Job offer rescinded? What did I do wrong?

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I am new so if I am posting in the wrong place please let me know!

I just want to start by saying I am a new grad and this was my first job offer. I had an interview Saturday at a pediatric office. I was so excited because I love children. The doctor was interviewing more candidates and said he would let me know his decision. Monday he called to let me know he wanted to offer me the position. However, before I officially took it, he told me he thought it'd be a good idea for me to shadow for a few days to make sure I liked it. He said he didn't see why I wouldn't and after I shadowed we could discuss salary. He also said he would compensate me for shadowing.

Tuesday morning I got there early in my nice pressed scrubs and white sneakers. I met with their only nurse, a LPN that had been there 18 years. I was to follow her around for the day but only observe. I shadowed her for 2.5 hours and she seemed pleasant and I asked a lot of intelligent, but not annoying, questions and helped her if I could. I thought it was going well.

Then 11:30 rolls around and she smiles and says "I'll be right back"..basically saying don't follow me right now and to wait for her in the receptionist area. An ENTIRE hour passed and she never came back. She popped her head in once, smiled at me, grabbed a piece of paper and hurried out to imply again.."don't follow me". I was so mad I could feel my blood boiling. I was supposed to be shadowing her all day and she was intentionally avoiding me. The doctor (who unofficially hired me) finally came in after over an hour and said it was going to be really crazy in the afternoon and I could go home early. I was supposed to stay until 5. He said he would call me later in the evening so we could talk about "plan B". I thought that meant about hiring me. However, I left feeling pretty discouraged..

When I got home I was perusing Craigslist out of habit and there was an ad for the job I had just shadowed at that had been posted no more than 30 minutes after I left. I was mortified! To make matters worse, he NEVER even called me yesterday which I find extremely unprofessional. And now I am left hanging the next day feeling like the biggest idiot ever without any compensation for this embarrassment. I keep trying to think of things I could have said or done wrong but I honestly was SO cheerful and helpful and acted really interested in all the things she showed me. They knew I was an inexperienced new grad before they offered me the job so maybe they just thought I was too inexperienced and couldn't handle the job as quickly as they hoped...even though I was only there for 2.5 HOURS?!?! I don't know! Ugh. :down:

I just feel so discouraged and am wondering if anyone has any similar stories? Or advice? :(

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I'm sorry they left you hanging like that. They should have at least followed up with you to let you know it wasn't a good fit. I haven't had this happen, but I wonder if for some reason your personality just clashed with the other nurse in her opinion. I have had people call me rude or aloof because I'm shy, quiet, and nervous - so it might just be a misinterpretation of your attitude/personality. It sounds to me like you didn't do anything to turn them away from hiring you, unless they blatantly ignored the fact that you're a new grad and she thought you asked too many questions. That's not your fault though, we all start somewhere and if they didn't want a new grad they shouldn't have contacted you.

Either way, I don't think it sounds like you did anything wrong from what you've written. I think I would just chalk it up to interview experience for the future and keep looking.

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Specializes in Home Care.

Why didn't you take the initiative to follow up?

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I am going to follow up if he doesn't get back to me by today or tomorrow. I want to know what their exact reasoning is for rescinding the job offer. I just was asking for advice or similar situations in the meantime to lift my spirits.

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Specializes in Hyperbaric Medicine and Wound Care.

There are a myriad of possibilities as to why this happened. At my first LVN job, I found out many months after I started, that the lead LVN was intimidated by me, which explained, in hindsight, why she was so rude. An 18 year LVN just may have found you to be too confident for her liking. Some people are just weird that way, they need to feel in absolute control and have domination over you. Perhaps the LVN sensed you were not that type? Instead of worrying about it, pick yourself up and move on. I know that jobs are scarce, but in reality, if you were hired, she would have probably made your life a living hell.

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VERY unprofessional office. The LPN with 18 years there simply did not like "something" about you and called the shots on your hire.

Thinking you dodged a bullet.

It's them, not you. Good luck in your job search, shake this off.

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Thanks for your words of encouragement. :) I called the doctor and left a message because I want to know what the nurse said about me. I doubt they'll call back but it was worth a shot. I'm moving on and applying to other places. I'm thinking the same about dodging a bullet.

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That was unprofessional of them. Sounds like the older LPN was intimidated by you. Be glad you didn't take the job, things could've gotten worse if you'd stayed.

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I agree w/others - extremely unprofessional of them..would be curious to know if the LPN is related to the MD - if not, she certainly seems to have a lot of influence over him/his practice....hope they don't treat their patients like this..

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Most places will at least have a probation period. I've never even heard of anything like you described. I know it's probably not worth the effort, but I'd be tempted to call and request compensation for the hours I worked. You did have expenses just to show up to work, such as gas or transportation fees. Your time is also worth something. You could have spent that day searching elsewhere. Very odd and unprofessional. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't take a family member of mine to see this Doctor who obviously lacks character.

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I'm so sorry that happened to you. I do agree with the other posters that you dodged a bullet.

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Well, update...

I called the doctor again yesterday morning and left a message asking about the job even though I already knew the answer. He finally returned my call this morning and said he was swamped at work and that's why it took him so long to get back to me. I'm pretty sure he never would have if I had not pestered him. He was friendly but told me that his nurse thought it would take too long to train me and they needed someone more quickly. I asked how she could have known that in the 2.5 hours I was only shadowing and did add that she left me alone the last hour. He completely changed the subject and said I was a very nice girl and carried myself very well but that he thought I would do better at a practice where they had more time/people available to train me. He really avoided my questions and I still have no idea why the nurse didn't like me. However, I was polite and thanked him for his call.

I actually feel relieved now having not been offered the job. What a miserable experience it probably would have been!

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