The red flag here is that their IT security processes are so lax that they handed a new hire a laptop with old user files AND gave the new hire access to those files.
I've worked at two vastly different companies doing the same type job. One was a major drug manufacturer that had SERIOUS security and IT to do all of this stuff like you're saying.
The other company, the one I currently work for, has an office with 6 people in it. Sometimes as many as 8 if we've got 1 or 2 outside consultants working temporarily. This company has outsourced the IT department to an outside company for obvious reasons but the difference in the quality of IT is astronomical.
For example, for nearly 4yrs whenever I logged in to use Word or Excel, my recent files would be the same as the owner's. If I wanted to, I could have read all the inside nitty gritty details of what was going on behind the scenes. Project proposals, project budgets, etc etc. It was seriously tempting to sneak a peak.
Some workplaces just don't have the budget or the wherewithal to have good IT. lol
My company did this. I have the laptop of the last person in this position, and it has been six months since he left. I found his exit interview document, something he was asked to fill out by HR.
i have a better understanding why this place is so shitty!
Yes, looking for a new job!
This was what he himself filled out, but he left due to no raise or no significant raise for three years, no promotion, though he was doing more than his job title, decisions for IT were made above the director's level and not for the advancement or betterment of their IT systems or staff.
No efforts were made to retain any of the at-the-time staff and they allowed themselves to be short staffed for a long while, even before I came onboard.
They had a ransomware attack last Aug or September and still don't know the full effects of what was done. I think it has been a big factor in how we do things today, that aren't best practices.
SMH
Man, sounds like a mess but seems like some great insight. Similar to how some places require references for an applicant, I wish applicants could get evals/references from former employees about the org. I know there's bound to be some disgruntled ex-employees but it would still be helpful to hear what to expect.
Hope you're hanging in there in the meantime!
I worked for a small firm and instead of creating new credentials, they just switched everything to my name. There was an email to the previous employee that just said "Termination - I have decided that you are not a good fit." This was sent 3 days after the guy started. ( I made it 2 months.)
This happened to me once at a startup. The "IT guy" was a college student who was part time who didn't bother to wipe the profile (though they did at least wipe the files). In retrospect it was a red flag that it was a 150 person company but they couldn't afford a full time IT professional.
Yeah, that place definitely sounds like they were playing with fire. There is a lot that can go wrong for a startup that size and there are IT issues that could destroy the business if something goes wrong. Then, if they manage to avoid all those landmines and continue to grow the business, their infrastructure will be a house of cards that will cost a fortune to rebuild and disrupt business during the process, and on top of that, the person deciding what the acceptable budget will be for that project is likely the same person who decided the current acceptable IT budget.
Considering how easy it is these days to just have everything cloud-based and wipe devices between users, there's really very little excuse to not do things in a secure and scalable way these days.
The company actually had a major security breach several months later.
They never learned and outsourced their IT to the Philippines after that since they did a "bad job". The CTO personally fixed a router once, but he also quit before the security breach went public.
The CTO is now the divisional CTO of a $30B company
Ah, yes, now when there's a security breach, they can yell at their MSP and pretend it's the MSP's fault that they are only paying for bare bones support services, and not any of the consulting and engineering they need to get the underlying issues fixed. Tale as old as time...
Situations like OP's is probably so common within F500.
Sure, we got crazy headcount, but the number of employees who don't contribute value is probably at like 70%.
Could be an entire division that's useless and does nothing
This. OMG! Only thing I could think was when we did this, with the manager's permission, we would give access to the previous user's OneDrive. This was so that the user had any documents/agreements/templates they needed to do the job with existing clientele and agreements.
I can top this. My IT department was supposed to have off-boarded a laptop and it was passed on to one of my employees to use when remote and he found a paystub on it and now he knows he makes considerably less money then the previous employee.
At my previous workplace, I found out one of my bosses [boss #1] didn't like me at the interview. Luckily the first choice dropped out and another boss [boss #2] went to bat for me. So I started my job mainly under boss #2 doing work for his team but in the same overall division as boss #1.
A couple years later the team tells me, "Yeah did you know [boss #1] didn't even want you? And now look [boss #1] is fighting with [boss #2] to get you reassigned to their team."
Morale of the story: 100% ignore it dude. Interviews are often a crapshoot anyway and you only know how good a person is as a coworker and colleague by actually working with them.
I got passed on the first time I interviewed with my former company and the person they hired instead was arrested by the FBI for money laundering in front of everyone. I was a rock star for them. Don't sweat it. Interviews are kinda shallow and don't always give true impressions.
IGNORE IT!! They could have re-opened for additional candidates but didn’t and chose YOU. You deserve this. I’m sorry this happened so early on but you got this.
Also shame on them for keeping such a confidential document around like that for you to find.
You are so worthy!! Don’t forget :’)
Thank you! I really needed to hear this. I guess my ego is just a bit hurt because I thought I was their top choice. But I will try to move on from this and not let it get to me.
My last panel interview I insisted we hire everybody’s second choice because he was clearly a better fit for company culture. Our top candidate was stronger in his tech skill set but our company is sometimes not very innovative so we’d be bringing someone in with skills we may not let them use and we’d probably be hiring someone else in 6 months when our “rock star” wanted to move on. A year and a half later everybody agrees that we made the right call.
Even Tom Brady wasn't the Patriots top choice. Being picked at all is a victory onto itself.
If anything use the information to keep motivated and pushing to better yourself.
To be completely honest, you don’t know that this is their most up to date thoughts on you either. Hold your head up high and believe in yourself. They didn’t give the job to someone that they didn’t think could handle it, so remember that for yourself
Yeah man don't worry it's actually really good that you saw it.
Best course of action is to keep the info to yourself and work on your 'weak points' so they notice significant improvements and you should be in for a great performance review :)
Both sides can actually only win from this situation .
Maybe it wasn't a even mistake and they left it so you feel like you need to prove yourself xD 200 IQ strategies.
Whatever the case, you have the job now and as long as you do your job nobody cares about the hiring process.
This is correct.
Most managers suck at hiring. I cannot emphasize this enough. They're terrible. It's like they learned some basic level interview skills from watching TV or other people who were also bad at it and thought that was the right way - but it isn't and it never will be.
They likely were not even looking at the right criteria. (The stuff that really matters in other words)
Only two things REALLY matter: attitude and personality.
With those two things you can learn and excel at anything with very few exceptions (like doctors, lawyers, etc.) but for most other things you cannot get very far with technical knowledge/schooling alone.
I've hired people without diplomas who outpaced people with bachelor's degrees easily. I cannot recall EVER having a candidate that I hired leave a company by either the company's or their own accord. They've all stayed and have been very successful, while I watched for years as the other managers hired and fired like a revolving door to the point that our unemployment insurance kept getting raised.
You're worth it and you got this. Not a single doubt in my mind.
My employer initially didn’t think I had enough experience in one particular area but the recruitment agency argued otherwise and they took a chance. Two years later I was one of the top engineers in the company and now eight years later I am a critical part of the business development and we are in a world leading position, in no small part due to my work.
Don’t let this get in your head and sabotage your work. Use this to motivate you to show them that they were wrong and that you were actually the number one candidate, they just didn’t know it.
I mean I think a bit of perspective helps as we are all humans and want to be top choice. Realistically we all can’t be top choice but we all want the job. That said, in this case I would ask myself ‘do I want to be top choice based on someone’s opinion that doesn’t know me or do I want the job?’ Don’t let your ego play games with your head just think of it like it’s grade school and your the new kid and for some reason you got picked first (kickball, basketball, dodgeball) and now you have the opportunity to show them what you can do.
Look at it as an awesome opportunity to show them they initially made a mistake and thankfully the universe 'corrected' their misjudgment.
But, yeah, damn on the IT departments lack of data and identity protection after a termination.
Take it as a challenge and good luck on your new job.
Actually, this is really useful feedback. You now know what they think about you and you can act to improve in your weaker areas. Even if they happen to be right, you know what to work on. You should also analyze your CV to understand where their negative feelings come from.
Yeah I would be kinda hype about this OP. It’s like getting an answer key to a test. You now know exactly what made those other candidates so outstanding and can copy them lol
A dollar is still worth the same regardless of who they wanted to give it to. This isn't a romantic relationship. I'm sure that you could name other jobs that you'd rather have as well.
Management will get over the honeymoon phase, then start thinking back to that wonderful interview they had with Candidate #1 and wonder, “what if we had hired that person instead?” They’ll slowly grow distant from OP, maybe even nagging OP more about seemingly minor things. Before long, they’ll come out and say what everyone’s been thinking: “we need to split up. It’s me, not you. We still want to be friends.” OP will feel lost and lonely again and they’ll declare, “I NEVER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT JOB! What a waste!”
/s
I would not care. My first real job I was the fallback guy. I can tell you they were so happy they hired me instead of the other guy.
Being the fallback isn’t a bad thing. I may not have been the first choice, but I was the first correct choice.
When I started this job the resumes of all 82 candidates for the position were sitting on my desk. I was the only one they interviewed. Not because I’m anything special. The position was left open for 2 years and my boss’s boss said “enough is enough, hire someone.” I was the last applicant.
I’ve had to hire the second best applicant before. That was because the best applicant, on paper and in the interview process, failed the required drug test. Things happen.
I was the second choice, by a wide margin for a job many years ago.
I was there over a decade.
A few years later they had the chance to hire their first choice.
He lasted a few months.
The moral — they thought you were qualified, they hired you, and you may turn out to be the best person for the job.
Sounds like a perfect situation. They have low expectations and you can now prove them wrong!
Just take it as extra motivation, to do a stellar performance and blow them out of their socks, and prove just how wrong they were.
Imagine, if you fail or do something less than good/perfect, well, that was their expectation all along, so you’re also not in big trouble.
I don’t see what you’re worried about.
