Getting a job over a friend

kddani · #1 02-27-2003, 10:19 AM

I was wondering if this ever happened to anyone before....

A friend and I both put in resumes for a research assistant position with the same professor in our law school for this upcoming summer. We're very good friends, and not competitive in any way.

Well, I got an email from that professor asking me to come in and talk about the job. Which I did yesterday, and he offered it to me on the spot. While it's not working in a firm, I think it's going to be a really good experience b/c i'll be doing a lot of research and writing, and he's working on a textbook- so what I write will be published! With the economy so bad, summer jobs for 1L (first year law students) are hard to come by.

I felt bad when I told my friend that I had the interview, b/c she hadn't heard from him. I don't think he met with anyone else- the resumes were due last Friday and he gave me the job yesterday. And then when I had to come to class right after that and tell her that he offered me the job, I just felt bad. She's totally cool with everything, not upset at all, but I just feel weird about it, ya know?

I know I have to get used to this, because it's going to be the same thing next fall, even more competitive for jobs.

justamom · #2 02-27-2003, 10:57 AM

The fact that he never met her should take some of the sting away. He chose your "application" over hers, and went with you because you made a good impression. It would have hurt a bit more had you both been interviewed. (Maybe you could help her in the future by talking about your resume')

We put an ad in the paper and when all was said and done, we had right around 100 applications come in. We went through them all. For the life of me, why some were placed in the "keep" file and others were rejected is beyond me. With that many to read, simple things can make or break a candidate.

We found who we wanted and she accepted. The crummy thing is, we had already set up 2 more interviews. Rather than tell them, we are going to meet them in case this person doesn't work out the way we hope. (We have had a run of bad luck with our employees.)

A job is a job. I'm sure she understood that only one of you could be chosen. It may be a little uncomfortable to talk about for a while, but when she finds a job, it will all be water under the bridge.

Kevin · #3 02-27-2003, 11:26 AM

You both applied for the same position knowing that it was very likely that one or neither of you would get it. Congratulations to you, as a good friend, she should understand.

juniorgrrl · #4 02-27-2003, 12:40 PM

Congrats on getting a job!

I think your friend will understand. Its the wierd little things that make differences on resumes. I haven't gotten any interviews because I'm little Miss Whitebread. People with the same GPA as me, but who are from other parts of the country, or who did some study abroad or something are getting interviews.

I hope things work out well! Don't feel bad - be proud of yourself!

DeltAlum · #5 02-28-2003, 10:41 PM

Double the problem.

One of my pledge brothers and I both applied for a summer vacation announcer's job at an NBC TV station while we were in college. (back in the days when they still had "live" announcers doing station breaks, etc.) The hiring manager was a Delt Alum from our chapter. I got the job, and later got a directing job at the same station. My fraternity brother got a job at another station in the same group after college.

A few years later, both of us, having some experience, applied for a directing job in a larger market. I was offered the job a day or two before they had him over for an interview. As in JAM's case, they brought him in, even though they had already offered the position to me.

We didn't realize what had happened at the time, but were comparing notes a few months later and figured it out.

Tough on both of us.