We avoid milk that’s near its expiration date. We’re leery of buying a house that’s been on the market for months. And, we suspect something’s wrong with a job that’s been posted for a long time. That’s often a false assumption.
There are many reasons a position may remain open:
- It’s a very tight job market. Not many professionals are ‘looking’.
- Filling the position may be a low priority for the company. But, this can change quickly.
- It’s a passive search. If the ‘perfect’ candidate surfaces, the company will act.
- Budget issues. They’re always fluctuating.
- Management turnover causes delays.
- Internal employees fill in and get the job done.
- Offers are turned down.
- Compensation is below what the market is demanding. As time passes, companies often raise the level of salaries.
- The location is unattractive to the targeted candidate market.
- Other candidates took other offers or counteroffers.
Some of these reasons wouldn’t impact you at all if you took the job, so what should you do when you’re a little leery about pursuing a position that’s been listed seemingly forever? Simply ask why the job has been posted for so long. Companies will usually tell you what the situation is and then you can evaluate it from there.
Don’t reject older postings out of hand. It might be a perfect match for you. If the opportunity meets your criteria, explore it!