Interviewed for wrong job!

amtc

I applied for quite a senior (head of department) in a state agency...think principal officer/assistant secretary level but paid off scale so I would've expected to be good pay.

There were two jobs advertised the same day both with sequential reference numbers. I only applied for one as the other, whereas in the same organisation, looked for very specific skills in IT which I don't have. I am well qualified for the first one.

I applied the start of June and got a response early July inviting me for interview for the role last Thursday. They also phoned me twice to confirm my attendance. At all times only the reference number was used. To be honest with you I didn't check it was the correct number as it was a mixture of letters and numbers and I didn't check my sent emails as I knew I had only applied for the first job.

Lo and behold I turn up Thursday all ready with my experience and expertise in the first job and they promptly begin to interview me for the second job! About half way through the interview we all realised I wasn't claiming to be an IT specialist and it all ended quite quickly!

I was a little bit put out by this and more so when yesterday I received a phone call from HR to say it was a clerical error and the first job (the one I applied for) had actually been pulled. They were extremely apologetic and offered to pay my expenses (given that I had to walk all if two minutes from my current project this wasn't exactly a help, and I don't think they meant my blow dry)

I'm not sure what advice I am looking for. My instinct is just to let it go as there was a third job advertised in the same agency yesterday and I think I will apply for that. But it was unprofessional.

Nervous Wreck

Are you saying you applied for the wrong job and they interviewed you for it or you applied for the right job and they interviewed you for the wrong one?

Either way, they've apologised and very nicely offered to pay your expenses. What more do you want from them?

JennyZ

Not a lot you can do really, it was a clerical error and they have apologised and offered to pay your expenses. Your instinct is right, let it go.

amtc

I applied for the right job but interviewed for wrong one.

AndrewJRenko

As a State agency, they will have a formal complaints process relating to recruitment. There will be more details of this in the information booklet. But I'm not sure there is a whole lot to be gained by going down that road.

amtc

No, you're right. Just thought it odd they put so much into ensuring I'd be there. All a bit embarrassing for all concerned, as it became obvious that I was not capable of being a Head of IT! They had my cv which was tailored to the first job. Anyway onwards and upwards.