Conspiracy

I had a meeting today to investigate the finer details of a job that was posted that I appeared qualified for and yet was not interviewed. I couldn't help but do some investigation work. Nothing makes me more frustrated than when a job is posted, I clearly qualify, I apply, I'm not interviewed, and then it's reposted. I wonder, "did they not see my resume?" This time, I had to take action.

I contacted the appropriate parties and I was able to secure a sit down with a person "in the know." They explained to me that I clearly met the minimal qualifications for the position. However, there were details that were not listed in the post that they were looking for. This is where things get hazy.

As the saying goes, "The Devil's in the Details." And he really is in the details here. Essentially, what they were looking for was someone that does this job already to step in and do this job for them. Problem is, if someone is already doing the job, barring a move, they're not coming to take this job. Apparently, the job pays way more in the private sector than it does at this government agency. They had a candidate they offered the job to but they turned it down on salary basis alone. That leaves them in a very bad situation.

My take on the job is, if you have the ability to read, write, and comprehend then you can do the job. It's really quite simple. There are a list of items you need to make sure the agency is complying with. That is the brunt of the job. In fact, the person in the know said they'd go crazy if they had that job due to the lack of variety. That speaks SIMPLICITY with a capital SIMPLE! Yet, they're having a hard time filling the job with a person they want. Don't be picky...choose me, pay me. End of story.

Now, I would have been at peace with the explanation of he person in the know but I had information they didn't know I had. First, I know they offered the job to gentleman that holds a position that qualifies him for the job, yet leaves him short of he specific qualifications they used to screen me out. Strike Number 1! Second, an individual was recently promoted from an utterly completely unrelated position/department to a position that came with one hell of a title and a pay raise. The folks made the mistake of issuing an announcement detailing her work history and background while I had the job description post. I compared the two...NOT EVEN CLOSE! Strike 2!

The third issue at hand, is that the qualifications as stated are bogus. No one would posses such qualities unless they worked that job. It's a nuanced position. To go with that, plenty of "unqualified" people have been hired in various positions and yet they have excelled. I even made an argument, to the person in the know, that the terms for hire were bogus as many have said it's the easiest job they've ever had. Meanwhile, HR is acting like they need previous experience. Hilarious...and Strike 3! You're out!

Truth is the people hire who they want to hire, qualifications be damned. It's been witnessed up close and personal time and time again. The same argument used not to hire you is suddenly erased for a more coveted individual. I've even seen job descriptions/requirements changed to justify the hiring of an individual for a job they were not qualified for. This is life. This is life in both the public and private sectors. I'm going to continue to go through the motions. It will be tough because in the end, I know it's a conspiracy.