How many of you remember the job that got away?

ScottFern

You know what I am talking about here. That job you randomly saw on a job board or got called by a recruiter completely not expecting it and it turned out to be one of the best positions you could see yourself in. This wasn't just a small promotion but a position in a stable company that could of taken your career in a completely new and successful direction.

You made it all three round of interviews and your recruiter told you that you were a lock and you had almost a sense of confidence bordering on overconfidence. You left the final interview with a smile on your face and you were planning your counter-offer already in your mind.

Then, you pick up the phone call expecting the offer and you find out they went with the internal candidate because it was so close and in those situations they go with the in-house candidate.

Well, I still can't shake the job from my mind two week after the fact. I know I will eventually but right now its still fresh in my mind.

I had this Security Administrator position in the palm of my hands and it just crumbled away. Seven miles from my house on top of it.

I ended up turning down my second offer because I had a bad gut feeling about the work environment and general workload wasn't what I wanted.

Here is to 2011 and hoping hiring picks up and praying I made the right decision to wait this out and find the next "one".

Happy New Years Guys!

brianeaglesfan

I had a job offer in hand for an application developer position in Boca Raton, FL where the company was going to pay for relocation (back when companies did such things), but ultimately turned it down for a similar position that I thought was a shoe-in due to a buddy putting in a good word for me. Needless to say the second position never materialized and I've been kicking myself ever since.

Priston

I kinda wished I applied/got a job at tigerdirect or some other local computer repair store while I was in school. Having that on my resume would have really helped me get a job somewhere now. Instead I wasted my time at a grocery store.

Da-Regulator

That job just wasnt the one for you. im certain you will find a job that you will like. I understand how you feel because i would be pissed, but dont beat yourself up about it. Things will get better man.:)

jmritenour

I had an offer in hand from Lockheed Martin a couple years ago, they were going to sponsor me for TS/SCI clearance and everything. It looked really good on paper, but I got a little scared as I read up on the clearance investigation process, since I had some financial issues several years before. I was afraid of agreeing to the job, then not obtaining clearance and being dumped. So I chickened out and didn't take it.

But everything happens for a reason. A couple weeks later, I met the woman that would become my wife, and I probably wouldn't have had I taken that job, because it would've put me in a completely different place as far as my social life goes. A few months after that, my dad was diagnosed with cancer, and I was able to tap into a huge stockpile of sick leave and vacation time I had accumulated to help my mother take care of him until he passed away.

Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like had I taken that position. But I really do think there's a plan for each of us, and I followed the path I needed to at that time.

eansdad

I had a chance to stay with my employer but move to another location (Yuma, AZ or New Orleans). Instead I left for what I thought would be a better job closer to home and more stable (local school district civil service position). Fast forward 5 years and I'm stuck in a dead end job with a title that doesn't fit the job (computer tech title that does admin/engineer level work) along with no hope of advancement and the state pension system/over all work place has gone down the crapper. Not only that but I left before my top secret clearance was finalized. Not really the one that got away more like the bad choice I've made.

Moral is sometimes the one that seems to have gotten away might just be a good thing. Or as my grand pappy would say "Be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it."

N2IT

Before my IT career started I was a logisitic analyst for the DOD in Rock Island. I was making around 50,000 and the following year would of been 60+ then the year after that around low 80s. I was getting experience with SQL and MS Access, lots and lots of experience. Anyway my ex wife was causing all sorts of problems and I eventually had to quit the job after 5 months. Not a day goes by I don't regret. Right now I would of been a GS 13 making close to 100,000 a year with a Nato clearance and TS.

O well

SteveLord

I applied for a Federal DoD technician position with the National Guard. About a month or so into my current one, a Major calls me and asks if I could come in for an interview. When I asked why it was so late, it was because of the Iowa floods of 2008 keeping all their board members awful busy. Even though I said I was already rooted in a position, he still wanted me to come in.

If I had it offered, I might have ended up with more pay ultimately. But then it would require me to re-enlist in 2009 to keep it.......and I'd have to shave every day again! And I would be in Afghanistan right now. If I had survived that, my wife surely would have killed me upon my return anyway for leaving her with 4 kids.

stuh84

I can remember two jobs where, it isn't so much one that got away due to outside circumstances, but more I didn't have the right knowledge/experience at that exact time, but 6 months later I had more than enough (I'm a very quick learner, and have tended to move up once a year or less at my current company due to it) and could have had them easily.

Unfortunately they both would have been ideal jobs (both working in an ISP environment, one outsourced ISP management, the other directly working with ISP equipment), if they had both come up 6 months later than they did I would have got them with ease

Pratt2

Couple years ago my boss at a temp gig told me they were "just finishing up the details on my permanent employment contract." 2 weeks later he called me into his office. I was expecting it to be my "promotion" meeting. Instead, he had just been told to cut 20% of his staff and was banned from making any new hires. Not only did I obviously not get the permanent gig, but my temp position (my entire group) was in the 20% cut. fml

veritas_libertas

After I moved from Michigan to South Carolina I got a phone call from the Network Admin at the college I graduated from. He wanted to know if I was interested in his position since he was moving up. I kind of wish it had been offered to me while I was still up there. I'm happy with where I am now though.

snokerpoker

This is a great topic because I was just thinking about this recently. The funny thing is, I am now supporting the company that turned me down. During the interview process, the IT manager mentioned that the server and phone system support was outsourced and he wanted someone to come in so he could end that contract. The interview went great and I was excited about the job. For whatever reason I didn't get the job. On December 1st I started my new job with a local consulting firm and just found out that that company is one of our clients. Apparently, the dude didn't end the contract and one day I might have go there and work on their servers or workstations.

SteveLord

I remembered recently, a buddy of mine in Cali who works IT at Pepperdine University...said he wanted someone to take a position, paying really well and would train you up on everything.

If I didn't have kids, I might have considered going there for a little while...just to save up some cash. Wife being an RN, would be making double what she does now too.

ScottFern

UPDATE: I just accepted a Network Engineer role with a major financial institution in Chicago. $12k raise with 25 PTO and lots of new stuff to learn and grow with there.

Glad I held out and waited for a great position like this. Only downside is its 29 miles from my house! I guess I can't have it all.

Lesson: Wait for the great role as it will come!

powerfool

I always go on job interviews and look for new opportunities, even if there isn't a real reason... I can't count the number of jobs I have turned down in the past decade just because I was in a good position. That sounds really cocky, I guess, but anyhow I always interview and turn them down unless I am looking at a substantial perceived improvement.

Anyhow, last year I turned down a decent job that would have given me the required raise to get me to move because I thought I had a shot at my boss's job. I interviewed for it and it went on for months. About two weeks before the decision came down, I turned down the other job offer, even after stalling as long as I could. It turned out that I didn't get the job I wanted, and the new boss was a real piece of work. Ended up canning all of the IT department.

In the end, it worked out well, because I applied for a job that I normally would not have and got it. Now, I make even more money than I would have if I had became the boss and better benefits. In between, there was another job that I really wanted where I went through three interviews and I was turned down. It is all crazy, but I am in a pretty good place now... have more advanced certifications, and I am halfway through a graduate certificate program that will roll into a masters program. Life is weird, just make sure you make good preparations so you don't miss out on opportunities that you need. I don't believe in luck so much that I chastise people about saying it, but the best quote I have seen is this:

Seneca wrote:

Luck is when preparation meets opportunity

My favorite Stoic, who also didn't believe in luck.