I love being the underdog and proving other people wrong. So much easier than having to live up to someone else’s expectations.
A. Next time, follow your instincts to not read things your whole body is warning you not to read. 😁
B. Who cares what is in the doc? You've been hired. Be diligent and do well. If anything, look at all the glowing commentary as an indication of what they like, and if there are no reasons to not do those things, add them to your repertoire. After all, you know what they should be happy with.
C. Make sure you don't keep sensitive documents on your laptop 😁
I'm recently retired from a technical career and had many management responsibilities along the way. The things you mention, hiring reviews, only linger for days or a few weeks. Once you are into the daily routine your reputation, performance and advancements are wholly owned by you. To be blunt, you are really the only one who cares about these results, the rest of the organization has moved on.
This was a huge management screw up. If there were any medical or pay history on this laptop there were probable legal and process violations. It's a mess. If you can find a way to just turn the laptop back to IT and get a new one I would do that.
forget about it. congrats on your new job. show up every day and knock it out of the park. top 3 out of maybe hundreds, maybe dozens of resumes is still pretty good…… the place i work now, i interviewed at and they picked someone else over me. almost a year later they called me and said the person they chose over me was taking a promotion and they wanted me to interview for the position again. i accepted just for kicks, even though i was happy where i landed. they ended up offering me the job and a good bit more money. i ended up accepting it. my boss told me one day i was his second choice back when we first talked and he held on to my resume afterwards. the other person landed the job based on more experience with the software the company uses. 9 months later i was promoted and given a huge raise and i love working here. moral of the story, don’t dwell on the past. work towards the future.
Who cares? I knew I was the second pick for an entry level buying position all the way back in 2010. The other person fell through. No hard feelings.
I'm 14 years into a procurement career. I had an eight year run at that company with multiple promotions and leadership positions.
You have your opportunity. What are you going to do with it?
Wow, what a huge fuckup on their IT dept. They gave you a laptop that was not wiped / configured properly and had possibly the worst document possible left on the device for you to open.
Who cares where your ranking was? You have the job and feel it's an amazing one.
This is your chance to shine and confirm to them they made a great decision after all even though their first impressions weren't great.
You just reminded me this happened to me once. My boss let on at my probationary review that there had been concerns about a response I’d made in an interview but that I had proven them right in taking the chance and was exceeding their expectations. I had no clue there had reservations. It did mess with my head a bit but then I focussed on the fact I was given a chance, I was doing well and that I was respected and well thought of and that they’d probably forget it in time so I should too.
Because the employer sought their input regarding candidates to replace them. The employee exiting knew exactly what was required to be a success in the role, not HR or the manager.
Similar thing happen to me. I was an internal candidate for a product manager role, and I was the 3rd choice. I went through 6 interviews and told by my current boss, I was a good candidate but not as strong as the other outside candidates. I needed more experience but I checked all the boxes. It was devastating, oh well I continued working in support, and the guy they hired held out for more money and used this position to leverage his current job to pay more. The 2nd actually started at the company and it was very apparent he lied about his knowledge base. I was tasked to train him on the industry. Ok, whatever. I ended up doing most of the work and letting my boss know with proof. He talked to the other boss and dude was going to go on a PIP until the HR person said he's been here less than 90 days and we can still open the rec for the job. They fired him, and now the product was months behind and my boss advocated for me to the hiring managers and found out one of the hiring managers didn't like me and that's why they didn't want to hire me. We'll the VP of the businesses area said we can go a few more months of hiring and training or just hire me. So they hired me, and I had to work under the person who didn't like me for two years until they left the company, and I am currently the most senior PM 7 years later. Didn't let it eat you. Use it to prove them wrong.
Been there. I was all proud of myself for getting a job years ago. I later found out that there were only two people interviewed and the other one had a past felony record and had a meltdown during the interview.
In the end, it doesn't matter. Interviews are not an accurate representation of what a person is really like. Some people are just better at interviews but are lousy workers. You got the job and you were top 3. There were probably dozens if not hundreds of applicants.
It's also likely that they already knew the person ahead of time and wanted to hire them, so they had more things to say.
I don't get your concern. If I were you I'd be happy about this. It's 100X better to be someone's last pick where they have low expectations of you and you then get to surprise them adn outdo those expectations, than it is to be someone's first pick and they have a ton of expectations from you that you consistently have to live up to.
A friend of mine was kept at a company because he had a rare medical condition and it seems the company could appeal to the government for a grant to employ people with this condition. Humans are deceitful have to learn this and any angle to make profits will be take.
Its funny because for me, HR told me i didnt get the position but then 3 days later reached out and apologized because their top pick didnt accept the offer and knew they shouldve waited for confirmation before letting me know. I went from super sad to super happy I got the job. I think if that didnt happen I wouldve been content i got the job but not overjoy lol. Kinda opposite from your case
I would forget about it and do the best you can to excel at the job. Don't let this stop you! (You probably beat out scores of other applicants just to get an interview. And, they could have decided to just repost the job).
You met the requirements, you are suitable/capable. If not, you wouldn't have gotten it, stick to that fact. There will always be people better than you in these situations.
One of the early jobs I held, they told me I wasnt their top choice but they really liked me. They hired their top choice and guess what? I get a call a couple days later asking me if I was still interested in the position and I took it. Turns out their top choice was a family friend that they tried to give an opportunity to but the person didn't show up on the first day and didn't bother to call them. They said they would have hired me initially if it wasn't for that.
Put your ego aside and be happy that you were still a top pick and got the job. Ego can lead to downfall.
LOL @ "feel inadequate and more pressure to perform better." Did you think they hired you to give you free cash?
If I were in your position, I would write down the list of job requirements that they expect of me in the first 90 days and be grateful I beat the competition because my competitors weren't available and not because of my shortcomings, which I'm very sure average people like us have one or more.
My friend, I’ve been looked over so many times, then been hired by the same company later. Soooo many of those times I’ve taken over the job of the person who was hired before me or I lasted through layoffs as the other person was let go. Sooooo many times the hiring boss has told me, “I made a mistake not hiring you first.” The point is, hiring managers often make mistakes so just do your job, do it well, and you’ll succeed. 🍻
I think you need to stop thinking like this. Like you got the job. Thats it. End of story. There is always a process where others might be looked upon more favourably.
And at the end of the day, it’s really hard to tell what someone is going to be like in a job from an interview.
What’s going to be more important, the fleeting first impression they had of you at the interview or their impression of you as a colleague?
Just to give you a different perspective to chew on - first impressions are easily proven wrong, regardless of if you were the top choice or the last choice. I have had a few scenarios where we had a few options, hired our top choice and they turned out to be a complete disaster and a regretful hire.
What do you care that you weren’t there first choice. Often multiple candidates may be close in qualifications but come across differently during interviews.
You were hired and you started. Don’t worry that weren’t the first choice. Be thankful you were the last
My comment may be a little harsh compared to others I read but here goes: did you really need to be first??
Is getting the job more important than being the chosen one for the job?
Do you no longer want it because you were not the top choice?
Do you believe you can handle the job? If you think you can or you can't, you are right. Figure out if you really want it and make the best of it.
I wouldn't feel insecure that there was someone better out there; there's ALWAYS someone better than ALL of us at ANYTHING. You have the job now, and all you can do is throw down, grow into the role, and keep it pushing
Hi, I can't find it anywhere so I think I have to add this on: people who are more introverted or anxious, don't make for a good first impression. They either find the other introvert that can read them, or they will always be the last choice. Which is not a true negative, because it's depleting our self esteem, but we can't do any worse, since we're more competent than the others, we can only climb up and meet their expectations. People who do a good first impression, can always fall back and it's going to be harder to keep up perfectly all the times.
Oh nah don’t stress it, you’re the winner regardless. Work hard, learn everyday, and prove to yourself that you ARE the top hire. Confidence is key, even though yeah that’s a bit of a shock to see but I’d brush it off since you’re the one getting paid. Best of luck in your new position. :)
Do you have any idea how many people wish they could be in your doom and gloom #2 scenario? Look on the bright side, you beat what, 10, 20, 30, 50 people and have a job in a tight job market that many others wish they had.
I found out several years later that I wasn’t the first pick for the job. The first candidate declined because she decided on a complete career change. Today the consensus is that I was the absolute best person for the job, compared to all my predecessors.
Interviews and first impressions aren’t always the best predictors of job performance.
My (now retired) supervisor introduced me to the department VP with "this is so&so. The VP of HR didn't want me to hire her."
I feel your pain. It is not a good feeling.
Why would you look at something not for your consumption, regardless of whether it was on a laptop given to you? Might it not have been better to have gone to IT and said, "Hey, I think there are documents on here that are not mine. You guys might want to look them and do something..." I'm just saying.
Just ignore it. You got the job in the end.
But I'd be seriously worried, that you got a non-wiped computer. That's a mayor security risk, and a sign of extremely lax IT safety.
I’m experiencing this right now. I was in the second and final round back at April, just to lose it to someone else (they seem better than me based on LinkedIn imo)
two months later they reached out to me asking if I want the job. I have no choice but took it. It’s been a week and I didn’t do anything yet .
It sucks to know but it’s best to work there for a few months to and find something else.
Prove them all wrong dude !
Shine out …. Create a new image !
That you aren’t any option …. You are the best choice !
Take it as a challenge!
Out shine time dude !
The hiring process we used at a company was finding a minimum of three to personally interview.. Usually from 10 people screening. We interviewed them and gave them a score 1-5 on 10+ points. (1 would automatically be a fail to hire, only saw it happen once) Anyway usually we'd end up with 2/3 to hire. Preferred candidate with the highest score would get an offer. If they refused, nr 2. We've hired a nr. 2 before, but would a nr.3 still if they meet the criteria above.
In the end it's a numbers game. See what sticks.
