Application Status: Closed

So this is how I found out that I didn't get the job I just went through three stages of the application process for: "Application Status: Closed." After being "In Process" all the way through the interview I just happened to check my application status on their website, when something changes or there's communication it's also sent to my email address, so no need really to check both. But I couldn't access gmail at the moment I felt I needed to check so I went there...and there it was "Closed." There was no information whatsoever attached to it, no message of any kind. So like I said in my last post, I came up with a few theories as to what that could mean. After a few days of my status being in "closed" I decided that I couldn't take it any more and emailed the recruiter that I had been dealing with since the beginning on Friday afternoon, didn't expect a response, but I got one. So my email was real short with "quick question" in the subject line, I've had success in the past with actually getting a response with the word "quick." I said my status has been updated to closed and there's no information attached to it so can you just tell me what that means, thanks, and I signed my whole name at the bottom. I didn't feel the need to say anything like "I just interviewed for the blah blah blah position and so on..." because this person was the one who initially reviewed my resume and cover letter, sent me a "candidate qualification" form to fill out, reviewed that form, called me to ask me more dumb questions on the phone, and then called me back the next day to schedule and interview. As of Friday, that was all a week and a half ago. So stupid me figured she'd at least recognize my name as someone who has gotten pretty far in the process. But clearly she didn't because this was her response: "We did fill the position, but there are others, please refer to the website. Thanks!" Thanks!? that's how you let someone know who's just played your convoluted tedious application game that the position has been filled? She totally didn't recognize the name. After the initial shock wore off, I thought that I just can't let this go. Not like this. Why wasn't I officially and in a much more professional manner notified that the position had been filled already by someone else? Why update my status to something ominous like "CLOSED" and not clarify?

So I responded politely yet firmly: "I'm just a little confused as to why I didn't receive any information about the position being filled. I interviewed for this position and didn't know what "closed" exactly meant, which is why I emailed you. Plus, the position was just re-posted but with slightly modified minimum qualifications, is this the same type of position?" I just hope she sees this and thinks, "oh I screwed up by sending Mallory that idiotic response." That she recognizes that I didn't just apply, I was interviewed! That's all. Then I realized that maybe they could have sent out an actual letter via snail mail and it'll take it's sweet time to reach me...but even so, don't update my online application status to "Closed" with no information, that drove me crazy, and who needs a letter these days? Just end it mericifully through an instant email.

And yes, there's another position with the exact same name but just a few modifications made to the qualifications. So clearly I wasn't even second best or they would have offered that one to me. It's just absurd to think that I'm not qualified to work for a study abroad company starting at basically the bottom of the barrel after spending in total a good 2 and half years of my life abroad as a student, a teacher, and Peace Corps volunteer. I guess they were looking for someone who had their little semester abroad in college and has lots of experience sitting in a cubicle making phone calls all day...because that's what this is. But I would have taken it happily, and I could have been good at it. And AND! I did have cubicle experience while I was in school I worked in the finance department of a hospital, I typed numbers all day in a damn cubicle...I know what it feels like to sit in one of those things all day every day. One of the interviewers asked me how I'd feel about that after "running around in Ukraine for so long." Uhh..excuse you, true I did many different things, but those were on top of a steady teaching job that I had to plan and prepare for everyday. The more I think about that the angrier I get because he trivialized my Peace Corps service and made it sound like I've been doing nothing but wandering the globe in a delightfully care-free fashion and couldn't possibly handle the restraint of a 9-5 cubicle job. And of course this guy who is the manager of the department that the position is under, out of the 6 who interviewed me, seemed the least impressed.

Maybe he was right, I don't want to sit in a cubicle for the rest of my life, the thought of being bored for a living scares me, but at this point I can't be so picky and I would have been thrilled to do a job that's respectable and allows me to actually deal with something that I hold quite dear and find incredibly exciting...and also know a hell of a lot about. But they made their decision. Next up: a few more applications and a peace corps career fair in LA...the thought of talking to recruiters who actually appreciate peace corps volunteers makes me feel warm and gooey on the inside.