That is so annoying Aimee..... I guess they filled the post before the paper came out

Depends what the job was Aims...some Government jobs HAVE to be advertised by law (or their law), they can't just fill a position internally without going down the formal route even if they know who they want for the role.
It's also possible that the advert was asked to be placed right before the paper's deadline (which would have been Tuesday morning or Monday) and someone came in and applied or was referred so by the time it came out the role was gone.

Still cack though, hope you find summat soon x

In my experience they recruit internally, but by law they have to advertise externally  Oops!  Karma beat me to it 

Have a cake

At least they didn't waste your time and money (on all fronts) of going through the farce of an interview (when the jobs already gone). sometimes it's a legality to advertise the job even though it's a fair gone conclusion as to who's got the job.

Not nice but ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it happens in at least 80% of the cases. At least you didn't get your hopes raised (and dashed).

Good luck with it Aimee  

Try the 'net too 

Indeed.co.uk lists all internet jobs - I think.

Sometimes the company have a policy that all jobs must be offered to the public rather than just in house. It's supposed to ensure that the best candidate gets the job but in reality they nearly always give it to the in house worker anyway as they know it causes problems otherwise.
At least you didn't have to do all the rigmarole of filling in the form and attending an interview for a job you had no chance of getting. I've been at companies who have done this and really had a go about it. Trouble is that people in work can quickly forget how demoralising and nerve wracking it can be applying for jobs not to mention the expense of travel and interview clothes etc. To subject someone to all that when they are only doing it so they can say that they didn't just give it to someone already at the company is sheer cruelty

A few times when we were trying to recruit Lab Support Officers we would have an ad in the paper for a few weeks with closing date for applications a few weeks after the ad finished running. 

There were a few times when either our HR Officer... of the local rags telesales bird cocked it up and the ad was run again... and again... and again!

they told us.. "awww sorreeeeyy, you won't be charged for it though  'k?"

but it wasn't ok...  cos we got people ringing up for the job and had to say the vacancy was no longer being advertised...   and some people got a bit upset about this...     one lady called me a stuck up cow & hung up me.... after telling me where to go and what to do there!

Sometimes ads from previous issues are used as 'fillers' if there are not enough new ads to fill the page (and the publisher doesn't want to use house ads promoting the paper's site cos it makes the competitors think they're not doing well).

Thanks for your replies guys *hugs) i already know about the in house job scheme but it really get's me, i really wanted a shot at this job  being out of the job scene  for a while is bad enough without this happening , i've got no chance of getting anything

Yes you have - and I hope you get it  

Is there any chance of you doing a bit of voluntary work Aimee, just  to give you a chance to get back into work?

Looks like you could be right Karma, my mum phoned me tonight to say the same job is advertised in the paper tonight  it's not fair to get peoples hopes up though

Aimee it's standard practice in most big companies to advertise jobs they already know will be filled internally. They are obliged by law to advertise the position which seems insane when they, we and Auntie Flo's cousin and the bloke you just met in the pub all know it's already been taken.

Stupidest law ever, well one of them anyway.

Keep your chin up Aimee, I've always gone by the notion that if you don't get a job or one passes you by it's because it wasn't right for you. The right one will come along x Have you contacted agencies? Or the company that you wanted to work for - might be worth dropping them a line (to the Human Resources department if there are no direct contact details - call and ask for their contact e-mail) - saying how keen you were on applying for the position and how you could have applied your skillsets to the role. Do the usual garb of how much you think of the company and their reputation (if they have a good one). Say that you'd like to be informed of any other opportunities that become available in the future. Worth a shot even if just to get your name on their files xx

I wish I had known this at the time.... 

I would have changed the contact tel. no. to the telesales bird at the paper... she could deal with the calls.   The other LSO's used to get the right hump at having to take all the extra calls.