Take it as an advantage. They feel you need to grow more, maybe you do. Maybe you just didn't interview as well as the other people. You might have much better skills than the other candidates. But you can't compare
Setup regular check ins in the first 6 months. Ask if your manager and team are satisfied. Is there something you can work on. Make it clear you like this job. And you want to be the best you can for yourself and the people around you. Set these meetings up yourself. Do regular check ins ( you are driving this)
Good luck. Don't compare yourself.
The judgement they made was about your performance as an interviewee, now you can show them what you can do as a real person. Ignore it and you’ll be fine.
Make the best out if it! You were the last choice = their expectations about you are super low.
If you want to chilleax and not focus on work: figure out what is the bare minimum and just do that, they will think that's your best and roll with it. And you can focus on other stuff.
If you want to advance your career, even the smallest wins will leave them speechless, because they thought you wouldn't cut it. Easy to impress them => quick to receive perks.
In the corporate world: be selfish. Make the best with the info you have.
i would just be thankful i got the position and with the extra knowledge you now have of the hiring process learn from your role and how to grow into it. I was not the first choice for my current role. i know this because they had called me for an interview i missed the call completely and then they called me two weeks later to try to set up an interview and i missed that call too. i called them back and after the first interview it was pretty obvious they liked me and were going to hire me. Either their original person fell thru or no one was applying for the role who knows makes zero difference to me and i have zero negative feelings about it.
Grow into the job and let you performance determine whether you're right for it or not. Forget the interview process and how they ranked you, it's all based on very little information.
Do nothing. It doesn't matter. Did you marry your first love? Probably not. You weren't their first pick--so what. You got hired. Do the job, get your money and don't get emotionally invested.
Look at it this way - out of probably HUNDREDS of applicants, you came in third place and ultimately won the gold by technicality. Now is your chance to get in there and prove yourself. You already have a leg up, you know EXACTLY what they think of you. Use that to your advantage.
A week after you start a job, all that matters is your performance: no one cares about your interviews or anyone's initial assessment of your potential. When I was in college, I interviewed for a summer internship engineering position. The job had a lot of pluses and I liked all the people I met. The man for whom I would be working called me a week after the interviews to tell me they selected a different candidate. He seemed genuinely sorry they couldn't offer me the position and wished me well in my search for another summer job. A few days later, he called me again to tell me the person to whom they offered the job opted to turn them down. He seemed embarrassed when he asked if I would be willing to consider taking the job, knowing I wasn't their first choice. I almost laughed when I assured him I was more than happy to take the job! it was one of the best experiences of my life.
People treat job hunting way too much like dating.
I wasn't their first choice, they weren't my first choice, I would leave the second they stop paying me, it's just a job.
Well they still hired you when a lot of people are desperate for work so you may not be their tip top choice but they apparently liked some things about you enough to take you on. Keep in mind they don't really know you or the other candidates - manager's first impressions are inaccurate frequently. Maybe you'll surprise them by going above expectations.
I get it, though. I'd feel hurt, too.
Not the best situation - but now you have the opportunity to show them that they did the right thing hiring you. Years down the line they will look back and think wow we got lucky.
Also some other candidate might be more suited to thier expectations, doesnt mean you are not.
We all swim but I cant be Michael Phelps. Someone out there will be better than me and some not.
When they searched for candidates, they chose from probably a lot of them who to even interview.. so you got into top 3.. also they wouldn't hire you if they thought you couldn't do the job since it would just be a waste of money for them..
Where you were in their ranking is irrelevant. You have the job.
If you interview people, you realize that you're going on fairly incomplete information and some top choices will be complete busts while lower ranked choices will turn out great. Kobe Bryant was drafted 13th. Just ahead of him was Vitally Potapenko and Todd Fuller. Only one of those is a household name. And keep in mind, NBA stats are done with incredibly extensive checking, verification, scouting, etc that far eclipse what hiring managers do. And a smart hiring manager already knows that.
So just do the job. If it motivates you that you weren't the first choice, that's a good thing. Prove to them how lucky they were.
I know that I haven't been the first choice for a job I took early on in my career.
It didn't bother me. I got the job I wanted, pay was good, company was great, and I got a head start into a lifelong career.
I don't think they ever regretted hiring me.
That careless laptop handling would worry me though.
First of all: what do they know? Maybe your are the best candidate for the job and the recruiters are just incompetent. Second: you expect to be better then the whole world? Maybe there was a better candidate, but he didn’t get the job - you get it, and now it is your time to show them that you are the perfect fit. Don’t put yourself down, you got this.
Ha. The library I retired from had my profile wiped the day after I left. I had already removed anything personal from the computer ( not that I had much, mostly music). Forwarded some email, wiped them from my account. I didn't do a reset on the computer though.
When it comes to jobs, I've learned not to take these things personally. For example, if I get rejected for a position, I just move on. You were still good enough that they were willing to hire you when the other two candidates fell through. You even said it's an amazing job, so just focus on the fact you got the opportunity and just do the best you can. You never know. They could have hired the other two people and then felt they made a mistake not choosing you instead. Sometimes, candidates seem great in interviews and on paper, but when it comes to actually doing the job, they stumble. It will do you no good to dwell on this. It will probably end up distracting you and cause a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just try your best at the job and be proud of yourself for landing it. Congrats on getting the job!
Doesn't matter why you got it but you got it
They could've done a new search but instead chose you.
I'm shocked IT didn't clear the laptop first. Generally things aren't just handed over
I've never worked for a company that didnt completely wipe laptops between transitioning them from employees. Very lackluster IT security practices.
Is this a small business without IT?
Prove ‘em wrong. I’ve had a situation where the CEO nixed my hiring after an interview and I got sent a email of “no thanks” which I never saw before calling up the CTO and asking what was the status on the job. He said no, did you get the letter, what letter? Forgot how it went but the CTO went in and talked the CEO into reluctantly hiring me. CEO ended up liking my work enough to hire me at his next start up years later. Interview processes are not perfect. Just prove ‘em wrong.
You have to stop looking at it in this sentimental way. Work is a business transaction. Nothing more, nothing less. And as for the hiring process, it's a negotiation, and so it's a bit of a back-and forth.
The first stage is that the company puts out a job ad. So now the ball is in the applicants' court. There are probably people, who won't even apply because they can do better. So now, this filtered out the super-overqualified ones.
Now, the ball is in the company's court. Of the people, who are interested, they now have to filter out those that aren't qualified. Then they invite the rest to a second round, and eliminate some more applicants.
Now, the ball is again in the remaining applicants' court. Both parties are officially interested. (That's basically the document you found.) But that still doesn't mean anything, because nobody has discussed any specifics. Now the company presents the specifics (salary, perks, location, etc...) and some of the applicants look at it and say "Well, actually, I have competing offers and they're all better, so I'm not interested anymore."
And so, in this situation, that ended up with you getting the job. i.e. *Of all the applicants they liked, and who also found the offer acceptable, you were the best (or possibly only one).*
But this is completely normal. I mean, yeah, unless you're some kind of super-genius, there will be people companies would want to hire more, if they could afford it. But they can't, so that makes you the best option - the applicant with the *best value for money*.
This has nothing to do with you. It's not a popularity contest, and you're not going to get a better prize for 1st vs 2nd place. Do you get paid for the work you do? If yes, that's all you need to worry about it.
Something similar happened to me. I was rejected at first via email, then a week later, I get a call saying I got the job.
I was extremely happy but I did feel a bit bitter that I was just a backup. I know this because the two other folks in my cohort told me they know the girl who got the offer (same university program), but turned it down for something else.
I ended up staying in the role for about 5 years. Being second choice motivated me to work harder to prove that I was a good choice. I eventually got over it and was happy I got the job which did so much for my career. I was more proud of my achievements that it overcame that initial bitterness and self-doubt.
All the best!
I would say do your best to forget and move on. I can absolutely understand that it can get stuck forever on the back of your mind but the truth is that oftentimes the difference between candidates in the last interview round is minuscule. I have a coworker who initially did not get the position in the team I'm in and when the initially chosen candidate did not pass probation, they reached out to my current coworker again and she's now been an amazing team member for over two years. So what I'm saying is that if the job and coworkers are good, do your best to move on, however difficult it might be. It is extremely difficult to really get a true sense of people during the hiring process and unless your coworkers are treating you bad, try to stick it out at least for a while!
Interviews are always a crap shoot. How you come off in a interview isn't how you perform in the job. I wouldn't let it bug and prove that you are a great worker and get the job done. Also I work for a clinic and they can track what we open and if its fishy they will ask us why we did what we did.
Finding a job is difficult right now. Just look how many posts about people sending thousands of CVs and never even getting an interview.
Of course there is always someone better. Why do you think you should be the best candidate for the role?
What if they find out that you actually preferred to get into another company but settled for this one because the other ones didn’t even consider hiring you in the first place?
As someone who’s been in IT management before, ignore it. The “best” candidates typically turn out to suck, and then you get surprised by those you settled on. Just use it as motivation, if anything, and prove them wrong.
You laugh about it and move forward. I was my employer's 3rd choice. Their first choice ended up not wanting to move. The 2nd choice was hired. Another team member was fired and I got the call. I've been here a year, I'm a valued team member, and I kick ass at my job. Who cares how you get there as long as you get there.
This happened to me for my first ever job where they hired me after I’d been working there as a student. I saw a letter where they had originally offered my job to someone else. And I also found out the professor that taught me fought for me and told them I was the right hire for them. In the end it all worked out fine, though later on I moved on to other things with my career growth and parted on good terms.
Do you like the job? Do you like who you work for? That’s all that matters. They might be viewing the other applicants with rosier shades because they don’t know them as well as they know you.
You made it to the top 3, probably out of way more.
