Job disappointment

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I temp often at a company. One of the two receptionists got in touch with me last Thursday to say she was leaving, and did I want to be put forward to HR for the job? Of course I said yes.

Didn't hear anything, called up today and found out the job has been given to someone else. They interviewed this week and didn't call me in.

I'm so upset. I've been doing that job as a temp on-and-off for the last few years. They've never said they were unhappy with my work. Why have they kept hiring me back all this time? I knew how to do the job and could have done well at it.

The official line is that they use a different agency for permanent staff, but that's a lie as the woman who is leaving was hired through mine, and the whole idea of giving HR my details was so they could deal with me directly and not hire me through an agency, which costs more.

They have said they want me back in as a temp, and I can't afford to turn it down as they give me most of my work. But it means I'll have to face everyone in the company knowing I wanted the job and wasn't good enough for a permanent contract and they'll be laughing at me behind my back. Plus I'll be on the next desk to The One Who Was Good Enough To Be Chosen. That's if they hire me again, I bet they don't now.

I feel completely and utterly humiliated, hurt and lied to. I either go back and know everyone knows I'm a failure, or I don't get asked back and lose a lot of my work and have to sign on unemployed again.

I had so many dreams of things I'd do if I had a regular decent wage coming in, and now that's all gone.

Plus, the guy there I liked, the card-sending Trekkie. I sent him a message tonight to tell him I hadn't got the job, he sent an "oh dear, I'm sorry" back. I said to him that rather than the celebratory drinks he'd promised to take me out for, we'd have to go and commiserate instead. I got a message back saying he was busy for the next few weeks. Yep. That's done for as well.

Oh dear. It's the worst when they don't even call you back to let you know you didn't get it.

I once was interning (unpaid) at a popular art gallery for 3 months, the director was saying he was looking for an assistant so I worked my butt off to impress him. On the last day I saw a girl waiting at the gallery so I say hi and have a little chat. Me: "So what are you here for?" her: "I'm actually here for the new assistant job, it's my first day" I was fuming. What do I do? I ask the director about said girl and he replies: "Oh, we just didn't think you were the right personality for the job".

Utter crap I think, even though that whole experience put me off for a long time I was able to land a volunteering position at another art gallery. Much happier

I understand your disappointment; that's rough, you wanted it and didn't get it.

Please don't assume that their choice was based on their opinion of you or your work performance. The reasons businesses make curtain choices are often due to factors that are not apparent to the employees. An example would be that this company intends to continue using a temp for your tasks because of flexibility; for instance, and they like you to continue in that role because you are familiar with it.

It's very unlikely that they could have hired you without a hefty fee to your agency. Have you read your contract with the agency since you applied for the vacant position? Do you know what the agreement between the agency and the company is concerning hiring one of the agency workers?

This isn't the best result for you but it's very different from being humiliated. I think you can go back to work there (if you choose to) without shame.

Receptionist is not typically a contractual permanent position in the US; are they in the UK? In the US a new hire could be terminated at a moment's notice within the 1st six weeks of employment and without much to-do thereafter, too. I am not suggesting that you wish for the new hire to fail, but simply that this may not be the only opportunity that will ever be available.

Read your contract and be prepared for the next opportunity. Be a good team member in the meantime. It is also a good idea to present yourself to HR in person in addition to being forwarded by staff (assuming you did not do it this time around).

If you like the work you could keep doing it while looking for employment elsewhere. I would be bummed out about it too. I did a contract for two years in a library, full time; but when the job was posted permanently, a part-time person got in because they were in the union and I wasn't. I'm okay with it and I actually still work there part time. It's hard watching someone else do the job that I did for so long, but it's just the way it went.

It was going to be a contracted permanent position. Jobs here always begin with a 3-month probation period before the permanent contract is given, however you don't get full employment rights for 2 years and can be sacked on a whim with no comeback at any point for those first two years.

The job coming vacant is exactly the same one that I temp cover for, so I have years of experience in the role, know the company, always got on well with the staff and I assumed as I keep being asked back that my performance was good, so not even getting an interview has really hit me hard and made me doubt myself badly.

I don't know whether I should contact HR and ask for some feedback on why I didn't succeed? It would at least answer some questions for me.

It's sad that I'm not the only one to have this experience. It stinks when you know you could do the job, your employer has seen you could do the job, and you are bypassed for it.

I wonder what the point is. I got my education, have temped for the last 5 years, and am still battling to get a real job. The number of interviews I have had and lost out to someone with a couple of months more experience. But without a job, how do you get that experience? It's so hard to feel enthusiastic about applying for jobs any more.

Hey there,

I have been there. They would not ask you back if they felt you were not doing a good job. I now am in management and am on the other side of the table. Sometimes, yes, there are reasons for not choosing individuals for reasons that the employees cannot see and should not see. These can include things that you have already touched on, or future projects that they might have in mind for the job. It is not fair that you were not interviewed, but sometimes it just is that way. I would recommend going to HR and asking whether or not your file was considered and what you should do to make it stronger (not 'why was I not considered').

It will be hard, but bury the hatchet and make sure that you can fit in with the new girl or guy in that job. Sometimes people are cowardly or afraid of lawsuits and will not tell the truth right away. Sad, but true, and something I have experienced a few times.

Nevertheless, keep it up, and keep job searching. It took me between three and four years to get my current job and many contracts in many places, even temping.

Hi, sorry you didn't get the job. I'd try not to take it personally, the person who got it may have had better experience or skills in certain areas. I'd just keep working on picking up those skills and experiences, and maybe you'll have better luck in the future. Sorry about the Trekkie too.