The absurdity encountered in the job search never ceases to amaze me.
Recently, I applied to fill an opening on our city council. The opportunity became available when one of the veteran council representatives decided to resign before his term was over.
I was one of 16 who applied for the position. It was disappointing but not terribly surprising that I was not selected. There were many good candidates.
But what is cause for wonder is the letter I received today. It was from the president of city council informing me that I was not selected to fill the council vacancy. This notification, mind you, comes a week after the council picked a replacement and after the council’s selection was sworn in — all duly reported in the local news.
The other chapter in this ongoing story is the other rejection I also received today (nothing like a two-fer rejection day). This was from the Ohio Newspaper Association, which is in search of an executive director.
Now, I am a lifelong resident of Ohio and almost my entire career has been in newspapers, as a photographer, reporter, editor and managing editor. I have a graduate degree. But, as the letter said, this was a “very competitive process.”
However, why the letter found the need to tell me that “you should know we received applications not only from inside Ohio but from several locations throughout the U.S.,” is beyond me. Frankly, applicants outside of Ohio should have carried little weight.
But the cherry on top of this rejection sundae is this. The letter said the search committee met on July 28 “to review the many resumes we received.” One day to decide who to call in — for a job in which the current director isn’t retiring until Dec. 31.
The only thing that would make me think the ONA is an even less reflective body is to learn that it decided this matter over lunch. Knowing journalists, it probably did.
