WWYD-- I am being interviewed for a promotion role

[Anonymous]

I am scheduled for an interview for a promotion role with an external company. This is a big step for me. Googling more intensively, I find that the role was vacated by someone who was in the role for just 1 year and four months. He is now "open to work" on linkedin and actively asking for leads for new jobs. He and I were actually connected from last december after meeting at a conference briefly. I messaged him then.

My question is--Should I reach out to him now? Is that appropriate? Is it professional to reveal I am interviewing for the role? I am very curious why he was let go, and it seems a little bit of a red flag that his tenure was so short.

WWYD?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think it’ll hurt to reach out and see if he’s willing to chat.

[Anonymous]

^^sorry just to add on to my pp. I don’t think you should message and say “hey I’m interviewing and wonder why you left”, but rather say something more like “hey, hope you’re well! I’m actually going to be interviewing at X Compang and I was hoping you might have a few minutes to chat with me about your experience there. Thanks so much!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^sorry just to add on to my pp. I don’t think you should message and say “hey I’m interviewing and wonder why you left”, but rather say something more like “hey, hope you’re well! I’m actually going to be interviewing at X Compang and I was hoping you might have a few minutes to chat with me about your experience there. Thanks so much!”

Thanks so much. I'm worried that if I do this and he learns I am interviewing for his role, it would look like I was not forthcoming with him. It is still a small circle where we are. It would be incredibly awkward if I actually get the job. When I applied to it, I really just threw my CV in there and figured he was getting a promotion or a transfer

[Anonymous]

He was clearly fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^sorry just to add on to my pp. I don’t think you should message and say “hey I’m interviewing and wonder why you left”, but rather say something more like “hey, hope you’re well! I’m actually going to be interviewing at X Compang and I was hoping you might have a few minutes to chat with me about your experience there. Thanks so much!”

Thanks so much. I'm worried that if I do this and he learns I am interviewing for his role, it would look like I was not forthcoming with him. It is still a small circle where we are. It would be incredibly awkward if I actually get the job. When I applied to it, I really just threw my CV in there and figured he was getting a promotion or a transfer

NP. Perhaps you misunderstood the PP, but the script specifically mentions interviewing. How is that not forthcoming?

[Anonymous]

I would not reach out to him, but you might find a clever way to ask in interviews as to how the job became vacant. PPs are right, he could have been a terrible fit/worker and it's not at all reflective of the company.

[Anonymous]

I’d wait until you have the offer and have at least some feel for the company and role.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d wait until you have the offer and have at least some feel for the company and role.

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Good advice.