For some characters, applying for a position isn't as simple as sending in a resume and hoping that the company likes what it sees. For these fortunate (or unfortunate) few, the company already knows everything about them, and has been keeping tabs on them and other potential hires — sometimes for years on end just in case they prove worthy... even if said character wasn't actually planning to apply at all.
Once the character's done something that can prove their worthiness as an employee or finished whatever secret tests have been arranged by their watchers, an invitation will be made for a formal interview to see if the character can live up to their Absurdly Exclusive Recruiting Standards... but until then, the future employers show no outward signs of being interested. In fact, there's a good chance that the character may not even be aware that the company even exists.
For good measure, if the prospective employee fails at the last hurdle, there's a distinct possibility that the organization will simply vanish back into obscurity without a trace — by eliminating the failed applicant, by erasing their memory, or simply by becoming impossible to find.
Needless to say, this is a hallmark of only the most elite, secretive, and thoroughly mysterious organizations, including everything from crime syndicates to secret societies. Wizarding Schools and Magical Societies may also do this, especially in works where those with gifts/potential may be born to muggles. And the trope's not even limited to groups, either, as a Renowned Selective Mentor may similarly keep tabs on promising potential mentees.
In some cases, the character may be selected by a group-based or individual Chooser Of The One. They may also exhibit a Birthmark of Destiny.
May overlap with a Fantastic Recruitment Drive.
Examples:
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Anime & Manga
- Laurent of Great Pretender seems to have followed Makoto since the death of his mother, even railroading him to a job where he would end up convicted for scamming customers and thus unable to get any legitimate job.
Comic Books
- In the first issue of All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder, Batman's been keeping an eye on Dick Grayson for some time prior to their first meeting, to the point of knowing his entire educational history off by heart, suggesting that he would have been willing to recruit Dick even if his parents hadn't been murdered.
- In IDW Publishing's original Transformers continuity, it's eventually revealed over the course of several books that Senator Shockwave had been seeking out Cybertronians he felt would be worthy of carrying the Matrix of Leadership and quietly observing them. He's first revealed to Orion Pax (the future Optimus Prime) after having Orion repaired following an altercation with the corrupt Senate and had Orion's body modified so he'd be able to carry said Matrix. Orion later meets and allies with another of Shockwave's protégés named Zeta, later Zeta Prime.
- X-Men: In Uncanny X-Men #300 (first story), Xavier remembers a date he had with Moira where they talked about the founding of his school. Xavier showed Moira pictures of Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Hank McCoy, Warren Worthington III, and Bobby Drake (who will become his first generation of students). Moira then commented on another set of images showing an African woman (Storm), a blue-furred acrobat (Nightcrawler), and a towering, burly man (Colossus), to which Xavier replied that he considered the latter three potential recruits for "the next generation of X-Men".
Films — Live-Action
- Avengers: Endgame confirms that the Ancient One had been watching Stephen Strange for a very long time prior to his arrival in Kamar-Taj, and despite trolling Strange with the prospect of refusing to accept him for training back in Doctor Strange, it was an empty threat: she had been intent on training him in the mystical arts from the moment she was able to assess his role in the future via the Time Stone.
- Shortly after the introductory trial of The Devil's Advocate, Kevin Lomax is approached by a representative of the New York law firm of Milton, Chadwick & Waters, who claims that they've been observing his career for some time and are considering him for an important position. Before long, he's moved from Gainesville to New York and is working directly for senior partner John Milton, representing some of the wealthiest and most powerful clients in the city. It's eventually revealed that Milton's had his eye on Kevin for even longer than initially indicated: he's actually Kevin's father, and he's been subtly grooming the young lawyer for an even more important position — the father of the Antichrist.
- Early in Kingsman: The Secret Service, Harry Hart gives a very young Eggsy a medallion with the Kingsmen contact details on it, and apparently spends the next decade and a half keeping an eye on him. When the now-adult Eggsy uses the medallion as a get-out-of-jail-free card, Harry makes it clear that he knows Eggsy's entire educational history — including his training with the Royal Marines — and looks to be considering the young man for greater things in life... but still doesn't make any offers until he witnesses Eggsy getting menaced by his gangster stepfather for refusing to reveal Harry's identity in the wake of the pub fight; this display of loyalty is enough to make up Harry's mind, and he officially invites Eggsy to enter the Kingsmen's Training from Hell.
