Application rejected due to being 4 minutes late

Esel

the closing date was changed to DD/month/yyyy @3p.m.

This is the only doubtful bit to me. I think this time deadline was always present, not added later.

I agree it is a bitter pill.

ebbsy

Well send in the application anyway.

On the cover letter explain that you were 4 minutes late, and apologise.

Tell them you are very interested in this job, and give a reason why.

Keep it short and sweet.

magicbastarder

A slightly different angle; look at it from the point of view of the recruiter. And it doesn't matter if it's private or public sector. Unless they only get a few applications, they are probably going to be ultimately rejecting the majority of applicants anyway. So they will have no investment in creating leeway, their job is to find the ideal applicant and someone who has managed to miss a deadline, even by such a small amount, is not going to trouble them greatly to reject.

They'll probably want a quick and efficient way of whittling the list down and unfortunately in this instance they have a nice simple means to do so.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157575#Comment_123157575

did you read the OP?

ebbsy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157584#Comment_123157584

The OP asked for advice in the last line of their post.

You appear to be a bit limited in the brainpower stakes.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157575#Comment_123157575

They are now 10 weeks and 4 minutes late.

ebbsy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157615#Comment_123157615

True.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157598#Comment_123157598

you might wanna go back and read the OPs post again. "Thanks in advance" isn't seeking advice nor is what you replied relevant: "Well send in the application anyway.", this was over 10 weeks ago. The application was sent in over 10 weeks ago.

The overall question asked by the OP was "how is it fair?". They also asked for anecdotes of other peoples experiences. Neither of which you address.

Flinty997

Good luck thinking you can control peoples replies on an open forum. People can reply anyway they want.

itsacoolday

The public service make the rules. Seems a bit harsh , but they have to have a cut off point. If they have to reply about something, they are not always in a hurry. I know someone waiting over 5 years for the Ombudsman to investigate a case and make a decision, and the Ombudsman keeps saying they will but it takes time. In this case, there is no point in the OP complaining to the Ombudsman if the OP was in the wrong, which they were if they submitted the application late.

The OP is using the excuse of "a sick child" for not getting a short task - an application for a job - done by a certain deadline. If someone used that excuse when applying to me for a job, I would say how would you get your many tasks done for me each day on time?

Raichų

No point repeating what’s already been said here numerous times but you couldn’t really argue either. Rightly so they have a cut off and it’s adhered to; it’s unfortunate and disappointing but it’s also the only fair thing to do. Otherwise as has been mentioned you have to ask where do they draw the line then?

OP unfortunately there is one thing I can advise you I think that may not have been mentioned already (I apologise if so), but that is for your daughter to understand that in business she doesn’t matter.

What I mean there is that to an employer seeking to hire you; excusing yourself for being late because “my child was…” or “I had to…” is just an excuse. Like has been said it puts a doubt in their mind immediately of your reliability.

Ash.J.Williams

Yeah i know being a mother is vital and important in itself but if it has an applicant under pressure to even apply for a job it's sending the wrong signal.

I know my previous boss would run a mile

Frost Spice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123157598#Comment_123157598

Crikey. 😆

Economics101

I know rules are rules and the OP unfortunately didn't fully abide by them. However she made a small mistake which has had big consequences, so one can understand how she feels. Many replies are a bit harsh, IMO.

What I find annoying is the rather widespread public sector practice of having quite demanding seadlines, but then taking weeks or months themselves to reply to queries or to take some promised action. So the OP's experience is part of a much bigger picture.

magicbastarder

it's not an application for say, a grant, which might have some 'presumption of positive approach' - it's a job application where they will at some point in the process reject the majority or vast majority of applications. probably the vast majority if it's a public sector one. finding straightforward reasons to whittle down the field is built into the process.

if it was a case of 'she would have gotten the job had she submitted her application on time', yes, i'd be well peeved on her behalf. but even if she'd gotten it in on time, her chances were probably slim enough.

Frost Spice

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158123#Comment_123158123

I know. I applied for something in November (not standard public sector but still public). Application hasn't even been reviewed.

