Thanks Dunni for reading my post and for the helpful reply. I think you're right about the internal politics - I should probably just give them the benefit of the doubt and presume that the interviewers were put in a difficult position that was out-with their control. I'll keep my (wary!) eye out for any further vacancies. Thanks again for your advice.

Hi,
The wild goose chase I'm talking about is job-hunting! I've been out of a job for 10 weeks now and wanted your opinion on something that happened to me recently. I'm over it now but at the time it knocked my confidence and made me feel pretty despondent.
I was invited for an interview whilst still in my last job and it was at a small company in the location that I have recently moved to, so it seemed like my dream job. The people seemed very nice, interview and presentation went fine, and I left with a good feeling about the job. Didn't hear anything for a few weeks until my referees got in touch to tell me that they'd been approached for a reference and that it sounded as though a job offer was on the cards. I didn't want to get my hopes up too much but was secretly excited, however no news came for another couple of weeks. I eventually received an email which I knew straight away was bad news because it started way too positively saying how they were extremely impressed with me and how my references were glowing, etc. Unfortunately due to a contract being pulled they were unable to offer me a position at the present time but they were keen to come back with a job offer if the situation improved. I was disappointed and knew it had been too good to be true, but was pleased at least that they'd been considering me and it really did alot for my confidence.
3 weeks later however, the same job advert appeared (looking for 1 person this time) on a number of job sites (different from the ones that the original advert had been placed on). I was pretty surprised and wondered why they hadn't been in touch seeing as they had been adamant that I was ideal for the job! Sent them (2 people on interview panel) both a polite email asking if it would be appropriate for me to reapply and eventually got a vague reply from one of them saying that they'd noted my interest but that the other person would be dealing with recruitment on their return from holiday. Sent another polite email a week after their return and got no reply whatsoever - this was 6 weeks ago.
I know there's a lot of smoke and mirrors with small companies and their funding situations, and I know that I should have just phoned them immediately to catch them on the hop, but I'm just really disappointed that I didn't merit a reply. I spent a lot of money travelling to the interview, spent a lot of time preparing the presentation during the busiest time of my project, and had to put in a lot of extra hours in the lab in order to take the day off to attend. I would have much preferred them to be honest and just tell me that I was unsuitable for the job rather than give me false hope. I came away from the situation feeling like a bit of a fool. Anyone experienced anything like this before?

Wishing you all the very best for your interviews next week 404. Don't put yourself under too much pressure - you're obviously a great candidate with a cracking CV so draw confidence from that. Good advice from the others about reading manuscripts from the group you're visiting - scientists always love hearing that you've enjoyed reading their work! good luck

Hi Treefrog,
I think I would be more inclined to stick with the part-time job as this will allow you time to concentrate on applying for jobs and for interview preparation. Although the extra money would be tempting, it might not be worth it if the job is not really to your liking and especially if it distracts you from clinching the job you really want. Great news about the Senior post-doc position - really, really hope you get it! good luck with your interview and with your decision about the current jobs.

done it. good luck!

Brilliant! Your interviews sound very promising - good luck!!! The technical post sounds great - you never know what it might lead to and the contracts for these types of positions are often a lot more "permanent" than post-doc roles.
I've had a couple of knock-backs for post-doc positions this week but wasn't expecting much from either of them so not too bothered (well, I was but then had some wine and pick n mix and felt much better!). I'm really hoping to get an interview for a technical position at a uni that I applied for recently but trying not to get my hopes up too much.
Enjoy your wine!!

Hi there,
I can completely empathise with you Treefrog as I’ve found myself in the same position. My post-doc position ended 6 weeks ago and I've now chosen to relocate to be with my partner, who like your partner has had to commit to particular location. Unfortunately there aren’t many post-doc opportunities coming up around here so like you, I’m starting to widen the net and look at other options. I’ve also been worrying about whether my PhD is putting people off. I’ve not taken it off my CV as it leaves a huge 3 year gaping hole so have ended up re-wording my job titles to “assistant” and stuck my Phd at the end in the hope that they will get bored and not read the whole thing! Still hasn’t helped though. I too am really enjoying the sunny weather and finding more time for things that I neglected when I was slaving away in the lab (seems like wasted hours now!) like friends, family and hobbies but must admit to having some major panics thinking that I’ll never get another job. But just have to keep hoping and filling out applications.... All the best with your job search – have got my fingers crossed for you.
Does anyone have any advice on the best way to approach labs with speculative applications/CVs? Thanks alot!