> Are you one of those people who gets mad if you don't get a job offer after the 3rd interview because they were just stringing you along and wasting your time?
> Plenty of organizations DO do this. It isn't about wasting your time; it's about maintaining the appearance that they are making an opportunity available to a pool. Sometimes they have a policy of advertising positions and allowing people to interview, but it's all a charade because they have an internal candidate all picked out.
Lots of companies and organizations have to do this, to protect themselves against discrimination. However, as an applicant, here's what can happen:
Usually, they already have a prime candidate, often that candidate worked for the boss who left, and is likely to be a good replacement. What you are doing, by applying, is putting yourself in position for the job that the "star" has left behind. That may be a good job for you? Or maybe not.
The "star" who got promoted may be looking to get his "ticket punched", that is, he may need a few months in the official "boss" position, to make him qualified for what he really wants - a slot at another company. So, six months later, the job gets posted again, and the interview committee remembers you.
Generally, interview committees get questions from other departments, like "Did you find any good candidates?" "Yeah, we found a couple, but we needed one key element, that they lacked. But, you might be able to use them?"
Often, interviews are held on the same day. The committee meets all afternoon, interviewing six candidates. Swap names and e-mails, while waiting in the lobby. This might be a good networking experience.
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> I find that freshmen tend to travel in packs, more out of convenience than real friendships, until they find friends they really click with.
Often, freshmen are pleasasntly surprised to find other freshmen "just like themselves". College admissions are very stratified, a freshman will find a whole bunch of classmates with the same SAT scores. Higher scores went on to tougher schools, lower scores to less selective colleges. After leaving a high school, where one was the "odd man out", the freshman dorm is a blessing. But, it takes a few months to sort out true friendships, after the "honeymoon". COB and deferred rush sometimes makes this better?
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