Should I have any hope after this email? (interview, jobs, companies)

[shelleycotton]

I had an interview 2 weeks ago with 4 people. However, the head of the dept. wasn't there to interview me. I had a good meeting with all 4 of members and I anxiously waited for a call back. On Tuesday, I emailed the company HR person for a status. The following day, I received the message that I wasn't selected. I sighed and moved on.

Yesterday, the head of the dept. whom I haven't had the chance to meet, emailed me and said that the team enjoyed meeting me and that her company would love to have somebody like me be a part of the company. However, she said they had an experienced internal candidate and they ultimately offered him the job.

She said that offers get declined quite often and that if it does, they'd love to spark up another talk with me. She again complimented my credentials and wished me luck. And asked to call her if she had any questions.

I forgot about the job, but she emailed me out of the blue and now my sense of hope has gone up a bit. Could there be a genuine reason why she emailed me? Or is it just nothing to look at?

Thank you!

[sware2cod]

This is great news. Sounds like they have you as the #2 pick. You might have been the #1 pick but possibly corporate guidelines might have dictated they choose the internal candidate. Or maybe one of the higher managers forced them to choose the internal candidate.

If the internal person doesn't work out or if the team gets another opening in the future, I bet they contact you.

[joe from dayton]

You sound like the backup plan.

[Boosane]

Why would they email you to let you know you didn't get the job a second time when the HR recruiter already notified you?

[doggiedog9]

They may call you in the future if an opening exists keep in touch

[Staggerlee666]

The best job seeking and interviewing advice I got was to focus on the process and not the outcome. Try your best to prepare for the interview, engage with the hiring manager, come across as authentic and excited to work for them, but don't focus on trying to get them to like you or select you. It creates too much pressure and makes you come across as needy and deseprate.

In your case, the hiring manager liked you and may have even preferred to hire you, but for political or other reasons they went with someone internal. Happens all the time. At one job, there was an opening and it so happened that a couple pf months beofre two people on my team were let go due to a restructuring, but they had the neccessary experience to do the job. Well the job ended up going to some guy's daughter although she only had 6 months of prior work experience. No guarantees or fairness in this life.

[jaypee]

I've been the #2 several times and I found it worthwhile to make these HM's part of my network and ping them now and again so they don't forget me or to ask them for a referral for other jobs at their companies.

[SDreams404]

My advice: Pretend you never had this interview and keep pushing forward. If they offered someone the job, no real company would allow that person more and 3 or 4 days to consider it - a week at the most. And knowing that the person is internal, tells me there's high visibility on this. They wouldn't take weeks to finalize this. They see the person everyday. Just keep pushing.

I've sat in interviews with CEO'S and presidents and division leads and was invited back 3 times over. Just for them to "fill the spot internally".

If there's a need and you represent the best fit, they'll pull the trigger. Companies didn't get that big being indecisive.

The very best of luck to you.