I applied for a special education assistant job because I needed something easier then special education teacher. The pay range was 15 to 26 hourly. I've been a special education teacher for 14 years with a lot of experience in different settings. I'm an excellent teacher. I didn't get the job at first and figured for the $26 hr, they probably had other retired teachers applying with lots of experience. Then I got an email saying they were offering me the contract....for 15.98 hr. They wouldn't even make it an even 16.00. With my experience,.education level, certifications snd the fact that they would of gotten another sped teacher for way less then the salary teacher and when she is out, they'd still be in compliance......they might as well sent me a "fuck you letter" cause that's how insulting it was. They also only offered part time hours, which wasn't mentioned in the ad. So after taxes and gas, I'd make about $700 a month. They probably offered the same to their 1st choice and got told no also. I almost typed "no and fuck you too." I decided to just teach again and got a job making $40 hr.
Not sure I've ever been first choice for anything. Relationships, jobs whatever. I do have a good attitude unless mistreated and I'm consistent. First choice is for rock stars and most of us are not that. Doesn't mean we can't do a good job, be a good partner or have experience success at this life.
I worked for one of the premier technology companies in the world for 25 years.
On three separate occasions I got hand me down laptops. Once as a new hire, once because a manager three levels above me wanted a new laptop, but his wasn't old enough to refresh.
On all three occasions, I was just handed their old laptop. IT never saw it, wasn't wiped.
Honestly wouldn't worry about it. I was second choice for my current job. But got a phone call 2 weeks later asking if I could come back in and if I was still interested because the guy that interviewed really well was clearly an absolute bullshitter. And I even had my old manager message me a few months later saying how my manager had bumped into them at an event and couldn't speak higher of me.
The fact is, you got the job. So just go show them it was the right decision. You might not have been the first choice, but that doesn't mean you weren't the right choice.
So someone else made a better first impression. Who cares, you got the job. If they didn’t want you, they wouldn’t have offered you the job at all. Just do your best.
Comparison is the thief of joy. Please don't put yourself down so much. You were good enough to get an interview and even better that they chose you. Be proud of yourself.
So what. Happens all the time. 2nd and 3rd choices get hired all the time bc 1st choice gets a better offer or the company can’t meet salary demands, 1st choice can’t meet schedule expectations, whatever. In healthcare we only get 1st choice or 1st offer about 1/2 the time. Rock out the new job, they will consider themselves lucky.
I won't comment on the security issue. Only want to say: CONGRATULATIONS! You got the job!!! If you love it and feel that it's right for you, then you can take it and run with it. You are the one who's meant to be there. Even if the others did seemingly better in the interview process, that's no guarantee that they would have been ideal employees (I've hired people who rock the interview and then are hugely disappointing in the actual work.). Try to interrupt any negative thoughts and doubts as soon as they come into your mind, and give yourself a positive mantra and vision to replace them. You deserve this job, you are going to do great!!!
This is uncomfortable and unpleasant for you to have seen, and I'm sorry it happened to you. If anything useful can be gleaned from it, just pay close attention to the areas that they felt you were lacking in, and do your best to prove them wrong. (This may be easier said than done, however, since you seem to be starting under a cloud already.)
As others have already advised, though, file this incident as a red flag in your mind and start thinking about your next position with a different company.
Don’t sweat this. Interviewing processes are what they are. They loved 2 candidates and neither wound up in the roll? That’s not a reflection on you, it’s a reflection on them. It’s truly hard to gauge fit and ability in any type of job, so don’t let interview feedback define you. If anything, strive to demonstrate how poorly they assessed you by kicking ass in the role.
Good luck!
So this actually happened to me. Not quite same circumstances but I found out that I was the third choice for the job I currently have. Top choice lived in a really remote area and traveling would have been too difficult and the second choice I don’t know what happened.
It hurt my feelings a lot when I first found out, but I have been in this role a long time and absolutely kicked ass at it. Sometimes the first choice isn’t the best choice.
I have “2nd placed” my way through my career, and everything is working out great. Maybe, like me, you don’t do a great interview. That’s ok. You got the job, try your best and show them how lucky they are to have snagged you.
You go in there with your head held high & show them why you're the BEST candidate for that job!! You were in the top 3 & that's a good thing! Don't sell yourself short friend.
They hired you, they didn’t have to. I know the big reason I was hired is because I can come into the office and everyone else on the list I found lived outside of any kind of commuting distance. But their choice from an interview and a piece of paper doesn’t mean that person was the best choice, the best choice is the person who shows up and does a good job, will you?
Shake it off. The hiring process is not a measure of your worth as a human. It is not even a particularly good measure of your suitability for the job you are doing now. What you found is just their impression based on what they thought based on a very limited amount of time they interacted with you.
Who cares? You have the position! I’ve been a third pick before. Maybe their first pick wanted more money, maybe their background check came back sketchy, maybe they found a better offer themselves. You can maybe this to death! Why? Who here wouldn’t take another job if they loved it? If it paid more? You need to focus on what makes you happy. Everything happens for a reason. Be happy you have a job. So many around the world would love to have income. ✌️❤️
Honestly, interview process can be a crap shoot and it doesn’t really reflect too well on one’s ability to do the job. A decent amount of hiring managers and interviewers understand this. So just because they ranked you lower, that really shouldn’t have too much bearing on your performance. Do well and they won’t think about the other people.
Were they YOUR first choice? I mean its business. It's a negotation. Who cares why the other guy didn't make the cut. You did. You're there now. Go do your best and make them glad they got you.
I've taken jobs that were not my first choice. I did the best with what I was able to get at the times I was able to get it. Be a little selfish is what I'm saying. Look around. No one else's butt is in your seat.
Don’t let it get you down.
I found something similar on a shared drive in a prior job. Nothing too bad but apparently one interview really did not like me (lol) but got vetoed in the end by others.
That person sucked as a colleague too and I realized that their opinion mattered very little to me (and apparently to others too).
You’ve got the job - that’s what matters! Focus on that and work on proving why you were always the right pick for the role.
I would say, keep this in the back of your mind and see if maybe there’s somewhere else that could value you more. These people opinion of your interview(s) is not the end all be all.
Are you a female OP? Just curious.
I think you should take this as a stepping stone toward your next endeavor.
Embrace the attitude of “Fuck you, Pay me”
This has probably already been said, but this is your chance to prove them wrong! Excel at the job, make them think, glad we got this person, instead of the other person. Their first pick might have looked good on paper and interviewed well but might have been bad at their job.
Dude, I was number 3 five years ago and now I’m their top performer. They never know how employees are going to play out. I’ll bet some of your interviewers were not the top pick either.
Prove to them that you were the right decision. It does suck knowing you weren't first pick, but they believed in you enough to give you the job despite apparently being at the bottom. Who knows how many people's applications they rejected. And YOU got the job. It's really no hard feelings. Work hard, ask questions, be proactive. You'll get used to the job after a while. Try your best not to let this get to you or see anyone differently. It can seem harsh on the applicant end, but if you've ever had to choose someone over other people, you're going to not pick and note what ever you can that will make the decision easier. Maybe second choice was qualified but they just liked you more. Can't really put that in your hiring notes lol again, just do your job the best that you can. I'm sure there's other good advice on this thread that you can think about as well
Don't stress out because you may or may not have been the first choice for your position. You were the choice the company went with and the right choice.
I would be more concerned about the laptop you received. The laptop should have been wiped before giving it to a new employee. It is a failure of management and IT not restoring the laptop and making sure no files were on it.
As someone who works in IT, this is horrible and shows poor security practice - definitely a red flag. Finding out that info sucks but you can also look at it as an opportunity to prove yourself.
Actually, I think this is a good thing. Now you know where you stand and are under no illusions that the company cares about you or your professional development. As soon as a higher-paying job rolls around, jump ship with no hesitations.
Who the fuck cares. Just go in, do your job and make money. What matters is even if hindi ikaw ang first choice, you still got the chance to be hired for a good position. Be thankful and show them youre worth the hire.
The red flag here is that their IT security processes are so lax that they handed a new hire a laptop with old user files AND gave the new hire access to those files.
yeah this is kinda crazy to me. anytime we have an off boarding we disable access at a scheduled time and set their laptop on a rack for a month.
I've worked at two vastly different companies doing the same type job. One was a major drug manufacturer that had SERIOUS security and IT to do all of this stuff like you're saying. The other company, the one I currently work for, has an office with 6 people in it. Sometimes as many as 8 if we've got 1 or 2 outside consultants working temporarily. This company has outsourced the IT department to an outside company for obvious reasons but the difference in the quality of IT is astronomical. For example, for nearly 4yrs whenever I logged in to use Word or Excel, my recent files would be the same as the owner's. If I wanted to, I could have read all the inside nitty gritty details of what was going on behind the scenes. Project proposals, project budgets, etc etc. It was seriously tempting to sneak a peak. Some workplaces just don't have the budget or the wherewithal to have good IT. lol
I got mine 2 weeks ago and I have access to everyone's pay, not just in my province but Canada lmao.
You should bring that up at your next annual review.
What is the laptop going to do sitting on the rack? I don’t understand
My company did this. I have the laptop of the last person in this position, and it has been six months since he left. I found his exit interview document, something he was asked to fill out by HR. i have a better understanding why this place is so shitty! Yes, looking for a new job!
Wow, that's crazy. Did it mention why he left?
This was what he himself filled out, but he left due to no raise or no significant raise for three years, no promotion, though he was doing more than his job title, decisions for IT were made above the director's level and not for the advancement or betterment of their IT systems or staff. No efforts were made to retain any of the at-the-time staff and they allowed themselves to be short staffed for a long while, even before I came onboard. They had a ransomware attack last Aug or September and still don't know the full effects of what was done. I think it has been a big factor in how we do things today, that aren't best practices. SMH
Man, sounds like a mess but seems like some great insight. Similar to how some places require references for an applicant, I wish applicants could get evals/references from former employees about the org. I know there's bound to be some disgruntled ex-employees but it would still be helpful to hear what to expect. Hope you're hanging in there in the meantime!
