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[seniorscholar]

I recently interviewed for a state position that was opened to the public after it was initially posted for internal candidates.  My refferences were checked and an internal source verified that I was a top candidate.  Two months went by and no word from the state, so I called the HR dept.  I was told that the 13 positions that were open, were now being held for other state employees.  Is this legal or a violation of EEOC regulation?

Though I haven't heard of it happening at any colleges around here, it has become very common with city and state agencies since the budgets crashed: it's an attempt to find employment, even at a lesser salary, for the people who have been laid off by city or state agencies when their funding was cut.

[hikinggirl]

Just found out that there might be an internal candidate (i.e., the position announcement seems written for the VAP in mind, plus that VAP's spouse is a TT assistant professor in another department at the college - both were hired last year).

Pretty obvious, right? What is a tactful way of emailing the SCC to ask if there is an internal candidate? If the response is "yes," shouldn't I decline the campus interview I have scheduled there? This is killing me.

Sorry for the low post count - I have changed my moniker to remain unidentifiable...

[scampster]

Just found out that there might be an internal candidate (i.e., the position announcement seems written for the VAP in mind, plus that VAP's spouse is a TT assistant professor in another department at the college - both were hired last year).

Pretty obvious, right? What is a tactful way of emailing the SCC to ask if there is an internal candidate? If the response is "yes," shouldn't I decline the campus interview I have scheduled there? This is killing me.

Sorry for the low post count - I have changed my moniker to remain unidentifiable...

Well, if you don't interview, you definitely won't get the job.

[larryc]

Just found out that there might be an internal candidate (i.e., the position announcement seems written for the VAP in mind, plus that VAP's spouse is a TT assistant professor in another department at the college - both were hired last year).

AFTDJ and if they ask for an interview knock 'em dead. The person for whom the job seems to be written might not be interested, or might take another job (there is a good chance the couple is on the market together), or might step in front of a bus. The internal candidate might blow the interview, or be widely hated by a significant part of the department, or have really poor personal hygiene. There are a LOT of moving pieces in a search process and it is hard to predict how any search will turn out.

What is a tactful way of emailing the SCC to ask if there is an internal candidate?

Ain't none. Don't ask.

This is killing me.

No it is not. Good Luck and Let us know how it turns out.

Signed,

LarryC, a former internal candidate who did not get the job.

[systeme_d_]

Just found out that there might be an internal candidate (i.e., the position announcement seems written for the VAP in mind, plus that VAP's spouse is a TT assistant professor in another department at the college - both were hired last year).

Pretty obvious, right? What is a tactful way of emailing the SCC to ask if there is an internal candidate? If the response is "yes," shouldn't I decline the campus interview I have scheduled there? This is killing me.

Sorry for the low post count - I have changed my moniker to remain unidentifiable...

I watched a very similar situation unfold last hiring season in my field.  A TT job was posted.  Currently teaching many of the classes that would be associated with that job was a VAP who happened to be the spouse of a TT faculty member in that department.  Several folks in my field mentioned that they weren't even going to apply for that job.  I told them they were nuts, and that they should apply.

One of those folks who almost didn't apply got the job. 

Moral of the story:  You cannot know for sure what you think you know.  And an internal candidate is NEVER a guarantee of an internal hire.

[marlborough]

I recently interviewed for a state position that was opened to the public after it was initially posted for internal candidates.  My refferences were checked and an internal source verified that I was a top candidate.  Two months went by and no word from the state, so I called the HR dept.  I was told that the 13 positions that were open, were now being held for other state employees.  Is this legal or a violation of EEOC regulation?

Though I haven't heard of it happening at any colleges around here, it has become very common with city and state agencies since the budgets crashed: it's an attempt to find employment, even at a lesser salary, for the people who have been laid off by city or state agencies when their funding was cut.

This would be the case at my institution--by our faculty contract, if we have an advertised opening, any faculty member who meets the basic qualifications for the job and who has been downsized from another campus in our system has to be interviewed first and the hiring committee would have to actively disprove that the person was unqualified before looking at anyone else.  There's been a lot of retrenching elsewhere in the state, with even some tenured faculty being separated.  Of course, this has not actually come up, because there is no money for new lines (or replacement lines, and sabbatical replacements are not attracting these folks for one semester) but if/when it does, there will be a big argument about people coming in with seniority in the system bumping people in departments that just hired them, or were forced to hire them, etc.  It's an ugly situation out there.

[drnobody]

This year the job I got at my CC had an internal candidate. Ten of us made the cut, including the internal. Internal did not even make top 3. I did and got the job. Always try. You just never know what could happen. I thought it was pointless. Even though it was CC and not my dream TT, the fact is, there was an internal candidate who was expected to be hired and that candidate wasn't. Let the reader understand.

[hikinggirl]

Just found out that there might be an internal candidate (i.e., the position announcement seems written for the VAP in mind, plus that VAP's spouse is a TT assistant professor in another department at the college - both were hired last year).

Pretty obvious, right? What is a tactful way of emailing the SCC to ask if there is an internal candidate? If the response is "yes," shouldn't I decline the campus interview I have scheduled there? This is killing me.

