Huge moan about job adverts

[dizzyb23]

I am currently job hunting for various reasons. I do use the NHS jobs website as i'm looking to get back to hospital pharmacy. I recently applied for what looked like the perfect job for me at a very well known London hospital. I always read every part of the advert and other attached documents very carefully to make absolutely sure of all the details. The main body of the advert clearly said "newly qualified Technicians will be considered and are encouraged to apply". I checked the rest of the posting to make sure all was ok. By the way, i'm not newly qualified, i'm five years plus post qualification.
I applied with all the details of my experience and current skills. Nowhere on my application did I put "experienced aseptics technician".

I received an interview date and attended on the day despite being very unwell and it costing me a fortune in travel expenses etc. Within a minute of the interview starting it became very clear that they needed a Senior Aseptics Tech. They couldn't train anyone as they clearly were a very busy department and needed someone who knew what they were doing in this area. In the end I had to draw their attention to the advert. I'd highlighted the part about "newly qualified". It did not go down well but this was a huge waste of everyone's time. And my money.

So, what i'm trying to say is, if you are advertising a position please, please, please get it right. Check before you post these jobs online or wherever it ends up as it is very unfair to waste folks time and money. If you need an experienced person, for goodness sake state this in the advert. Don't be so cruel to people. This is not the first time i've experienced this. It may well be an "employers market" at the moment but that does not excuse bad and misleading adverts.

I really would have expected so much more from a hospital that has such a high profile. They told me to apply for future positions but this has really put me off this particular NHS employer. If they can't get something so simple correct, then not even have the decency to apologise and accept their mistakes, then it makes me wonder.

[johnep]

Unfortunately, what you experienced is all too common. It has happened to my daughter several times. Most galling is when she turns up for interview, is told she has got the job, turns up on first day to be told: sorry, we have decided not to recruit at the moment. Often the candidate is put to great expense which they can ill afford. Me, I was fortunate in always having interview expenses paid. But then it was an employees market.
johnep

[dizzyb23]

Unfortunately, what you experienced is all too common. It has happened to my daughter several times. Most galling is when she turns up for interview, is told she has got the job, turns up on first day to be told: sorry, we have decided not to recruit at the moment. Often the candidate is put to great expense which they can ill afford. Me, I was fortunate in always having interview expenses paid. But then it was an employees market.
johnep

That's worse. Turning up for a new job then being told that!!! Sickening.....
I never apply for a role that I didn't have the correct qualifications or level of experience for. It's such a waste of time. The way they looked at me when I pointed out the error was quite rude really. Their error, not mine. And worst of all, i'd turned down another interview elsewhere on the same day in favour of this non-existent job......A bit of accuracy isn't too much to ask for really.

[crit care]

I never apply for a role that I didn't have the correct qualifications or level of experience for.

But if you always do that, then surely you aren't pushing yourself, as you are always in your comfort zone and never stretching yourself. Even by not having enough experience you can use that to your advantage and tell them you are determined to put the extra effort in to get the relevant experience. thats what i did and got a job promotion over other eperienced pharmacists!!

[dizzyb23]

If the job specifically requires a skill set I don't have, then I won't waste anyones time by applying. They needed a skilled and experienced Aseptics Tech. It's not the sort of role you can pretend to know and they did not have the time to spend on training anyone. This really should have been made clear in the advert.

But I do see your point about pushing yourself. Its important to go in new directions etc. Even to change your career and move somewhere different, all of which i've done on many, many occasions due to me deciding to "have a go", but absolutely not in this particular case as you really can't just "have a go" at aseptics!!!!! I am however about to give up my regular long term job and jump into the fire that is locuming...

[johnep]

WE were taught aseptic dispensing at uni in the 50s. Understand that mainly TPN bags and Radio active meds these days.
johnep

[dizzyb23]

I really wish I had the knowledge and skills for such a job. They showed me around their production unit (bit of a kick in the teeth really but i'd travelled a long way and am very nosey) and they have so many prescribed chemo drugs to produce onsite as well as other IV meds. The TPN stuff appears to come in ready made from another company. Not sure about the radioactive meds but they certainly have the facilities to do all this just not the correct staff skill mix. I really could've seen myself there as maybe a band 4 starting at the bottom and progressing which is precisely what the advert said. Just a tad fed up about what happened.

[Defblade]

Current big problem is age discrimination:

According to the PC brigade, they should not put "must have loads of experience in...." as that would discriminate against younger people who have had less time to gain such experience.

[dizzyb23]

But then how do we know if it's worth applying for these jobs if they aren't a bit more specific in the advert? If this is the case Defblade, then so many people will apply for no good reason. What a waste of time and money?? I understand about not discriminating against folk of course but they must be as clear as possible in the advert what they are actually looking for. Could they put all the requirements in either the job or person specifications?? I've just applied for another band 4 Tech position and we'll see how that goes. Knowing my luck they'll really be looking for a band 6!!!!!

[Defblade]

But then how do we know if it's worth applying for these jobs if they aren't a bit more specific in the advert? If this is the case Defblade, then so many people will apply for no good reason. What a waste of time and money?? I understand about not discriminating against folk of course but they must be as clear as possible in the advert what they are actually looking for. Could they put all the requirements in either the job or person specifications?? I've just applied for another band 4 Tech position and we'll see how that goes. Knowing my luck they'll really be looking for a band 6!!!!!

Actually, I think the failure here is not winnowing out the pointless applications before interview stage. Although, sometimes they know exactly who is going to get the job before they start, but have to be "seen" to advertise and interview....