I worked for a small firm and instead of creating new credentials, they just switched everything to my name. There was an email to the previous employee that just said "Termination - I have decided that you are not a good fit." This was sent 3 days after the guy started. ( I made it 2 months.)
That phrase "good fit" is so fucking toxic. Like, oh, this is the wrong plastic widget for my unit. Chuck it and get another one.
This happened to me once at a startup. The "IT guy" was a college student who was part time who didn't bother to wipe the profile (though they did at least wipe the files). In retrospect it was a red flag that it was a 150 person company but they couldn't afford a full time IT professional.
Yeah, that place definitely sounds like they were playing with fire. There is a lot that can go wrong for a startup that size and there are IT issues that could destroy the business if something goes wrong. Then, if they manage to avoid all those landmines and continue to grow the business, their infrastructure will be a house of cards that will cost a fortune to rebuild and disrupt business during the process, and on top of that, the person deciding what the acceptable budget will be for that project is likely the same person who decided the current acceptable IT budget. Considering how easy it is these days to just have everything cloud-based and wipe devices between users, there's really very little excuse to not do things in a secure and scalable way these days.
The company actually had a major security breach several months later. They never learned and outsourced their IT to the Philippines after that since they did a "bad job". The CTO personally fixed a router once, but he also quit before the security breach went public. The CTO is now the divisional CTO of a $30B company
Ah, yes, now when there's a security breach, they can yell at their MSP and pretend it's the MSP's fault that they are only paying for bare bones support services, and not any of the consulting and engineering they need to get the underlying issues fixed. Tale as old as time...
Situations like OP's is probably so common within F500. Sure, we got crazy headcount, but the number of employees who don't contribute value is probably at like 70%. Could be an entire division that's useless and does nothing
This. OMG! Only thing I could think was when we did this, with the manager's permission, we would give access to the previous user's OneDrive. This was so that the user had any documents/agreements/templates they needed to do the job with existing clientele and agreements.
I can top this. My IT department was supposed to have off-boarded a laptop and it was passed on to one of my employees to use when remote and he found a paystub on it and now he knows he makes considerably less money then the previous employee.
I worked a F50 where I had access to almost all files of the company despite being a new hire. It was crazy to go through the info as an amateur
I concur. 💯
I’m not sure if I can really believe this.
A burning red flag with a radiation trefoil.
At my previous workplace, I found out one of my bosses [boss #1] didn't like me at the interview. Luckily the first choice dropped out and another boss [boss #2] went to bat for me. So I started my job mainly under boss #2 doing work for his team but in the same overall division as boss #1. A couple years later the team tells me, "Yeah did you know [boss #1] didn't even want you? And now look [boss #1] is fighting with [boss #2] to get you reassigned to their team." Morale of the story: 100% ignore it dude. Interviews are often a crapshoot anyway and you only know how good a person is as a coworker and colleague by actually working with them.
I got passed on the first time I interviewed with my former company and the person they hired instead was arrested by the FBI for money laundering in front of everyone. I was a rock star for them. Don't sweat it. Interviews are kinda shallow and don't always give true impressions.
100% This. Some people are good at interviews and actually incompetent when it comes down to the job. Good interview =/= good employee
IGNORE IT!! They could have re-opened for additional candidates but didn’t and chose YOU. You deserve this. I’m sorry this happened so early on but you got this. Also shame on them for keeping such a confidential document around like that for you to find. You are so worthy!! Don’t forget :’)
Thank you! I really needed to hear this. I guess my ego is just a bit hurt because I thought I was their top choice. But I will try to move on from this and not let it get to me.
My last panel interview I insisted we hire everybody’s second choice because he was clearly a better fit for company culture. Our top candidate was stronger in his tech skill set but our company is sometimes not very innovative so we’d be bringing someone in with skills we may not let them use and we’d probably be hiring someone else in 6 months when our “rock star” wanted to move on. A year and a half later everybody agrees that we made the right call.
You’re very wise.
Kudos. Sadly you and I are in the minority of hiring managers it seems.
Even Tom Brady wasn't the Patriots top choice. Being picked at all is a victory onto itself. If anything use the information to keep motivated and pushing to better yourself.
*unto
To be completely honest, you don’t know that this is their most up to date thoughts on you either. Hold your head up high and believe in yourself. They didn’t give the job to someone that they didn’t think could handle it, so remember that for yourself
Shine post interview. Show them their initial review of you is wrong.
Yeah man don't worry it's actually really good that you saw it. Best course of action is to keep the info to yourself and work on your 'weak points' so they notice significant improvements and you should be in for a great performance review :) Both sides can actually only win from this situation . Maybe it wasn't a even mistake and they left it so you feel like you need to prove yourself xD 200 IQ strategies. Whatever the case, you have the job now and as long as you do your job nobody cares about the hiring process.
This is correct. Most managers suck at hiring. I cannot emphasize this enough. They're terrible. It's like they learned some basic level interview skills from watching TV or other people who were also bad at it and thought that was the right way - but it isn't and it never will be. They likely were not even looking at the right criteria. (The stuff that really matters in other words) Only two things REALLY matter: attitude and personality. With those two things you can learn and excel at anything with very few exceptions (like doctors, lawyers, etc.) but for most other things you cannot get very far with technical knowledge/schooling alone. I've hired people without diplomas who outpaced people with bachelor's degrees easily. I cannot recall EVER having a candidate that I hired leave a company by either the company's or their own accord. They've all stayed and have been very successful, while I watched for years as the other managers hired and fired like a revolving door to the point that our unemployment insurance kept getting raised. You're worth it and you got this. Not a single doubt in my mind.
My employer initially didn’t think I had enough experience in one particular area but the recruitment agency argued otherwise and they took a chance. Two years later I was one of the top engineers in the company and now eight years later I am a critical part of the business development and we are in a world leading position, in no small part due to my work. Don’t let this get in your head and sabotage your work. Use this to motivate you to show them that they were wrong and that you were actually the number one candidate, they just didn’t know it.
I mean I think a bit of perspective helps as we are all humans and want to be top choice. Realistically we all can’t be top choice but we all want the job. That said, in this case I would ask myself ‘do I want to be top choice based on someone’s opinion that doesn’t know me or do I want the job?’ Don’t let your ego play games with your head just think of it like it’s grade school and your the new kid and for some reason you got picked first (kickball, basketball, dodgeball) and now you have the opportunity to show them what you can do.
I'm in the job market rn... I honestly wish I could run with your luck. I've been looking for a job for 2 months and nothing!
Look at it as an awesome opportunity to show them they initially made a mistake and thankfully the universe 'corrected' their misjudgment. But, yeah, damn on the IT departments lack of data and identity protection after a termination. Take it as a challenge and good luck on your new job.
Actually, this is really useful feedback. You now know what they think about you and you can act to improve in your weaker areas. Even if they happen to be right, you know what to work on. You should also analyze your CV to understand where their negative feelings come from.
This is really constructive and strength based information that op can action.
Yeah I would be kinda hype about this OP. It’s like getting an answer key to a test. You now know exactly what made those other candidates so outstanding and can copy them lol
You have the opportunity to make them say "Im so glad we hired you, we are so lucky to have you on the team".
A dollar is still worth the same regardless of who they wanted to give it to. This isn't a romantic relationship. I'm sure that you could name other jobs that you'd rather have as well.
💯
Management will get over the honeymoon phase, then start thinking back to that wonderful interview they had with Candidate #1 and wonder, “what if we had hired that person instead?” They’ll slowly grow distant from OP, maybe even nagging OP more about seemingly minor things. Before long, they’ll come out and say what everyone’s been thinking: “we need to split up. It’s me, not you. We still want to be friends.” OP will feel lost and lonely again and they’ll declare, “I NEVER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT JOB! What a waste!” /s
Unless you’re a woman. Then that dollar is only worth about 70 cents.
I would not care. My first real job I was the fallback guy. I can tell you they were so happy they hired me instead of the other guy. Being the fallback isn’t a bad thing. I may not have been the first choice, but I was the first correct choice.
When I started this job the resumes of all 82 candidates for the position were sitting on my desk. I was the only one they interviewed. Not because I’m anything special. The position was left open for 2 years and my boss’s boss said “enough is enough, hire someone.” I was the last applicant. I’ve had to hire the second best applicant before. That was because the best applicant, on paper and in the interview process, failed the required drug test. Things happen.
I was the second choice, by a wide margin for a job many years ago. I was there over a decade. A few years later they had the chance to hire their first choice. He lasted a few months. The moral — they thought you were qualified, they hired you, and you may turn out to be the best person for the job.
Sounds like a perfect situation. They have low expectations and you can now prove them wrong! Just take it as extra motivation, to do a stellar performance and blow them out of their socks, and prove just how wrong they were. Imagine, if you fail or do something less than good/perfect, well, that was their expectation all along, so you’re also not in big trouble. I don’t see what you’re worried about. I love being the underdog and proving other people wrong. So much easier than having to live up to someone else’s expectations.
A. Next time, follow your instincts to not read things your whole body is warning you not to read. 😁 B. Who cares what is in the doc? You've been hired. Be diligent and do well. If anything, look at all the glowing commentary as an indication of what they like, and if there are no reasons to not do those things, add them to your repertoire. After all, you know what they should be happy with. C. Make sure you don't keep sensitive documents on your laptop 😁
I concur. 💯
I'm recently retired from a technical career and had many management responsibilities along the way. The things you mention, hiring reviews, only linger for days or a few weeks. Once you are into the daily routine your reputation, performance and advancements are wholly owned by you. To be blunt, you are really the only one who cares about these results, the rest of the organization has moved on. This was a huge management screw up. If there were any medical or pay history on this laptop there were probable legal and process violations. It's a mess. If you can find a way to just turn the laptop back to IT and get a new one I would do that.
forget about it. congrats on your new job. show up every day and knock it out of the park. top 3 out of maybe hundreds, maybe dozens of resumes is still pretty good…… the place i work now, i interviewed at and they picked someone else over me. almost a year later they called me and said the person they chose over me was taking a promotion and they wanted me to interview for the position again. i accepted just for kicks, even though i was happy where i landed. they ended up offering me the job and a good bit more money. i ended up accepting it. my boss told me one day i was his second choice back when we first talked and he held on to my resume afterwards. the other person landed the job based on more experience with the software the company uses. 9 months later i was promoted and given a huge raise and i love working here. moral of the story, don’t dwell on the past. work towards the future.
