so I've been gunning for a promotion for awhile now. the way my company works is that there aren't merit based promotions; if a position opens that's higher than yours and you're qualified, you can apply for it. i let my manager know at my review that i was looking for a promotion, and she said that a higher level position should open up in the next few months. i said awesome, and she's kept me in the loop since then.
so eventually the position opens. i apply within the first few hours, and i get the interview. it doesn't go amazing, but i'm feeling pretty confident. she lets me know she has a few other interviews but it should be quick. about two weeks later, she sends me what i thought was a test assignment doing what i would be doing in the new position. i ace it, and we have a good conversation about it. now i'm pretty sure it was a last ditch attempt at convincing my boss to give me the promotion.
three weeks after this, she walks into my office crying.
she tells me that she's so sorry, that she was told she made a mistake. on the job posting, she left off that a requirement was one of our industry-related credentials. we have an understanding that once i finish school, i will pursue the credential, and on the job listing, there is no indication of the need for the credential. only to be eligible for the credential, which i absolutely am.
i find it incredibly hard to believe that this was just let slip – job postings take awhile to be approved and usually change several hands before being posted. that, and the person who used to hold the position also was part of the hiring process. so two people didn't notice this? and my boss didn't say anything to them either?
my boss basically retroactively added a new requirement after my manager conducted interviews, and my manager wasn't able to pick who she wanted. she wanted to promote me, but she wasn't able to. and from what I've been able to put together, it sounds like my boss is trying to gaslight my manager into thinking that it's her fault.
it would 100% be one thing if she came in and said someone was just more qualified, but she literally came in crying. i'm honestly really deeply disturbed by this, and it's been marinating in my head for a week and a half. i asked if it changed anything if i agreed to sit for the credential exam, but my manager said no. i really don't know what to do. this really changes my opinion of my boss, and while i'm grateful to have a manager that really tried for me, i'm also absolutely horrified by what my boss did to her. i'm pretty sure there's nothing that can be done, so this is mostly a vent