Balancing multiple interviews?

thomas_

Hey everyone,

I've read here and other places that you should continue applying to jobs and doing interviews until you actually have a job. How do you handle it when you apply for a job that you would really like to have and have interviewed for. Would you wait until you hear back about the job you really like before going on other interviews?

I feel like I should just keep applying for jobs and keep interviewing, but what happens if you apply for a job that you don't like as much as another job, you interview and they offer you a position before you hear back from the company that you would really love to work for?

I hope this made sense.

Robertf969

Whats an interview? Jk jk, I get about 1 interview for every 20 applications I send out. So in my opinion I would continue to keep going on interviews even if I felt I had a really good shot at landing a job at one that I had already interviewed at. But then again my current employment will come to an abrupt end in September (military). I don't have the luxury of waiting until I get whichever position I want the most before accepting an offer and putting in my 2 weeks.

So i guess if you already have a job that you don't mind working, you could wait to see the results. If you have no job I would keep taking interviews.

LeBroke

I apply to all the jobs until I have a written offer in hand. Then if it's a job I'd like to do, I'd stop applying to other places, but still go to other interviews.

There's also a huge difference between "hey, we really like you and would like to talk more about your career here later," and "we'll send you an offer early next week once HR/the IT manager has finalized it." If it's the first, treat it as if you have nothing (or at best, they might offer you a lower position or something). If it's the second, hope for the best but assume the worst, like Linux Torvalds suddenly applying for the same position, the company announcing bankruptcy, or someone deciding the position is no longer needed.

TheFORCE

thomas_ wrote: »

Hey everyone,

I've read here and other places that you should continue applying to jobs and doing interviews until you actually have a job. How do you handle it when you apply for a job that you would really like to have and have interviewed for. Would you wait until you hear back about the job you really like before going on other interviews?

I feel like I should just keep applying for jobs and keep interviewing, but what happens if you apply for a job that you don't like as much as another job, you interview and they offer you a position before you hear back from the company that you would really love to work for?

I hope this made sense.

Apply to job you really like! that will solve your dilemma. This will save time on your part mostly and you wont have to juggle trying to manage multiple interviews. I've been there trust me, I had to use half of my vacation days just to go to interviews, so manage your time carefully and be patient. Sometimes you might lose a job you really thought you liked and then another another similar one comes around. Sometimes obstacles are blessings in disguise.

thomas_

LeBroke wrote: »

I apply to all the jobs until I have a written offer in hand. Then if it's a job I'd like to do, I'd stop applying to other places, but still go to other interviews.

I think I will do that. I think I want to get a job I really like right away, but the chances of that are slim. I think that any job that will give me decent experience I will take. I'll then use that experience to get better jobs in the future.

BlackBeret

That situation happens often. I've seen people accept a position, then a week later leave because they had a better offer when they were interviewing last week. Honestly you need to do what's best for you. I wouldn't hop jobs often, but if you take an offer then get another a few days later it's understandable. Until the day you accept an actual offer keep applying. Until the you start, take the interviews that you're given. Go with the best offer for you in the end.

I'm actually in a crazy situation now where I'm applying for two different positions in the same organization, through multiple subcontractors. It's crazy how differently the companies will view you. Of the four people I've talked to, I had two interview me and both went well (one for each position, fingers crossed), one offer me a different position than what I wanted within the same organization, and a fourth tell me I didn't have enough experience.