Sorry for the low post count - I have changed my moniker to remain unidentifiable...

I watched a very similar situation unfold last hiring season in my field.  A TT job was posted.  Currently teaching many of the classes that would be associated with that job was a VAP who happened to be the spouse of a TT faculty member in that department.  Several folks in my field mentioned that they weren't even going to apply for that job.  I told them they were nuts, and that they should apply.

One of those folks who almost didn't apply got the job. 

Moral of the story:  You cannot know for sure what you think you know.  And an internal candidate is NEVER a guarantee of an internal hire.

Yes - thanks so much. I will press on, although my gut is telling me that a decision has already been made (e.g., ho-hum preliminary interview). This is my very first campus interview, so at the very least I can chalk it up to getting experience in the whole hiring process.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Mini-meltdown avoided.

[glowdart]

Yes - thanks so much. I will press on, although my gut is telling me that a decision has already been made (e.g., ho-hum preliminary interview). This is my very first campus interview, so at the very least I can chalk it up to getting experience in the whole hiring process.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Mini-meltdown avoided.

It could also just be that the person doing the preliminary interview isn't good at interviewing.  Imagine what would happen if every member of your graduate faculty ran a search committee -- the differences, I bet, would be astounding.   

Good luck on the campus visit!

[niceday]

Just found out that there might be an internal candidate (i.e., the position announcement seems written for the VAP in mind, plus that VAP's spouse is a TT assistant professor in another department at the college - both were hired last year).

Pretty obvious, right? What is a tactful way of emailing the SCC to ask if there is an internal candidate? If the response is "yes," shouldn't I decline the campus interview I have scheduled there? This is killing me.

Sorry for the low post count - I have changed my moniker to remain unidentifiable...

I watched a very similar situation unfold last hiring season in my field.  A TT job was posted.  Currently teaching many of the classes that would be associated with that job was a VAP who happened to be the spouse of a TT faculty member in that department.  Several folks in my field mentioned that they weren't even going to apply for that job.  I told them they were nuts, and that they should apply.

One of those folks who almost didn't apply got the job. 

Moral of the story:  You cannot know for sure what you think you know.  And an internal candidate is NEVER a guarantee of an internal hire.

Yes - thanks so much. I will press on, although my gut is telling me that a decision has already been made (e.g., ho-hum preliminary interview). This is my very first campus interview, so at the very least I can chalk it up to getting experience in the whole hiring process.

Thanks everyone for your replies. Mini-meltdown avoided.

They may be gung-ho about the internal candidate but change their minds after a stellar interview from you. Or they may be interviewing the VAP as a courtesy and have no intention. My previous school often granted interviews to local VAPs and post-docs --if their topic fit-- as a courtesy since it didn't cost anything and it seemed awfully rude not to give them a chance to make a case for themselves. Most of the time, we knew we were really unlikely to hire them. Unless they really surprised us and wowed us.

In short, an interview is a potential game-changer. Go, play.

[username2]

I agree with everyone about not worrying about the inside candidate.

However, even if you have no chance, the fact that this is your first interview means you should work extra hard to prepare. Interviewing can take practice, and now you have a golden opportunity to see how well your job talk and interview skills will work in a real situation. I don't approve of people taking expensive fly outs as practice interviews, but it will help you to think of this one as a practice interview, go right ahead.

[hikinggirl]

I agree with everyone about not worrying about the inside candidate.

However, even if you have no chance, the fact that this is your first interview means you should work extra hard to prepare. Interviewing can take practice, and now you have a golden opportunity to see how well your job talk and interview skills will work in a real situation. I don't approve of people taking expensive fly outs as practice interviews, but it will help you to think of this one as a practice interview, go right ahead.

True. Luckily for everyone, I will be driving up the morning of the first day of the interview, so no worries about the expense.

[username2]

I meant, I disprove of people taking interviews somewhere they wouldn't go, "just for practice," knowing they wouldn't go if they got the offer.  But it doesn't sound like you're doing that. Good luck!

[weathered]

I found out that the position that I last interviewed went to an internal candidate. I don't quite understand the logic behind this hire. The guy is just too weak to be considered as a current candidate in this market. He's been on the market for more than a decade with no publication, but worked in the department for a long time and his advisor also happens to be department chair. During my interview, the chair said, I would need at least two books from top university presses to get tenured there. Hmm...I don't know what the department gains by hiring someone who didn't publish anything during the last ten-fifteen years post-phd. Strange logic.

[systeme_d_]

I found out that the position that I last interviewed went to an internal candidate. I don't quite understand the logic behind this hire. The guy is just too weak to be considered as a current candidate in this market. He's been on the market for more than a decade with no publication, but worked in the department for a long time and his advisor also happens to be department chair. During my interview, the chair said, I would need at least two books from top university presses to get tenured there. Hmm...I don't know what the department gains by hiring someone who didn't publish anything during the last ten-fifteen years post-phd. Strange logic.

Yes, you do understand the logic. I have bolded it above.