- Men in Black:
- In the original film, Agent K witnesses NYPD detective James Edwards run down an alien on foot, by himself. After neutralizing James, he gives him a card to apply to the Men in Black. With no idea what the organization does, James goes to the trials, surrounded by Navy SEALS and Green Berets, and, while a bit cocky and mouthy, shows the out-of-the-box thinking MIB needs, with K talking him up to Agent Z behind the scenes. Thus, James is offered the position at MIB, becoming Agent J.
- Men in Black 3 takes this even further when it's revealed (in a Cerebus Retcon) that K actually met James as a child in 1969 after his father was murdered protecting K from Boris the Animal. K reassured James his father was a hero, and kept an eye on him since then.
- Star Wars:
- Ever since beginning his exile on Tatooine, Obi-Wan had been watching Luke Skywalker from a distance in order to protect him but also to prepare him to follow in Anakin's footsteps as a Jedi. The prequel series Obi-Wan Kenobi shows Obi-Wan arguing with Luke's uncle Owen about this. Obi-Wan eventually comes to accept that Luke just needs to grow up as a normal child, and the future will attend to itself, at which point Owen allows Obi-Wan to meet Luke.
- In The Empire Strikes Back Yoda reveals that he had been keeping an eye on Luke for some time before he came to Dagobah to begin training as a Jedi — but unlike Obi-Wan, Yoda's impression of Luke isn't exactly positive.
Yoda: This one a long time have I watched. All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on (hits Luke with his cane) where. He. Was. Hmm? What. He. Was doing.
- The Usual Suspects: It's eventually revealed that the legendary crime lord Keyser Söze has been watching the five main characters for some time prior to the start of the film, as all of them have unknowingly stolen from his businesses. As Kobayashi reveals, he's been gathering intelligence on all of them during that time, waiting patiently until he could find a Suicide Mission that he could press-gang them into in exchange for releasing them from their debts.
Literature
- Darker version in Nineteen Eighty-Four: Winston Smith has been earmarked by the Thought Police for seven years prior to the start of the story. Intending to erase his rebellious tendencies and make him into a model citizen prior to his inevitable execution, they've planted all kinds of lures for him, to the point of creating a fake shop in which Winston can buy a diary and rent a room. However, even after he begins using said room for romantic encounters with Julia, it's still some time before O'Brien approaches him with a disguised offer to join the Brotherhood and provides him with a copy of Goldstein's book — the final stop on Winston's journey before he's finally arrested.
- At least in Magical Britain, witches and wizards in Harry Potter are registered to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry at birth, including Muggle-borns and other individuals outside the mainstream of magical society. Needless to say, this usually results in a good deal of shock when the existence of magic is finally revealed to them, as was the case with Harry himself.
- In The Magicians, the administration of Brakebills School of Magical Pedagogy selects its students well in advance from only the most intelligent and obsessive teenagers across America — often via direct observation. Protagonist Quentin Coldwater was earmarked by Brakebills three years before his enrolment, back when he was learning how to perform sleight-of-hand, as the man who sold Quentin the props was actually one of the faculty's talent-spotters. And up until he's finally whisked away to Brakebills, Quentin and many of the other potential students aren't even aware that real magic exists.
- Safehold: For centuries prior to the novels, the inner core of the Brethren of Saint Zherneau have held proof about their planet's (and humanity's) history. They closely observe anyone nominated to be told the truth, and thus recruited to join them, to make sure that the candidate can cope with finding out the "Archangels" were mortal men and women using proscribed technology to counterfeit divine powers. Once Merlin and Cayleb find out about the Brethren, Cayleb institutes the "Inner Circle", expanding knowledge of Safehold's true history outside the religious community and providing limited technological boosts to members. It's strongly implied that the Brethren have killed potential recruits who couldn't accept the truth, and the Inner Circle is willing to do so as well. However, the only failed recruitment we see on-page comes after Merlin has reactivated the cryosleep units in his cave; the failed candidate is reported dead but put into cryo until it's safe to release him.