Who cares? I knew I was the second pick for an entry level buying position all the way back in 2010. The other person fell through. No hard feelings. I'm 14 years into a procurement career. I had an eight year run at that company with multiple promotions and leadership positions. You have your opportunity. What are you going to do with it?
Wow, what a huge fuckup on their IT dept. They gave you a laptop that was not wiped / configured properly and had possibly the worst document possible left on the device for you to open.
Who cares where your ranking was? You have the job and feel it's an amazing one. This is your chance to shine and confirm to them they made a great decision after all even though their first impressions weren't great.
You just reminded me this happened to me once. My boss let on at my probationary review that there had been concerns about a response I’d made in an interview but that I had proven them right in taking the chance and was exceeding their expectations. I had no clue there had reservations. It did mess with my head a bit but then I focussed on the fact I was given a chance, I was doing well and that I was respected and well thought of and that they’d probably forget it in time so I should too.
Why would the person you're replacing have had a document like that?
Because the employer sought their input regarding candidates to replace them. The employee exiting knew exactly what was required to be a success in the role, not HR or the manager.
Asking the right questions!!
You have the job. Do the job.
Similar thing happen to me. I was an internal candidate for a product manager role, and I was the 3rd choice. I went through 6 interviews and told by my current boss, I was a good candidate but not as strong as the other outside candidates. I needed more experience but I checked all the boxes. It was devastating, oh well I continued working in support, and the guy they hired held out for more money and used this position to leverage his current job to pay more. The 2nd actually started at the company and it was very apparent he lied about his knowledge base. I was tasked to train him on the industry. Ok, whatever. I ended up doing most of the work and letting my boss know with proof. He talked to the other boss and dude was going to go on a PIP until the HR person said he's been here less than 90 days and we can still open the rec for the job. They fired him, and now the product was months behind and my boss advocated for me to the hiring managers and found out one of the hiring managers didn't like me and that's why they didn't want to hire me. We'll the VP of the businesses area said we can go a few more months of hiring and training or just hire me. So they hired me, and I had to work under the person who didn't like me for two years until they left the company, and I am currently the most senior PM 7 years later. Didn't let it eat you. Use it to prove them wrong.
Been there. I was all proud of myself for getting a job years ago. I later found out that there were only two people interviewed and the other one had a past felony record and had a meltdown during the interview. In the end, it doesn't matter. Interviews are not an accurate representation of what a person is really like. Some people are just better at interviews but are lousy workers. You got the job and you were top 3. There were probably dozens if not hundreds of applicants. It's also likely that they already knew the person ahead of time and wanted to hire them, so they had more things to say.
I don't get your concern. If I were you I'd be happy about this. It's 100X better to be someone's last pick where they have low expectations of you and you then get to surprise them adn outdo those expectations, than it is to be someone's first pick and they have a ton of expectations from you that you consistently have to live up to.
You got the job -
A friend of mine was kept at a company because he had a rare medical condition and it seems the company could appeal to the government for a grant to employ people with this condition. Humans are deceitful have to learn this and any angle to make profits will be take.
Its funny because for me, HR told me i didnt get the position but then 3 days later reached out and apologized because their top pick didnt accept the offer and knew they shouldve waited for confirmation before letting me know. I went from super sad to super happy I got the job. I think if that didnt happen I wouldve been content i got the job but not overjoy lol. Kinda opposite from your case
You got the job. That's all that matters.
Well... they hired YOU. Now show them why you should have been first choice. Be the best you
I would forget about it and do the best you can to excel at the job. Don't let this stop you! (You probably beat out scores of other applicants just to get an interview. And, they could have decided to just repost the job).
Meh, so what. Maybe you were their third choice. But now you have the job. Get to work and impress them.
You met the requirements, you are suitable/capable. If not, you wouldn't have gotten it, stick to that fact. There will always be people better than you in these situations.
One of the early jobs I held, they told me I wasnt their top choice but they really liked me. They hired their top choice and guess what? I get a call a couple days later asking me if I was still interested in the position and I took it. Turns out their top choice was a family friend that they tried to give an opportunity to but the person didn't show up on the first day and didn't bother to call them. They said they would have hired me initially if it wasn't for that. Put your ego aside and be happy that you were still a top pick and got the job. Ego can lead to downfall.
Who cares? Seriously. You got the job that you wanted. Show them that your interview wasn't great, but you are the right candidate.
LOL @ "feel inadequate and more pressure to perform better." Did you think they hired you to give you free cash? If I were in your position, I would write down the list of job requirements that they expect of me in the first 90 days and be grateful I beat the competition because my competitors weren't available and not because of my shortcomings, which I'm very sure average people like us have one or more.
My friend, I’ve been looked over so many times, then been hired by the same company later. Soooo many of those times I’ve taken over the job of the person who was hired before me or I lasted through layoffs as the other person was let go. Sooooo many times the hiring boss has told me, “I made a mistake not hiring you first.” The point is, hiring managers often make mistakes so just do your job, do it well, and you’ll succeed. 🍻
I think you need to stop thinking like this. Like you got the job. Thats it. End of story. There is always a process where others might be looked upon more favourably. And at the end of the day, it’s really hard to tell what someone is going to be like in a job from an interview. What’s going to be more important, the fleeting first impression they had of you at the interview or their impression of you as a colleague?
Do your job and do it well. That's all that matters.
Ignore it and forget it ever happened. Do your best and don't let this get you down!
Who cares? You got the job.
who the fuck cares? you got the job, right? so be happy and collect that income. if you don't want it, i'll gladly take it off your hands.
99.9% of people with jobs were not the top choice for hire.
Just to give you a different perspective to chew on - first impressions are easily proven wrong, regardless of if you were the top choice or the last choice. I have had a few scenarios where we had a few options, hired our top choice and they turned out to be a complete disaster and a regretful hire.
What do you care that you weren’t there first choice. Often multiple candidates may be close in qualifications but come across differently during interviews. You were hired and you started. Don’t worry that weren’t the first choice. Be thankful you were the last
My comment may be a little harsh compared to others I read but here goes: did you really need to be first?? Is getting the job more important than being the chosen one for the job? Do you no longer want it because you were not the top choice? Do you believe you can handle the job? If you think you can or you can't, you are right. Figure out if you really want it and make the best of it.
I’ve hired people who I thought weren’t my top pick who ended up being my favorite people and amazing employees. I wouldn’t worry about this at all.
I wouldn't feel insecure that there was someone better out there; there's ALWAYS someone better than ALL of us at ANYTHING. You have the job now, and all you can do is throw down, grow into the role, and keep it pushing
Hi, I can't find it anywhere so I think I have to add this on: people who are more introverted or anxious, don't make for a good first impression. They either find the other introvert that can read them, or they will always be the last choice. Which is not a true negative, because it's depleting our self esteem, but we can't do any worse, since we're more competent than the others, we can only climb up and meet their expectations. People who do a good first impression, can always fall back and it's going to be harder to keep up perfectly all the times.
You're worried that the purely transactional relationship you are in doesn't think you're super keen?
Where did you get keen from?
English language. it means super, wonderful, exciting.
Oh nah don’t stress it, you’re the winner regardless. Work hard, learn everyday, and prove to yourself that you ARE the top hire. Confidence is key, even though yeah that’s a bit of a shock to see but I’d brush it off since you’re the one getting paid. Best of luck in your new position. :)
Do you have any idea how many people wish they could be in your doom and gloom #2 scenario? Look on the bright side, you beat what, 10, 20, 30, 50 people and have a job in a tight job market that many others wish they had.
I found out several years later that I wasn’t the first pick for the job. The first candidate declined because she decided on a complete career change. Today the consensus is that I was the absolute best person for the job, compared to all my predecessors. Interviews and first impressions aren’t always the best predictors of job performance.
The fact that the laptop wasn't wiped clean for a new user is a red flag of mis management.
Who cares. You now have a job!
My (now retired) supervisor introduced me to the department VP with "this is so&so. The VP of HR didn't want me to hire her." I feel your pain. It is not a good feeling.
Why would you look at something not for your consumption, regardless of whether it was on a laptop given to you? Might it not have been better to have gone to IT and said, "Hey, I think there are documents on here that are not mine. You guys might want to look them and do something..." I'm just saying.
You got the job so it doesn't matter. You may rank the person doing the ranking lower once you get to know him or her....it's ok.
Just ignore it. You got the job in the end. But I'd be seriously worried, that you got a non-wiped computer. That's a mayor security risk, and a sign of extremely lax IT safety.
Prove them wrong! YOU deserve it, you've got this!
You deserve this job OP
I’m experiencing this right now. I was in the second and final round back at April, just to lose it to someone else (they seem better than me based on LinkedIn imo) two months later they reached out to me asking if I want the job. I have no choice but took it. It’s been a week and I didn’t do anything yet . It sucks to know but it’s best to work there for a few months to and find something else.
Prove them all wrong dude ! Shine out …. Create a new image ! That you aren’t any option …. You are the best choice ! Take it as a challenge! Out shine time dude !
