# You inconsiderate cockmunchers! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 6, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859 "2009-10-06T22:02:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/21 "2009-10-08T02:59:20Z")
Few companies now tell you you’re not selected. Always assume you’re not until you have the offer in your hand. Even then, if you have had other firm offers, do not totally reject them until your 1st day of work. ---
**Author:** ![Vorpal\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Vorpal\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorpal_Blade)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/22 "2009-10-08T15:40:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Few companies now tell you you’re not selected. Always assume you’re not until you have the offer in your hand. Even then, if you have had other firm offers, do not totally reject them until your 1st day of work. Or the first paycheck clears. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/23 "2009-10-09T16:06:58Z")
I travelled all the way from Newcastle to Andover for a job interview, once - had to book an overnight stay in a hotel, which was an expense I didn’t need, since I was unemployed at the time. That was in 1996, and, frankly, if I don’t hear back from them soon, I’m just going to write it off. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/24 "2009-10-09T17:26:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Few companies now tell you you’re not selected. Always assume you’re not until you have the offer in your hand. Even then, if you have had other firm offers, do not totally reject them until your 1st day of work. No-one has denied that this is how things are. The question is whether this is how they should be. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/25 "2009-10-09T20:05:14Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](#): > > Saw job on Careerbuilder - a full-time city job, as it turned out - but had to apply through a well-known temporary placement agency. I figure, maybe they are really looking for someone if they are contracting with an agency. I do the online app, get a call the NEXT morning asking me to take online test. I ace the test, (so the rep tells me), she asks me to come to the state career center for a math test. > Math test is easy, I finish way before anyone else, in fact some guys couldn’t even figure out the directions. > The rep phones on Monday and assures me the city department will be calling me Wednesday if she doesn’t call me herself first. > Week passes. Nothing. Another week, nothing. I finally call the agency rep - “oh, I think they filled it.” > And so it goes. Been unemployed for a year and a half. I wish I’d gone to bartending school instead of getting a Master’s. I hate to tell you this… I applied for many city/county/state jobs in my day…I always ALWAYS aced the complete shit out of their tests. Never hired and seldom even asked for an interview. During one of my followup calls one guy took pity on me. He let me know they reject people that score too high…because they won’t be happy with the position or are ‘overqualified’. It’s B.S. They are not very smart themselves and so they want to hire one of their own (ever since then I’ve always voted against any pay increase for govt employees). Next time, score well but do not ace it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/26 "2009-10-10T01:55:46Z")
> [@BlinkingDuck](#): > > I hate to tell you this… > > I applied for many city/county/state jobs in my day…I always ALWAYS aced the complete shit out of their tests. Never hired and seldom even asked for an interview. > . Well, just to let you in on a secret- most of the time, when there’s only a single position listed, they have already "pre-selected’ for that job. The tests, interviews and all are just going through the Equal Opportunity motions. Now, if it’s a mass hire things are different. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/27 "2009-10-10T02:08:01Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, just to let you in on a secret- most of the time, when there’s only a single position listed, they have already "pre-selected’ for that job. The tests, interviews and all are just going through the Equal Opportunity motions. Now, if it’s a mass hire things are different. Yep, any publicly funded job must be posted for about 2 weeks. Just in case a really qualified person might be out there. And to pretend to play by the rules. But almost universally, someone from within the department or agency has already applied and been selected to promote from within. It’s a phantom job opening. But because it is publicly funded, an opening must be posted. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2009, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/28 "2009-10-10T07:41:28Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > It’s a phantom job opening. But because it is publicly funded, an opening must be posted. Exactly. Sure, why not apply- but don’t expect anything. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/29 "2009-10-16T05:02:19Z")
I once got a rejection letter. The envelope was my address, but the letter was addressed to another rejected interviewee. Thanks for taking the time to make sure the envelope was stuffed correctly. :rolleyes: I’m now a math teacher, trying to secure a position in a new city. Thanks to the economy, they have freezes on hires outside of the school district. I’ve gone on about a dozen interviews, but only one principal has had the courtesy to call me back and tell me that he was sorry, but he wasn’t able to hire me. With every other one, I thought I had a good interview, but no reply. I don’t know if I’m coming off bad, or they’re just impolite. Being a substitute, though, I see how dumbed-down the math curriculum is. Multiple choice is no way to assess math competency. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859/30 "2009-10-16T05:18:09Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > Being a substitute, though, I see how dumbed-down the math curriculum is. Multiple choice is no way to assess math competency. On one hand, I agree completely. On the other hand, the only reason I passed School Certificate Maths back in 19mumble is because of the multiple choice component of the exam. Interestingly, I’ve never used _any_ of the algebra or trigonometry I was taught in high school, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-inconsiderate-cockmunchers/512859.md?page=1)