- In There Was No Secret Evil Fighting Organization, Sago mostly uses his godlike telekinesis to spy on potential recruits for Amaterasu. A candidate's latent superpower, ability to keep secrets, and desire for a heroic life are all taken into account; having shitty life circumstances doesn't hurt either. For convenience's sake, most candidates live near Amaterasu, but Ig was scouted despite her Brazilian origins (and species) because she was the only suitable candidate with healing magic.
- The Traitor Baru Cormorant: The title character has been groomed since childhood to join the camarilla that secretly rules the empire of Falcrest, after a chance conversation with one of its undercover members (in which she pointed out the economic methods Falcrest was using to colonize her homeland) alerted them to her potential. As she grows up, she's aware she has a powerful patron with high hopes for her, but she has no idea how powerful he truly is, or how high those hopes extend. The events of the book are effectively her qualifying exam, seeing if she has what it takes to manipulate and control an entire nation — one she wasn't entirely aware she was taking until years into her office.
Live-Action TV
- In Community, after displaying a natural gift for machine repair in the first two seasons, season three features Troy being targeted for recruitment by Greendale's shadowy "Air Conditioner Repair School" which brings in so much money that its vice-dean, Robert Laybourne, is even more powerful than the dean. After initially resisting them because it would mean leaving his friends, he accepts their offer to join in order for their help in rescuing his friends during the season's penultimate episode. In the season finale, he turns out to be their version of The Chosen One after Laybourne is murdered and earns his way back out of the program by defeating the vice-dean's murderer/usurper in an air conditioner repair duel. It Makes Sense in Context for the most part...
Vice-Dean Laybourne: That's what we do Troy! Incredible, invisible, in-believable things where an unseen, unknown, un-vincible fraternity of craftsmen, graduates of this school, are guaranteed lucrative employment for their entire lives and I'm inviting you to join us.
- Supernatural: The angels spent centuries manipulating events to create Sam and Dean Winchester, the culmination of the bloodlines of the Winchesters of the Men of Letters and the Campbell hunters. Angels and demons manipulated all the events in their lives to bring them to their destiny, to be the vessels for Lucifer and Michael in the final battle of Armageddon.
Tabletop Games
- In Exalted, Sidereal Exaltations are in The Chosen Many since birth and (relatively) easily identified. It takes a few years for an Exaltation to manifest, so awakened Sidereals spend that time keeping tabs on the child, protecting them, and nudging them towards learning experiences. Like everything Sidereal, the process has been honed over thousands of years to be efficient and produce better servants of Heaven. Even the part where they murder recalcitrant Sidereals' families.
- Mage: The Awakening: The Silver Ladder are an Ancient Tradition of mages who believe that magic is the birthright of all humanity. Since there's no reliable way to Awaken someone to magic, they identify promising candidates, secretly nudge their lives towards experiences that might inspire an Awakening, and welcome them to mage society if they succeed.
- Vampire: The Masquerade:
- Despite the stereotype of the mass-Embraced shovelhead, most members of Clan Lasombra are carefully selected over a long period of evaluation, especially since sires who produce incompetent childer may end up sharing the inevitable punishment. Once a prospective sire finds a mortal with the necessary drive and ambition, they will spend a long period of time doing their best to ruin the kine's life just so they can be certain that the mortal can withstand adversity... and because of the Masquerade, none of the would-be-childer ever realize what's going on. In the case of Andrew Emory from the revised clanbook, his sire spent ten years sabotaging him at every turn until she was certain that he had the will and the anger to make it as a member of the clan.
- The Followers of Set take a similarly considered approach to selecting childer: once they find a promising mortal, they begin a process of observation and corruption designed to break the potential recruit of their mortal obsessions. Setite sires are prepared to spend months or even years on this before inducting their charges into the cult — either while remaining completely hidden or hiding in plain sight. In the case of the "Psychiatrist" character template, his sire spent six months testing him before tempting him into accepting sex with one of his patients in exchange for rubber-stamping her through court-ordered treatment. Then — once the former patient had been arrested and imprisoned for raping a minor — the future sire presented the psychiatrist with photos of his misconduct in order to prod him into joining the cult and beginning his journey towards the Embrace.
