I think the most recent job I applied for must have been a pro forma advertisement for a job that they already had someone selected for. It was open briefly, on campus only, and took only a day to get a note back saying I wasn't selected. Darn.

Many years ago when I was sending (by mail) applications for federal park service jobs for myself and my spouse, I happened to send one in for a ranger job at Mammoth Cave NP that had only a three-day opening. The job fit everything my husband could do, plus he spoke Spanish and had veteran's preference, and got the job. We learned later that the application period was so time restricted because it was actually written for someone in the park. Only in Kentucky? It was written for the husband of a woman who was having an affair with the park's assistant supervisor, so they wouldn't move away from the park. My husband encountered some hostility and really odd reactions from people until someone finally spilled the beans. It was his veteran's preference that they couldn't set aside and had to choose him over the other guy.

SRS