Dear Evil HR Lady.
There has recently been a posting for a position in my company that I am thinking about posting for. I sat down with the hiring manager (informally) in order to discuss not only the position, but also the department and how she views the company as a whole. I told her that I had some concerns about the position being too much of a side step for me, even though I am very interested in learning new things and thought that the direction the department was going was very interesting to me. I also asked her about other departments within the company and when she mentioned knowing someone involved in the decision making process for another posting I was interested in, asked her if she would be willing to let her know I was interested in speaking to her about it. I felt like the conversation went well, and she gave me a contact of another person in her department to talk to in order to help me make my decision on whether I wanted to move to that department.
All this happened before I found out that I am actually being considered for an assistant supervisory position in that department which I would ABSOLUTELY be interested in. I feel like had I known that that position even existed (it hasn’t been posted yet) let alone that I was being considered for it, I would have framed that conversation completely different. I certainly wouldn’t have asked her about the other position in a different department! What should I do!? Did I completely blow it?
Did I Ruin My Chance to get My Dream Job?
I like to think that we can't be penalized when we are working with incomplete information. However, the world doesn't always agree with me.
In your case, though, I think the conversation was harmless. In fact, you may have excited their interest. If they they really want you, and they believe there is a possibility that they may lose your talents to another department, that may be just the fuel needed to crank up hiring process.
Don't worry about it too much. After all, in this situation, there are so many factors at play, you can't be certain of the best course of action. Hold tight and trust the process.
I, personally do not see the reason for your concern on this issue, unless you believe that you organization is arbitrary and subjective in its decision making process. Notwithstanding your discussion with the hiring manager, your organization has its posting procedure which must be done with the objective of optimal utilization of its resources. It is therefore normal to assume that your company would like to put a square peg in a square hole. You should also realise that ‘you cannot eat you cake and still have it’ and therefore you must accept whatever comes your way in this regard. After all, ‘head or tail you win’ because both jobs are good and you are just bogged down by your preference.
You are advised to do your homework very well next time before sticking your neck out for a choice.