Help with getting hired on at WVU (schools, universities)

[Maddog411]

I've applied for two full time positions at WVU and am about to apply for a third. On the first there was a specific deadline for submitting applications, which I may have missed, but I received an email stating my application had been received and was being considered. It wasn't an automated response either, it was an actual email that someone typed. About 2 months after that I got a nice rejection letter saying that the candidates they wished to interview had been selected and I wasn't one of them. That was a good 3 months ago and the position is STILL listed as open on the WVU website. A believe that same position has been listed on and off for over a year. The second one I applied for on May 3 after it had been open about 2 weeks. It still shows as open on the website. I sent a followup email last Monday and was told they are still accepting applications and would being contacting applicants in the next week.

So it feels like they are kind of dragging their feet on everything. I would think with some positions being on the website so long that they are lacking good candidates. I've also heard it's pretty political there and you have to know somebody to get hired on. Can anybody help shed any light on this? They just seem to have a lot of good openings and it would really help to know how to play the game better.

Oh yeah the third one is at the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. I worked there as a student 12-13 years ago. My old boss and another guy I worked closely with would probably end up being my coworkers with the position. I checked and both of them are still there, although I haven't talked to them since I graduated. Maybe I'll have better luck with this one.

Thanks for any help!

[snorpus]

Definitely network with your former co-workers. It may not help with this position, but they may know of other positions.

The college/university hiring process can be maddeningly slow. There's a lot of EEO oversight, so they go slowly. Depending on the position, a committee may be formed, and just finding a time when all of the committee can be there can be difficult. Some job searches at my college have taken a year.

Most positions are listed as "Open until filled", meaning that several rounds of job posting, advertising, resume reading, interviewing can occur. Sometimes resumes are reviewed by computers looking for keywords; omit a keyword from your c.v. and the resume is rejected. If you see a position reposted after you've been rejected, apply again, maybe with your resume in a different format. All it costs is the price of a stamp.

Good luck.

[Chriscross309]

I know this is off topic, but----Maddog? you didn't ruun XC for AB did you???

[AliceT]

Employers are often wary of hiring someone currently in another state. If WVU is where you want to be, make your presence known. Be available for an interview without much more notice than a couple days. The economy is bad, as is the case nationwide. Be the best applicant and appear eager to boot. Everything matters when jobs are hard to come by.

[Fiddlehead]

Hi Maddog,

I would only add that sometimes universities are terribly slow and lackadaisical in updating their web pages. I would not read anything into long-dead searches still being posted. All the other advice about keeping in contact sounds good. I do know that most employers like to hear that workers are really excited to work for them, so I suspect you will find a fit eventually.

Best of luck!

[sr1234]

A lot of state schools will post a job because they have to legally meanwhile the position is filled or they know who they are going to hire. It is for show only.

[kevinm]

These are probably jobs that are not going to be filled by outside candidates. By law, they may have to post the position, but intend on hiring someone they already have in mind. That's politics. The job is created for a specific person who has already been vetted by the university.