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Job Interviews - what am I doing wrong?


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Managing Colwyn Bay and we are 3rd in League 2 following 2 promotions in 3 years. I have probably been offered about 15 jobs and have gone to interview for about 10 because the crowds at Colwyn Bay are tiny.

I generally try to sound agreeable and positive and say that I can match their ambitions and that I'm happy to work with their budgets.

Crewe said that they couldn't afford compensation, another said that they thought I was being too ambitious in my league hopes(!) and the rest just said that while my interview was fine they've opted for someone else.

What's going on? Any ideas?

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I don't see the problem with any of that. I've never seen the message that you can be too ambitious about league position though. Good addition, that.

Generally, if I'm applying to a bigger club (especially if I know I'm not going to be up against better candidates and I don't really "deserve" the job) I'll try and make myself stand out. I agree with as many philosophies as I can. I'll even ask for less money in the transfer budget and/or wage budget. To me, it makes me have more of a chance and it has worked in the past. Obviously though, I know because of my answers, I'm going to have a tough start at the club already, but at least I have the job. :D

I'm assuming the jobs you're applying for all a step up. Just think about it. Every other manager going for that interview will probably also agree to the same things you are. If they have the better rep, they'd get it, same as real life.

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I'm assuming the jobs you're applying for all a step up. Just think about it. Every other manager going for that interview will probably also agree to the same things you are. If they have the better rep, they'd get it, same as real life.

I haven't applied for any of these jobs. They've all invited me to attend an interview. That's what makes it more frustrating! You'd think they'd want me!

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I haven't applied for any of these jobs. They've all invited me to attend an interview. That's what makes it more frustrating! You'd think they'd want me!

They want the other candidates they've invited too. :brock:

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How many job interviews do managers IRL go through before they actually land a job? Obviously the exception would be the managers at the very top of the game, the ones with the highest reputations. Anyway, my suspicions as to what's happening, based on my observations:

--Your reputation just isn't that high. Yeah, you got Colwyn Bay promoted twice in three years, but only as far as League Two. Unless you managed to win, say, the FA Cup along the way--extremely unlikely--I don't think your reputation will have increased greatly. At least not so much as to outshine any of the other 23 League Two managers. Maybe not even outshine a few managers in the Conference Premier.

--Coaching badges. I took an unfancied French side into the Champions League and did quite well. I got turned down for numerous top jobs (including Arsenal twice) even though my reputation was extremely strong (well into the 8000s, I checked), and I suspect a part of that had to do with the fact that I was still working on my Continental Pro badge. I could be wrong, though.

--Employment status. As a League Two manager, the best job you're probably going to get might be a League One job, but as Crewe already told you, they're unlikely to want to pay your release fee, or for that matter even be able to afford it. So, if you're serious about moving on, you might consider resigning your current job.

--Never heard the "too ambitious" line, that's a new one on me and I think it's pretty neat.

--Plus what HUNT3R said. I don't normally agree to smaller budgets, but I do try to pick one or two philosophies the club agree with and say I'll do those. Unless the club "Strongly Agrees" with playing defensive soccer or making the most of set pieces, I can't figure out how to score enough from set pieces to make the board happy and I just don't do parking the bus. But in those cases I was probably never going to be happy at that club anyway so I don't care if they turn me down.

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I haven't applied for any of these jobs. They've all invited me to attend an interview. That's what makes it more frustrating! You'd think they'd want me!

It wouldn't be very responsible of the club to only invite one person to interview for the job, now would it? Especially at that level where you're no more known than any of the other invitees.

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On FM14 I went from the Ukranian First Division to Lyon, which is quite a jump imo, by asking to be judged on 3 or 4 philosophies (even though the board only asked about 1 or 2) and by asking for a smaller Transfer Budget. It was a tough start and I almost got sacked, but I survived!

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Wahey! Something worked because guess what? Bolton have come a calling!

First time a championship club has invited me too. It's the big time!

Thanks for the advice.

Good stuff. :thup:

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Wahey! Something worked because guess what? Bolton have come a calling!

First time a championship club has invited me too.

Thanks for the advice.

Well, your reputation can't be all bad since a Championship club hired you. If I remember correctly their finances are pretty shaky so good luck with that.

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Dear God! You're not wrong, 2.5m in debt, predicted to be 11m by end of season!

And they're 5 points from safety with with 17 games remaining. They've only won 4 games all season!

Heh, at least you have 17 games left to do it. I almost got burned once--I forget who it was but the team wanted me to avoid relegation. I would have had six games to make up ten points or something like that. Glad I checked beforehand, I ended up turning them down.

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just agree to as many philiosphies as possible and tell them you can do the job for less wage and transfer budget, then you should get any job you get an interview with. It is pretty simple actually.

I've never been to an interview in the game and been turned down.

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My experience is the only times I have been turned down for a job where I have disagreed with anything or asked for anything they haven't mentioned themselves (i.e. a feeder club). Apart from that the only other time was when I started a game as an unemployed manager with a top rep, and I got beaten by Louis Van Gaal to the job I applied for, he may have had an even higher rep than me !

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I see this a bit differently ;)

I try to promise as little as possible. Budgets can be on default (what they suggest on interview), but i make no promises to playing style.

I can make some promises regarding signings (youth, country) or backroom staff.

Why?

When i finally land the new job, i will have better chance to actually deliver what is expected.

That approach of course will mean that you lose a lot of opportunities in the beginning, but once your reputation increases enough, you will get the jobs even if you aren't really willing to compromise much.

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Wahey! Something worked because guess what? Bolton have come a calling!

First time a championship club has invited me too. It's the big time!

Thanks for the advice.

That happened to me as well. Bolton are an utter mess aren't they! Total debts of around £100m when I took over. I couldn't meet the expectations of mid-table and got sacked. I probably would have left regardless, but it was an interesting few in-game months.

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