Donald Trump

Wouldn't be like the public sector not to be extremely strict about getting things done efficiently and on time………..Not as if there has ever been a delay in getting something from them…………

(………… well, strict at least when it comes to clocking off. By 3.04pm they'd probably be already left and gone home for the day)

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158341#Comment_123158341

Make your mind up either you want the rules to be followed or you don't. It's immaterial what sector is it.

POBox19

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123156601#Comment_123156601

If they took 10 weeks to send the rejection chances are that they kept it until the other candidates were checked out and were now in a position to appoint someone. You’ll never know though.

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158359#Comment_123158359

Well it's a lesson to the girl. At least now she knows they clock off at 3pm. That's the end of the day. At least in terms of work.

skinny90

She fell at the first step. Why overlook it or try wiggle an exception? Learn from this.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158123#Comment_123158123

If they had enough people they wouldn't have advertised a job in the first place.

They have to adhere to a whole load of red tape that can be scrutinized after the fact. So they have lengthy bureaucratic processes they have to follow and record. So if audited they can demonstrate the process and records if same.

Would you prefer they not do that?

It's excessive but that's they do it, and that's why it takes ages. They'll pick a panel and wait for it to be available before processing applications.

Time works differently there.

bren2001

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158403#Comment_123158403

She received an email from them 45 minutes later (See post #4). Odd if they finished before she submitted it.

witchgirl26

OP unless the department she was applying for laid out the timelines for response from them & they didn't meet that, you can't give out about the 10 weeks part. They set a deadline for applications, it was missed. If they had said they'd respond to all applicants in 2 weeks & waited the 10 weeks, maybe something to argue but unless that was stated, they can take as long as they like.

Look it is harsh but they have the deadlines in place for a reason. And unless you're working in there, you might not be fully aware of the exact reasoning but it's there. If she hadn't been aware of the deadline (the time itself not the day) in advance, that would be one thing but she was.

I looked at applying for a public sector job at one point. It was a day before the deadline. Application form was 18 pages. I started it, realised I was never going to get there in terms of getting a good application ready so left it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158123#Comment_123158123

A small mistake can have huge knock on effects though. Switch 2 numbers in the financial accounts - it's a small mistake sure but massive impact. Miss the deadline for paying the VAT for a company by an hour, yep small but could result in fines or penalties. Don't get to your gate for a flight until 4 minutes after its due, you're not getting on the plane. Small mistake, big impact. Deadlines are there for a reason.

And in terms of how long they took to go back to her - you don't know what was going on in the background. Maybe they didn't realise they hadn't replied back to her as they'd replied back to the successful ones. Maybe they there was a funding issue for the role so they held off for a bit on contacting anyone. Unless, as I said above, they had provided expected timelines for hearing back, they have not breached any deadline or anything. I do think they could have communicated it sooner, course, but they weren't necessarily under an obligation to.

Donald Trump

….

Charles Babbage

In the electronic age this kind of thing is ridiculous. All closing times should be midnight, not a lottery of noon, 3pm, 5pm or whatever you are having yourself. Nobody seriously processes this things until the next day anyhow so these cut off times are pointless. An organisation seriously concerned with getting the best staff would not have these gotcha deadlines, but HR departments are entirely unconcerned with getting the best staff.

Dodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158545#Comment_123158545

So she submits it at 00:04 instead of midnight. Is that still a “gotcha” time?

Missing a deadline is a bad sign. I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess the role isn’t a very senior position. So adhering to a very basic requirement of submitting an application on time is not an unreasonable requirement.

It’s frankly weird that anybody sees anything wrong in what the organisation did.

Charles Babbage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158562#Comment_123158562

No, 0:04 is a different day, that is perfectly clear.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158545#Comment_123158545

End of business I'd suggest is more reasonable as a general rule. Though I guess some times favour different circumstances. Someone working might find 5pm a bit unfair.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123158491#Comment_123158491

The ignore button is useful for filtering out people determined to derail every thread.