A few months ago I applied for a job. Now, obviously, I’m looking for a job and am applying for on average two or three a week.

This one is specific. I’m not going to say who it was for, but it was for a reporter in Christchurch. (You can probably guess, but take into account all community papers/magazines too and you actually have no idea.)

Anyway, about a week after I applied, I got an email from the editor saying thank you for your application, but we are not going to be filling this position, basically, ever.

This of course made me a little bit angry – why bother advertising the job if you’re not going to hire someone?

But now I am faced with a decision of applying for, essentially, the same job. It has come up again in job searches.

Do I want to apply for this job? Do I want to move back to Christchurch?

I really want to be in Wellington, because of Man Piece. There’s no point in hiding this. As much as we could probably figure out the long distance thing, I just don’t want to do it. We’re technically doing it now and I loathe it.

But also because of the state of the city currently. I love Christchurch, or loved. I haven’t been able to see how much it has changed since February and if I was to move back there and see it, it might just break my heart. I loved Christchurch because of all the old buildings, but now most of them are not there, or need to be knocked down. I’d rather not see it and preserve the memories I had of the beautiful city.

Then there is the fact that when I was told the position was not going to be filled – I was told via email and it was in less that 140 characters, because I remember that I tweeted it. The editor should have just tweeted me and saved him a bit of time. Email of course is the main communication tool for applying for jobs currently, so that’s not weird and I guess it was courteous of them to actually let me know. Because I hear from about a quarter of the ones I apply for.

I hate when employers do this too. I’ve applied for several jobs, get the “thanks, but no thanks” email and then they re-list the ad a few weeks later! Rather frustrating.

I shouldn’t be so picky either. It’s hard times finding a job currently, especially in journalism, I should know! I should be applying for everything and anything that comes up. But part of me also wants to exclude Christchurch because anyone that is down there deserves the job over me anyway.

I’m actually so torn about applying for this specific job. I have arguments for and against and I actually don’t know which one wins out.

Help!