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Last month, I saw a job offer and applied for it. I did not hear back from them, but it is not uncommon to wait for 1-2 months before hearing back (especially with the COVID-19 situation). The deadline for applications closed on 17 Sept (offer was only open 1 week). Today, I just saw the exact same job (same reference number, job description, location, etc.) advertised again.

I assume that they did not consider any of the initial applicants suitable. My question is, should I apply again? I have read advice elsewhere (e.g. here) to apply again, maybe after modifying your CV and cover letter.

Please note that I am well qualified for the position (qualifications and academia experience) and did not receive any rejection letter from the first offer (otherwise I wouldn't bother re-applying). The fact they are re-advertising suggests they are (more) desperate to find someone to fulfil that role, and might be more receptive.

Note there are some similar questions on this site (e.g. here) but not quite the same situation. This question is specifically about seeing a job offer that has closed, and the same job being re-advertised.

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    workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/14524/…
    – Anonymous Physicist
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 5:01
  • I'm not sure there's anything academia-specific here.
    – Anonymous Physicist
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 5:02
  • Do they want reference letters?
    – Anonymous Physicist
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 5:02
  • @AnonymousPhysicist I don't know if this problem is academia-specific, but I'm not sure the potential solutions would be applicable to non-academic positions. They haven't asked for reference letters, only referees (which seems to be the norm here). The workplace SE link above is also not the same situation (different job same company, rather than same job).
    – Earlien
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 9:24

2 Answers 2

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Give them a call. Only they know if/why they rejected you the first time or simply didn't get to your application.

It might be good to consider the channels through which you've seen the application both times. If the first time was through the institute's official website, and the second time through a third party source, it may be that the third party didn't know the job ad was filled.

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    It is advertised on several third-party sources, as well as the institution's website. I might give them a call - I guess there is nothing to lose.
    – Earlien
    Commented Oct 29, 2020 at 9:22
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    I rang the contact, and from what I gather, there was a greater desire for machine learning skills than the statistical/clinical capabilities than what the job description indicated. So based on what they were asking, I was a good match - the job description was just written poorly IMO. I was advised if I could match the selection criteria better (meaning showing more XP in ML) then I shouuld re-apply.
    – Earlien
    Commented Oct 30, 2020 at 0:11
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    There you go. Always good to call when in doubt. They'll also just might remember your name would it have been a good match, or in a few months time if you decide to re-apply.
    – Jeroen
    Commented Oct 30, 2020 at 7:45
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Yes, it's appropriate to apply again.

Possibly they re-advertised it because they didn't get enough qualified applications the first time. They might have a policy, for example, that they re-advertise if they don't get at least three applications good enough to be invited for interview. It's possible they considered yours good enough, but that too few others applied. Just send it again. The worst that can reasonably happen is that they will again not consider your application.

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    I honestly fail to see where the downvote is coming from. This seems like a more than fair enough take on an answer.
    – user116675
    Commented Oct 30, 2020 at 11:23
  • I should add that when I rang them, they said they had more than 100 applicants. I think they are just being REALLY picky. The job market is very competitive, even for very specialised positions, because of high unemployment.
    – Earlien
    Commented Nov 5, 2020 at 23:02
  • More than 100 applicants, or more than 100 qualified applicants? Either way, I'm not saying that this is definitely the case, just that in general it's a possibility. It may not be the case in your situation.
    – gerrit
    Commented Nov 6, 2020 at 7:28

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