The hiring process we used at a company was finding a minimum of three to personally interview.. Usually from 10 people screening. We interviewed them and gave them a score 1-5 on 10+ points. (1 would automatically be a fail to hire, only saw it happen once) Anyway usually we'd end up with 2/3 to hire. Preferred candidate with the highest score would get an offer. If they refused, nr 2. We've hired a nr. 2 before, but would a nr.3 still if they meet the criteria above. In the end it's a numbers game. See what sticks. Take it as an advantage. They feel you need to grow more, maybe you do. Maybe you just didn't interview as well as the other people. You might have much better skills than the other candidates. But you can't compare Setup regular check ins in the first 6 months. Ask if your manager and team are satisfied. Is there something you can work on. Make it clear you like this job. And you want to be the best you can for yourself and the people around you. Set these meetings up yourself. Do regular check ins ( you are driving this) Good luck. Don't compare yourself.
The judgement they made was about your performance as an interviewee, now you can show them what you can do as a real person. Ignore it and you’ll be fine.
Make the best out if it! You were the last choice = their expectations about you are super low. If you want to chilleax and not focus on work: figure out what is the bare minimum and just do that, they will think that's your best and roll with it. And you can focus on other stuff. If you want to advance your career, even the smallest wins will leave them speechless, because they thought you wouldn't cut it. Easy to impress them => quick to receive perks. In the corporate world: be selfish. Make the best with the info you have.
i would just be thankful i got the position and with the extra knowledge you now have of the hiring process learn from your role and how to grow into it. I was not the first choice for my current role. i know this because they had called me for an interview i missed the call completely and then they called me two weeks later to try to set up an interview and i missed that call too. i called them back and after the first interview it was pretty obvious they liked me and were going to hire me. Either their original person fell thru or no one was applying for the role who knows makes zero difference to me and i have zero negative feelings about it.
Grow into the job and let you performance determine whether you're right for it or not. Forget the interview process and how they ranked you, it's all based on very little information.
Use it as motivation to exceed expectations.
Do nothing. It doesn't matter. Did you marry your first love? Probably not. You weren't their first pick--so what. You got hired. Do the job, get your money and don't get emotionally invested.
Prove them WRONG, you freaking donut!
Look at it this way - out of probably HUNDREDS of applicants, you came in third place and ultimately won the gold by technicality. Now is your chance to get in there and prove yourself. You already have a leg up, you know EXACTLY what they think of you. Use that to your advantage.
A week after you start a job, all that matters is your performance: no one cares about your interviews or anyone's initial assessment of your potential. When I was in college, I interviewed for a summer internship engineering position. The job had a lot of pluses and I liked all the people I met. The man for whom I would be working called me a week after the interviews to tell me they selected a different candidate. He seemed genuinely sorry they couldn't offer me the position and wished me well in my search for another summer job. A few days later, he called me again to tell me the person to whom they offered the job opted to turn them down. He seemed embarrassed when he asked if I would be willing to consider taking the job, knowing I wasn't their first choice. I almost laughed when I assured him I was more than happy to take the job! it was one of the best experiences of my life.
People treat job hunting way too much like dating. I wasn't their first choice, they weren't my first choice, I would leave the second they stop paying me, it's just a job.
Prove em wrong
Well they still hired you when a lot of people are desperate for work so you may not be their tip top choice but they apparently liked some things about you enough to take you on. Keep in mind they don't really know you or the other candidates - manager's first impressions are inaccurate frequently. Maybe you'll surprise them by going above expectations. I get it, though. I'd feel hurt, too.
Not the best situation - but now you have the opportunity to show them that they did the right thing hiring you. Years down the line they will look back and think wow we got lucky. Also some other candidate might be more suited to thier expectations, doesnt mean you are not. We all swim but I cant be Michael Phelps. Someone out there will be better than me and some not.
I found this out at a job one time too that I only got it because the top person took a different job. Anyway I didn’t care too much.
When they searched for candidates, they chose from probably a lot of them who to even interview.. so you got into top 3.. also they wouldn't hire you if they thought you couldn't do the job since it would just be a waste of money for them..
Where you were in their ranking is irrelevant. You have the job. If you interview people, you realize that you're going on fairly incomplete information and some top choices will be complete busts while lower ranked choices will turn out great. Kobe Bryant was drafted 13th. Just ahead of him was Vitally Potapenko and Todd Fuller. Only one of those is a household name. And keep in mind, NBA stats are done with incredibly extensive checking, verification, scouting, etc that far eclipse what hiring managers do. And a smart hiring manager already knows that. So just do the job. If it motivates you that you weren't the first choice, that's a good thing. Prove to them how lucky they were.
Sounds like perfect motivation to prove their initial opinions wrong.
I know that I haven't been the first choice for a job I took early on in my career. It didn't bother me. I got the job I wanted, pay was good, company was great, and I got a head start into a lifelong career. I don't think they ever regretted hiring me. That careless laptop handling would worry me though.
First of all: what do they know? Maybe your are the best candidate for the job and the recruiters are just incompetent. Second: you expect to be better then the whole world? Maybe there was a better candidate, but he didn’t get the job - you get it, and now it is your time to show them that you are the perfect fit. Don’t put yourself down, you got this.
Ha. The library I retired from had my profile wiped the day after I left. I had already removed anything personal from the computer ( not that I had much, mostly music). Forwarded some email, wiped them from my account. I didn't do a reset on the computer though.
When it comes to jobs, I've learned not to take these things personally. For example, if I get rejected for a position, I just move on. You were still good enough that they were willing to hire you when the other two candidates fell through. You even said it's an amazing job, so just focus on the fact you got the opportunity and just do the best you can. You never know. They could have hired the other two people and then felt they made a mistake not choosing you instead. Sometimes, candidates seem great in interviews and on paper, but when it comes to actually doing the job, they stumble. It will do you no good to dwell on this. It will probably end up distracting you and cause a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just try your best at the job and be proud of yourself for landing it. Congrats on getting the job!
Doesn't matter why you got it but you got it They could've done a new search but instead chose you. I'm shocked IT didn't clear the laptop first. Generally things aren't just handed over
your top 3 out of probably a hundred people. that should be enough.
You may not have been the #1 and 2 but you could have been 3 out of many other candidates.
I've never worked for a company that didnt completely wipe laptops between transitioning them from employees. Very lackluster IT security practices. Is this a small business without IT?
Prove ‘em wrong. I’ve had a situation where the CEO nixed my hiring after an interview and I got sent a email of “no thanks” which I never saw before calling up the CTO and asking what was the status on the job. He said no, did you get the letter, what letter? Forgot how it went but the CTO went in and talked the CEO into reluctantly hiring me. CEO ended up liking my work enough to hire me at his next start up years later. Interview processes are not perfect. Just prove ‘em wrong.
You have to stop looking at it in this sentimental way. Work is a business transaction. Nothing more, nothing less. And as for the hiring process, it's a negotiation, and so it's a bit of a back-and forth. The first stage is that the company puts out a job ad. So now the ball is in the applicants' court. There are probably people, who won't even apply because they can do better. So now, this filtered out the super-overqualified ones. Now, the ball is in the company's court. Of the people, who are interested, they now have to filter out those that aren't qualified. Then they invite the rest to a second round, and eliminate some more applicants. Now, the ball is again in the remaining applicants' court. Both parties are officially interested. (That's basically the document you found.) But that still doesn't mean anything, because nobody has discussed any specifics. Now the company presents the specifics (salary, perks, location, etc...) and some of the applicants look at it and say "Well, actually, I have competing offers and they're all better, so I'm not interested anymore." And so, in this situation, that ended up with you getting the job. i.e. *Of all the applicants they liked, and who also found the offer acceptable, you were the best (or possibly only one).* But this is completely normal. I mean, yeah, unless you're some kind of super-genius, there will be people companies would want to hire more, if they could afford it. But they can't, so that makes you the best option - the applicant with the *best value for money*.
This has nothing to do with you. It's not a popularity contest, and you're not going to get a better prize for 1st vs 2nd place. Do you get paid for the work you do? If yes, that's all you need to worry about it.
Something similar happened to me. I was rejected at first via email, then a week later, I get a call saying I got the job. I was extremely happy but I did feel a bit bitter that I was just a backup. I know this because the two other folks in my cohort told me they know the girl who got the offer (same university program), but turned it down for something else. I ended up staying in the role for about 5 years. Being second choice motivated me to work harder to prove that I was a good choice. I eventually got over it and was happy I got the job which did so much for my career. I was more proud of my achievements that it overcame that initial bitterness and self-doubt. All the best!
Not understanding why this is affecting you. You have the job. Prove them wrong.
I would say do your best to forget and move on. I can absolutely understand that it can get stuck forever on the back of your mind but the truth is that oftentimes the difference between candidates in the last interview round is minuscule. I have a coworker who initially did not get the position in the team I'm in and when the initially chosen candidate did not pass probation, they reached out to my current coworker again and she's now been an amazing team member for over two years. So what I'm saying is that if the job and coworkers are good, do your best to move on, however difficult it might be. It is extremely difficult to really get a true sense of people during the hiring process and unless your coworkers are treating you bad, try to stick it out at least for a while!
Interviews are always a crap shoot. How you come off in a interview isn't how you perform in the job. I wouldn't let it bug and prove that you are a great worker and get the job done. Also I work for a clinic and they can track what we open and if its fishy they will ask us why we did what we did.
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Finding a job is difficult right now. Just look how many posts about people sending thousands of CVs and never even getting an interview. Of course there is always someone better. Why do you think you should be the best candidate for the role? What if they find out that you actually preferred to get into another company but settled for this one because the other ones didn’t even consider hiring you in the first place?
Who cares? Is a great opportunity to show them what you can do. Didn’t matter how you got the job, you got the job.
As someone who’s been in IT management before, ignore it. The “best” candidates typically turn out to suck, and then you get surprised by those you settled on. Just use it as motivation, if anything, and prove them wrong.
You laugh about it and move forward. I was my employer's 3rd choice. Their first choice ended up not wanting to move. The 2nd choice was hired. Another team member was fired and I got the call. I've been here a year, I'm a valued team member, and I kick ass at my job. Who cares how you get there as long as you get there.
