Proof That Any Higher Power Definitely Has a Sense of Humor

My tale of woe regarding job searching hit another new low today.

A few weeks ago, I had a phone call from a company for an internal communications manager. Everything about the job matched up perfectly with my experience -- and the phone conversation I had with the recruiter went extremely well. It turns out, all the things the hiring manager wanted, I had; and -- apparently -- we shared the same outlook on a number of key communications issues.

At the conclusion, she told me the hiring manager's name. I went ahead and looked up the person on LinkedIn, and found we were connected by one person -- a second-degree connection. I dug deeper, and found the connection was a college friend. I reached out to him and he was kind enough to send an incredibly nice recommendation to the hiring manager. She responded right away with a positive response, and I was selected to come in for a face-to-face interview this week. At last, I thought, things were finally heading in the right direction ... all my preaching about social media and connections were finally bearing fruit.

So, today, I get a call from the recruiter. She says, "I have interesting news." Turns out, the company is re-evaluating the position. My interview tomorrow is canceled (not postponed...). And, the interesting thing is -- the hiring manager; the one my friend reached out to; is no longer with the company.

The recruiter wasn't convinced the position was dead (and, obviously, they now need someone for the higher position as well -- but, what are the odds it will either be me OR someone I have a connection to -- probably not very high). And, to rub salt in the wound, she told me I had been the number one choice heading into the interview.

As I said, it may not be over - it's certainly still an option (and, my background is still a great match for the role). But, it may be even more of a sign that I no longer am surprised when these things happen.