- Warhammer 40,000: Certain Space Marine chapters keep an eye on feral worlds to spot promising natives that have the potential to survive being made an Astartes. The Fenrisians in particular know that Wolf Priests will sometimes appear unannounced to take away warriors, who are never seen again.
Video Games
- Assassin's Creed II: In one of the game's later memory sequences, after defeating Rodrigo Borgia in Venice and claiming a Piece of Eden, Ezio Auditore da Firenze learns that almost all of the various allies he's encountered over the course of the game — including his uncle Mario — are secretly members of the Brotherhood of Assassins and they've all been guiding Ezio over the last decade until they've decided he's finally ready to be initiated into their order.
- One of the big reveals of Control is that Jesse Faden was being considered for the position of Director for the Federal Bureau of Control long before she set foot in the Oldest House. In fact, the Bureau were having her watched ever since the Altered World Event in her hometown of Ordinary, though only as an emergency backup for her little brother Dylan, who the Bureau outright abducted so they could groom him into the next Director. Of course, Jesse doesn't realize this until the Hiss-corrupted Dylan points her to a sector of the Oldest House where more than a decade's worth of surveillance records on her have been kept — including the tapes of her therapy sessions in which doctors attempted to gaslight her into believing that the Bureau wasn't real.
- In Fallout 4, there is evidence that the Railroad (a covert organization for helping synths) has been watching the Sole Survivor from the moment they walked out of Vault 111 (a painted railsign for "ally" can be found nearby). You can also see Railroad member Deacon undercover as a "drifter" in a few settlements keeping tabs on you. After following the steps to meet the group, he'll come forward and vouch for you to the leader, noting your accomplishments in the Commonwealth so far (General of the Minutemen, joining the Brotherhood of Steel, killing Kellogg, killing a Courser, etc.), though if you haven't accomplished any noteworthy actions he'll be forced to just rely on his Gut Feeling. If you choose to join, you'll be the key player in leading the Railroad to victory over the other more advanced and powerful factions.
- Genshin Impact: Defied Trope. In Yelan's Story Quest, Uncle Tian had his eyes on Zhiyi to be worthy of succeeding him for the Tianshu position of the Liyue Qixing since he has known that Zhiyi has the skill set necessary for the job, which is backed up by Yelan evaluating him among three potential candidates to be the best of the bunch. However, a later undercover investigation of Zhiyi by Yelan revealed that Zhiyi had contacted the Fatui to poison Uncle Tian so his worsening health can increase his odds at becoming the Tianshu, and later double-crossed the Fatui in a clever gambit. Zhiyi was eventually caught and detained by Yelan, disqualifying him from the position entirely.
- In Knights of the Old Republic, the mysterious Genoharadan select only the best killers in the galaxy, and because of its nature as a vast criminal conspiracy aiding the Republic from behind the scenes, it makes sure that its potential recruits don't know they're being assessed for membership until an offer of membership is made. Bounty hunter Calo Nord was considered a worthy prospect, but even after all his near-legendary exploits — from killing rancors for sport to frightening the Bounty Hunters' Guild into cancelling contracts on his life — he still wasn't ready to be given an invitation to join yet. You're the exception to the rule, as you only get their attention after killing Calo in battle, prompting them to send you an invite to a meeting on Manaan.
Web Videos
- Dragon Ball Z Abridged: Played for laughs at the end of the first abridged movie, Dead Zone; after witnessing Gohan throwing Garlic Jr. into the Dead Zone, Piccolo eyes him and remarks, "I'm gonna steal that kid," indicating that he was planning Gohan's Training from Hell for quite some time.
Western Animation
- In the final episode of Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles, it is revealed that, while Rico was a student of Razak's in school, and knowing that Rico was going to apply for the Marine corps, Razak pulled some strings to have Rico trained under Sergeant Zim, and then put in Razak's Roughnecks. The reason for this was both Razak and Zim saw potential in the boy, and felt he could, if properly guided, become a replacement for Razak. By the end of the series, Razak had been killed and Rico was given command of the Roughnecks, though he clearly struggled with the position. The show concluded before he could realize his potential and rise to the occasion as a good leader.
