I really enjoy working at the boutique, but I've realized this is really more of a break from office/corproate life and a chance for me to figure out what I want.
I've spent the last few months thinking about what I'd like to do, and I realized that I still want to do marketing, but that I want to do marketing in an industry that interests me. I'm thinking about publishing.
I had an interview last monday for a book publishing marketing manager job. I thought things went well and the company seemed super fun and laid back. So, by the end of the interview, I really wanted the job. They told me that I'd hear from them by the end of the week. Well, by Friday I still hadn't heard, so I wrote them an email and basically said, "I am just following up to see where you are in the hiring/interview process. You mentioned you'd get back to me by the end of the week."
The HR woman wrote me back and said that she was having a meeting with the director of marketing of Monday to discuss the position and would get back to me shortly after...and that I was a top candidate.
I feel like this basically means I'm not getting the job. Do you think it's a bad sign they didn't update me by when they said they were going to? Or that they mention I'm a "top candidate" but not THE top candidate. Whenever I've gotten jobs in the past, they've always said, "you're our top candidate."
I don't know if i am just over-thinking this..but it's really got me depressed and I haven't been able to enjoy the weekend at all..I feel like i"m just holding my breath!
Maybe she's telling the truth! They could be super busy and just haven't had time to deal with it. I think she'd tell you they filled the position if you were completely out of the running. Why leave you hanging for no reason, especially when the conversation was an email and not face to face?
It's so hard to tell what might be going on -- the scenarios you mention seem plausible, but the interviews might also just be taking longer than expected or there's some internal back-and-forth going on. As Cricket said, I certainly don't think that you're out of contention. I guess you just have to try to stay relaxed until next week when you hear back (not that that's easy).
Anyhow, I think that this is a really promising result for the first job you've really gone for in this new industry that you're interested in, so that even if this particular position doesn't work out, things look optimistic for the future. Good luck!
Honestly, I don't think it means anything one way or another. Generally, when we interview we always tell people they are a top candidate if they are, but never THE top candidate (that's awesome you have heard that in the past, but it's also unusal IMO). HR tends to get busy with other interviews and other job tasks and can't always get back to candidates when they say they will. Usually several people have to get together to discuss the interviewee and sometimes working on schedules can be a pain so it can take time. Try not to worry about it and just wait and see what happens. I think you did the right thing by emailing them back- lets them know you are interested. Hopefully you hear soon!
Good luck and make sure to let us know what happens!
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"Despite all your best intentions, sometimes, fate wins anyway."
It sounds like you've done all you can do at this point - and done all the right things, by the way. Just a touch; not too much pressure!
I don't like being nagged by candidates when I'm hiring; I appreciate someone who seems an-l about things just like you, i.e., "you mentioned you'd get back to me by..." However, when they start calling me or emailing repeatedly, they're being insensitive to the amount of work I have on my plate and they need to realize that their job hunt isn't my #1 priority at that moment.