Not Getting the Job

I was invited to interview yesterday and found the same day that I did not get the job. The interview was for a position in Children’s Services and I was excited about the prospect. I felt like I had a good interview, but that afternoon I got the call saying I didn’t get the job. Despite this I felt good about the experience and gained some benefit from it:

1. I got feedback that the interview went really well and that they had to go back to the applications to decide between me and another lady who had more experience.
2. I enjoyed the interview – I got asked who would win the forthcoming election and what I thought that would mean for the service. I also got asked lots of questions about my degree subject, which had never happened before and surprised me considering I graduated ten years ago and thought I’d forgotten everything I studied.
3. I was told that my details would be held in reserve as some other posts were emerging and I would be offered these without an interview at a later date.
4. My manager clocked I was up to something because she saw me print off my application and asked me if everything was okay. I didn’t tell her about the interview or not getting the job, but since then all three (yes only three!) of my managers have been super nice to me, telling me that there should be some more interesting work coming my way and dropping hints about how lucky we are to have jobs in this recession. They are even saying thank you for my work (before they pass it off as their own).

So alhamdulillah, I didn’t get the job, but Allah (SWT) still blessed me with an easier situation than I was in before regarding how my manager was treating me. I better milk it while it lasts.