5 Reasons to Go on that Backup Interview

“But what about the position I interviewed for last week? I loved it there. I’ll wait to hear from them.” As a staffing agency, we hear responses like this often when we propose new opportunities to our candidates who have been actively interviewing. It is not uncommon for candidates to back out of interviews or turn them down, but this is a mistake. If you are truly committed to finding a new job, our advice is to always keep interviewing, even if you aren’t totally psyched about the position on the table.

Here’s why:

A job description is just words.

We are all familiar with the expression “don’t judge a book by its cover”, and that is exactly what you are doing when you turn down an interview based on the job description. Go and see the company, meet the staff, and ask questions that made you hesitant to go there in the first place. There is always a chance you will be pleasantly surprised so it’s important you give it a chance, just like they are giving you one.

You can make new connections.

Going to a job interview is a unique form of networking. It’s important to get your name out there and make a great impression, regardless if you want the job or not. If you form a great connection with the hiring manager, they will have nothing but great things to say about you if you cross paths with them again in the future. Tip: Add the hiring managers you interview with on LinkedIn.

Practice makes perfect.

Practice, practice, practice is what you’re told to do when prepping for an interview. Practicing your responses to a close friend or to yourself in the mirror is helpful, but no practice is as good as the real thing. The more you interview, the better you get at it. Maybe the company will stump you on a question that you never prepared for. You won’t make that mistake again in an interview for a job that you really want. Sharpen up those skills while you wait to hear back about other opportunities!

It will give you an upper hand in the hiring process.

It’s a common question for the interviewer to ask if you have interviewed/are interviewing anywhere else. With that said, if you aren’t thrilled about interviewing for a certain job, at least you can tell the company you are interested in that you are a hot commodity, actively interviewing with multiple organizations. If the company is thinking about hiring you and knows that you are actively interviewing, they will move quicker in the final stages of the hiring process and get you your offer letter before another company does.

You can’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

It’s completely normal to favor some job opportunities over others. However, if you turn down interviews while waiting to hear back about one specific job, there is a chance that you won’t get that one position you were hoping for. If this happens, you won’t have any other opportunities pending, putting you back at square one. It’s always smart to open yourself up to other options while you wait.

If you decide that the position is 100% not a good fit for you prior to the interview, make sure you cancel the appointment properly and professionally. The worst thing you could do is agree to go and then not show up. Not only will you burn bridges with that company, but you could also jeopardize your relationship with your recruiter.

It’s beneficial to have the mindset that no job interview will ever be a complete waste of your time. If you are in need of a new job, commit to your job search process and give it your all. Speaking of job search, have you checked out our job board lately?

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