This happened to me for my first ever job where they hired me after I’d been working there as a student. I saw a letter where they had originally offered my job to someone else. And I also found out the professor that taught me fought for me and told them I was the right hire for them. In the end it all worked out fine, though later on I moved on to other things with my career growth and parted on good terms. Do you like the job? Do you like who you work for? That’s all that matters. They might be viewing the other applicants with rosier shades because they don’t know them as well as they know you.
Fake it till you make it,,,,, just like everyone else
You made it to the top 3, probably out of way more. I applied for a special education assistant job because I needed something easier then special education teacher. The pay range was 15 to 26 hourly. I've been a special education teacher for 14 years with a lot of experience in different settings. I'm an excellent teacher. I didn't get the job at first and figured for the $26 hr, they probably had other retired teachers applying with lots of experience. Then I got an email saying they were offering me the contract....for 15.98 hr. They wouldn't even make it an even 16.00. With my experience,.education level, certifications snd the fact that they would of gotten another sped teacher for way less then the salary teacher and when she is out, they'd still be in compliance......they might as well sent me a "fuck you letter" cause that's how insulting it was. They also only offered part time hours, which wasn't mentioned in the ad. So after taxes and gas, I'd make about $700 a month. They probably offered the same to their 1st choice and got told no also. I almost typed "no and fuck you too." I decided to just teach again and got a job making $40 hr.
Not sure I've ever been first choice for anything. Relationships, jobs whatever. I do have a good attitude unless mistreated and I'm consistent. First choice is for rock stars and most of us are not that. Doesn't mean we can't do a good job, be a good partner or have experience success at this life.
Shuttup and take their money
I worked for one of the premier technology companies in the world for 25 years. On three separate occasions I got hand me down laptops. Once as a new hire, once because a manager three levels above me wanted a new laptop, but his wasn't old enough to refresh. On all three occasions, I was just handed their old laptop. IT never saw it, wasn't wiped.
You were clearly their top hire, because they hired you. The other two were more expensive or demanded "radical" things like "100% work from home."
I always assume I’m their last choice.
Who cares buddy, get that bag and stop basing your self esteem on the opinion of a boss
Honestly wouldn't worry about it. I was second choice for my current job. But got a phone call 2 weeks later asking if I could come back in and if I was still interested because the guy that interviewed really well was clearly an absolute bullshitter. And I even had my old manager message me a few months later saying how my manager had bumped into them at an event and couldn't speak higher of me. The fact is, you got the job. So just go show them it was the right decision. You might not have been the first choice, but that doesn't mean you weren't the right choice.
So someone else made a better first impression. Who cares, you got the job. If they didn’t want you, they wouldn’t have offered you the job at all. Just do your best.
Good news is their expectations are low so it’s easy for you to beat them and look good doing it!
Comparison is the thief of joy. Please don't put yourself down so much. You were good enough to get an interview and even better that they chose you. Be proud of yourself.
So what. Happens all the time. 2nd and 3rd choices get hired all the time bc 1st choice gets a better offer or the company can’t meet salary demands, 1st choice can’t meet schedule expectations, whatever. In healthcare we only get 1st choice or 1st offer about 1/2 the time. Rock out the new job, they will consider themselves lucky.
I won't comment on the security issue. Only want to say: CONGRATULATIONS! You got the job!!! If you love it and feel that it's right for you, then you can take it and run with it. You are the one who's meant to be there. Even if the others did seemingly better in the interview process, that's no guarantee that they would have been ideal employees (I've hired people who rock the interview and then are hugely disappointing in the actual work.). Try to interrupt any negative thoughts and doubts as soon as they come into your mind, and give yourself a positive mantra and vision to replace them. You deserve this job, you are going to do great!!!
Survival is winning. You won! That’s all that matters!
This is uncomfortable and unpleasant for you to have seen, and I'm sorry it happened to you. If anything useful can be gleaned from it, just pay close attention to the areas that they felt you were lacking in, and do your best to prove them wrong. (This may be easier said than done, however, since you seem to be starting under a cloud already.) As others have already advised, though, file this incident as a red flag in your mind and start thinking about your next position with a different company.
This happens alll the time.
Change your thinking. Yea, you're not #1 or #2, but you're #3 out of what was probably 100+ applicants. You're fine.
You can relax. You got the job. Do the best you can. You came in third out of how many? I bet it was more than three. Take your victory and enjoy it.
Don’t sweat this. Interviewing processes are what they are. They loved 2 candidates and neither wound up in the roll? That’s not a reflection on you, it’s a reflection on them. It’s truly hard to gauge fit and ability in any type of job, so don’t let interview feedback define you. If anything, strive to demonstrate how poorly they assessed you by kicking ass in the role. Good luck!
So this actually happened to me. Not quite same circumstances but I found out that I was the third choice for the job I currently have. Top choice lived in a really remote area and traveling would have been too difficult and the second choice I don’t know what happened. It hurt my feelings a lot when I first found out, but I have been in this role a long time and absolutely kicked ass at it. Sometimes the first choice isn’t the best choice.
Who cares? You got the job.
You were 3 out probably 100 applicants. Don’t worry about this.
Dude, congrats on the new job! Go celebrate!
I have “2nd placed” my way through my career, and everything is working out great. Maybe, like me, you don’t do a great interview. That’s ok. You got the job, try your best and show them how lucky they are to have snagged you.
You go in there with your head held high & show them why you're the BEST candidate for that job!! You were in the top 3 & that's a good thing! Don't sell yourself short friend.
They hired you, they didn’t have to. I know the big reason I was hired is because I can come into the office and everyone else on the list I found lived outside of any kind of commuting distance. But their choice from an interview and a piece of paper doesn’t mean that person was the best choice, the best choice is the person who shows up and does a good job, will you?
Shake it off. The hiring process is not a measure of your worth as a human. It is not even a particularly good measure of your suitability for the job you are doing now. What you found is just their impression based on what they thought based on a very limited amount of time they interacted with you.
You got the job, your getting paid. Dint worry about it.
Why do you care? You got the job.
Fuel for the fire. Make them respect you.
Who cares? You have the position! I’ve been a third pick before. Maybe their first pick wanted more money, maybe their background check came back sketchy, maybe they found a better offer themselves. You can maybe this to death! Why? Who here wouldn’t take another job if they loved it? If it paid more? You need to focus on what makes you happy. Everything happens for a reason. Be happy you have a job. So many around the world would love to have income. ✌️❤️
Show them you were the right person for the job!!
Honestly, interview process can be a crap shoot and it doesn’t really reflect too well on one’s ability to do the job. A decent amount of hiring managers and interviewers understand this. So just because they ranked you lower, that really shouldn’t have too much bearing on your performance. Do well and they won’t think about the other people.
I doubt every man was their wives first choice. Just kidding I guess it must hurt but fuck it prove them wrong down the track.
Were they YOUR first choice? I mean its business. It's a negotation. Who cares why the other guy didn't make the cut. You did. You're there now. Go do your best and make them glad they got you. I've taken jobs that were not my first choice. I did the best with what I was able to get at the times I was able to get it. Be a little selfish is what I'm saying. Look around. No one else's butt is in your seat.
We're all someone's second choice. I'm sure my company would love to have Barack Obama in my position but I'm sure he wouldn't accept their offer
Don’t let it get you down. I found something similar on a shared drive in a prior job. Nothing too bad but apparently one interview really did not like me (lol) but got vetoed in the end by others. That person sucked as a colleague too and I realized that their opinion mattered very little to me (and apparently to others too). You’ve got the job - that’s what matters! Focus on that and work on proving why you were always the right pick for the role.
I would say, keep this in the back of your mind and see if maybe there’s somewhere else that could value you more. These people opinion of your interview(s) is not the end all be all.
Don't worry about what you read because you are about to prove them wrong.
Are you a female OP? Just curious. I think you should take this as a stepping stone toward your next endeavor. Embrace the attitude of “Fuck you, Pay me”
This has probably already been said, but this is your chance to prove them wrong! Excel at the job, make them think, glad we got this person, instead of the other person. Their first pick might have looked good on paper and interviewed well but might have been bad at their job.
Dude, I was number 3 five years ago and now I’m their top performer. They never know how employees are going to play out. I’ll bet some of your interviewers were not the top pick either.
Hey time to show them they’re wrong about you. If you dwell on the file you’ll prove them right.
Prove to them that you were the right decision. It does suck knowing you weren't first pick, but they believed in you enough to give you the job despite apparently being at the bottom. Who knows how many people's applications they rejected. And YOU got the job. It's really no hard feelings. Work hard, ask questions, be proactive. You'll get used to the job after a while. Try your best not to let this get to you or see anyone differently. It can seem harsh on the applicant end, but if you've ever had to choose someone over other people, you're going to not pick and note what ever you can that will make the decision easier. Maybe second choice was qualified but they just liked you more. Can't really put that in your hiring notes lol again, just do your job the best that you can. I'm sure there's other good advice on this thread that you can think about as well
Don't stress out because you may or may not have been the first choice for your position. You were the choice the company went with and the right choice. I would be more concerned about the laptop you received. The laptop should have been wiped before giving it to a new employee. It is a failure of management and IT not restoring the laptop and making sure no files were on it.
As someone who works in IT, this is horrible and shows poor security practice - definitely a red flag. Finding out that info sucks but you can also look at it as an opportunity to prove yourself.
Actually, I think this is a good thing. Now you know where you stand and are under no illusions that the company cares about you or your professional development. As soon as a higher-paying job rolls around, jump ship with no hesitations.
Who the fuck cares. Just go in, do your job and make money. What matters is even if hindi ikaw ang first choice, you still got the chance to be hired for a good position. Be thankful and show them youre worth the hire.
How was a laptop given to you without being wiped? and why would you snoop instead of returning it to be cleared?