For my 6000th post, Please allow me to say that job hunting and unemployment...

[Odysseus]

Ody, actual mileage may vary considerably on that. There really aren't any non-local rules requiring interviews at all in DOD, and I've rarely seen them used for anything besides picking the final winner from the 'Best qualified' list, never to winnow the complete referral list down to the 3-6 'Best qualified.' It's pretty discretionary with the selecting official, and just how afraid that person is of making decisions they might have to actually explain later. The main function of panels and interviews is just ass-coverage, in my civil service time I was hired just off my resume and references twice, and by an interview process once (And defended quite a lot of other selection decisions in EEO cases over the years in all three jobs).

No argument. It all depends on the supervisor, I guess.

[Elspeth]

...10 interviews for state jobs...

He's interviewing for government (state) jobs. I can tell you from experience that certain things that may be getting in his way, depending on his state: quotas, priority hiring (usually military), cronyism, and health insurance costs.

In the OP, I think health insurance costs were the big issue.

Right now, state agencies are trying to cut costs any way they can because the tax revenue is drying up. The last thing they want is to increase insurance costs with older, sicker people.

Usually, it is Human Resources who weighs in on insurance costs once there is a short list of candidates. Before that, the department doing the hiring may be excited about a job candidate and desire to hire him or her. But even the top candidate that everyone loves can be nixed if the insurance is too high. I've seen it happen.

I believe this is the reason the applicant above did not get his job. If you look at the pattern, he had several really good interviews and was led to believe he had the job. That meant that the department really liked him. However, as the selection process got closer to the end, HR probably weighed in, noting his age, his bad back, and whatever other health problems he may have had and nixed him as a candidate.

They would not tell him that, however, as it would be discriminatory: age discrimination, ADA, etc. So they have to invent some other reasons why his qualifications are "lacking." Because the turnaround was so abrupt, it took the applicant by surprise and he smelled a rat. He just didn't know which one.

The department clearly didn't want any trouble so they invited him to apply for another position, figuring that he would be so demoralized that he would not. When he did apply, they nipped it in the bud.

Could it have been something else, like a bad reference that came through late in the hiring process, for example? I actually doubt that. Most employers only verify dates of employment, for fear of lawsuits.

The doctor that originally fired the applicant, after many years as a good employee, mentioned his back as a reason he could no longer be employed, even though his job did not suffer from it. I'll bet my bottom dollar that the doctor's health insurance for this employee skyrocketed and he fired him to reduce costs on the business. Since that doctor actually mentioned his back, the applicant might consider getting a disabilities lawyer.

[SarasotaRepub]

Or...like a lot of DUmmies, he's lying and leaving something out.

[JB]

Sorry DUmmy, I don't buy it. Employers don't call you back for fourth interview to deny you a job.

I thought that was a bit suspect but I've never been on a gubmint job interview so I thought maybe (due to government inefficiency) that was the process.

Maybe you get four interviews if the job you are applying for is "guy that carries the nuclear football" but other than that, four interviews without an offer would give me pause as to what type of organization I was walking into.

[Elspeth]

I thought that was a bit suspect but I've never been on a gubmint job interview so I thought maybe (due to government inefficiency) that was the process.

Maybe you get four interviews if the job you are applying for is "guy that carries the nuclear football" but other than that, four interviews without an offer would give me pause as to what type of organization I was walking into.

It depends on the job. If you're in management or you have a legally sensitive job there might very well be several interviews. There may be fellow employees who want to assess you or there may be several levels up the chain that need to check you out.

Remember the OP had a master's degree, 20 years of experience, and dealt with people in some kind of medical situation. That sounds like it could be counseling or some therapy-related activity, which might require more scrutiny by more people up the chain.

A friend of mine is a teacher at a state community college and she had a preliminary interview with the hiring committee, a group interview with potential fellow colleagues, a teaching demonstration observed by the hiring committee and the department chair, and an interview with the Dean.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Or...like a lot of DUmmies, he's lying and leaving something out.

I believe that's the crux of the matter right there.

[noonwitch]

Sorry DUmmy, I don't buy it. Employers don't call you back for fourth interview to deny you a job.

I haven't had to interview for a job for a long time, but I've never had an interview process that involved more than two interviews, and those were situations where a regional boss or someone who was off the day of the first interview had to make a final hiring decision.

[Elspeth]

I haven't had to interview for a job for a long time, but I've never had an interview process that involved more than two interviews, and those were situations where a regional boss or someone who was off the day of the first interview had to make a final hiring decision.

It depends on your level, noonwitch. I have known high level people to have had several interviews. Some high level government jobs, especially in management, might require three interviews: immediate boss, boss's boss, and interview with the staff to be managed.

I also know that community colleges usually have three meetings with each applicant (hiring committee, teaching demonstration (dept. chair), and Dean.) Universities have extended interviews in which the applicant might stay a couple of days with activities involving interviews, teaching demonstrations, a presentation of a paper, and interview with graduate students.

A secretarial job might be a one interview thing (unless it's an executive secretary position), but managerial jobs usually involve a lot more.

[RobJohnson]

I can't figure out whether he's a fool for going to a fourth interview or not. It seems a bit abusive. Frankly, I consider two interviews to be pushing it, unless they do them both in the same visit. There is a certain lack of good faith if you are not being interviewed by someone with the power to make a decision. It pretty much tells you how working there is going to be. It's what I call "They Syndrome". When you work for some corporations, nothing is ever a decision made by a person with a name, it's always "They say...." I make a point of asking "Who is they?" at every opportunity. Surely someone knows who they is.

Maybe he was over confident when it came to the 4th interview and forgot to shower and wash his hair.

It happens with DUmmies....