How to Handle Multiple Job Interviews or Offers

How to Handle Multiple Job Interviews or Offers How to Handle Multiple Job Interviews or Offers Whats the best thing to do when youre interviewing for multiple jobs, and youre not sure when or if youre going to get offers? You might worry that if you get a job offer from one company, you will have to decide before you have a chance to interview for the second job. Job interview timing is tricky, especially when youre very interested in more than one job. However, there are ways you can handle interviewing for more than one job at a time and end up with the job thats right for you. Handling Two Interviews If you have two (or more)  interviews lined up, there is no need to mention the second interview with an employer during the first interview. There is no point in confusing the situation until you know the first company wants to hire you. That being said, if you get an offer from company #1 before you have gone on your second interview, you can contact company #1 to ask for some time to make a decision. You don’t have to mention the other interview but can simply ask for time. When asking for time, be sure to express your strong  interest in the position. You don’t want to seem unenthusiastic. Express your interest  in the job and the company, and then ask for a specific deadline for getting back to them. You might let company #2 know that you have an offer, which might speed up their hiring process. After the interview with company #2, you can say that you already received another job offer and need to give them a decision. You can then ask for company #2 to make their decision soon, if possible. When sharing this information with company #2, be sure to express your enthusiasm for the job. You might say, “After my interview, I am even more confident that I would fit well with your company, and that I am an ideal candidate for the position. While I would prefer to work for your company, I was recently offered a job with another organization. They need my decision by Monday. Is there any chance you could arrive at a hiring decision on or before Monday?” Company #2 might say no. In this case, you can ask company #1 for an extension on your decision deadline. Don’t Rush the Decision Before your interviews, you might be more excited about one job than the other. However, don’t rush to any conclusions until you interview at both companies.  Until you have interviewed with both employers and been offered a job, it can be hard to know for certain which job is the best fit. Salary, benefits, company culture and the people you will be working with should all factor in, and you dont know about those until your interview. Here are some important questions to ask an interviewer to get a sense of the company culture, and whether or not you would be a good fit. Here is a list of things to consider when evaluating a job offer. These range from salary benefits to retirement plans to company culture. Getting Multiple Job Offers If you get job offers after both interviews, congratulations!  It is a good thing, although it can also be a challenging and stressful situation. In this situation, express gratitude for both job offers, and ask for time to make the decision. Make sure you have all the information about both job offers, and that you thoughtfully weigh the pros and cons of each. You might contact either of the employers with any follow-up questions.