I have many friends who are job hunting at the moment, and I'm unemployed myself for the rest of the college year (I'll have to start looking again soon), and the pressure of trying to find a job/keep a job is something on most of our minds. There's a horrible sense of rejection when you don't get a job, particularly after managing to get an interview. Myself and a close friend had job interviews in the same place last year and I was almost glad neither of us got the job because it would have been so awkward otherwise. Two of my friends were recently laid off and one of them got a new job straight away. I can't say I'm surprised because she's outrageously pretty, and never has a problem coming across well (hate to say it's a factor with jobs, but it in minimum wage jobs with little skill needed, it is). There is now a lot of resentment going around that she found it so easy (with both unemployed and employed friends) to get a job.

My point is, it's become very personal. There's so much job competition out there now that when someone else gets a job, you almost feel like it's been stolen from you, it's very easy to get resentful, and quite upset. They were being insensitive to shove this in your face, especially when you know you're soon to be redundant. However, they probably weren't trying to upset you, and just thought they had a handy piece of gossip. I wouldn't hold it against them.

LegacyUser

Op here

Thank you. I just felt that they were dying to tell me to see my reaction kinda thing. I am getting the feeling they are all really smug knowing they are 'safe' but that's ridiculous. Anyone can lose a job at any time.

As I said, I'm not friends with the person that has left and got the job. There was no need to come bounding up going 'guess what!?!?!' It made me feel awful as if everyone was thinking that we both went for it and the othert person got it.

I believe it was right for me I'd have got it and I did have reservations about it (especially that it was only part time and in a very different environment to what I am use to).

I just feel let down a bit. I'd have never broke news like that to someone - not when I know how sh!t they'd be feeling anyway.

Thanks for your reply.