I’ve applied for similar positions within the Newcastle team on 3 occasions. The first time (April 2017) - I had a positive phone call, and was told I would be invited to an on-site interview, although it would be a few weeks before this could be arranged... a few weeks later I get the standard rejection message from their system. After asking for some reasoning, I was told they decided to pursue candidates with previous industry experience which I knew I lacked - I appreciated being told the reasoning, although it was disappointing that I’d had the generic message through first with no explanation. The second time (October 2018) - I was invited to an on-site interview. There were a range of questions around talent acquisition and recruiting, some that were more straightforward, others that were more challenging. I was able to see the office and was excited about the possibility to work there, and left cautiously optimistic but realistic at the same time. I was told after 3 weeks that they decided to hire another candidate - while disappointing, I understood and accepted their decision. The latest time (August 2018) - I was surprised to learn another position had come up. Several weeks after applying, I was invited to an initial phone call to kick things off, but after providing my availability things went quiet for 2 weeks. Then the next I hear, it turns out they have interviewed other candidates and selected one of them. This is not sour grapes for not being selected, as you can’t be successful all the time. However the candidate experience leaves a lot to be desired. For me I’ve come to the conclusion from my overall experience that my background just isn’t what they need or want - if this is the case, I would rather this be addressed openly and honestly, so I know not to invest time in any further applications.