In other words, are you interviewing with any companies other than ours?

This is a common question that interviewers ask when you are interviewing with them for a job with their firm.

In other words, do you have any other jobs on the go that could result in someone else hiring you?

Part of you might think that saying “yes” to this question will make it look like you are not 100% interested in the position with this company and that the potential employer will look at this negatively.

Another part of you might think that saying “no” to this question will make it look like you have no other options available and are having trouble finding a job, thus reducing the company’s interest in you.

At the end of the day, the best way to answer this question is as follows:

1. Be honest. If you have other jobs you are interviewing for, say so. If not, say so. Tell the truth.

2. Be brief. Don’t tell the employer which specific companies you are interviewing with. It’s not their business nor is it pertinent. Typically a hiring manager just wants to know if you are going to be getting an offer soon from another company and if so how quickly. If you are interviewing for other jobs and are early on in the interview process, simply tell them that yes, you have other jobs you are interviewing for and leave it at that.

Personally, I think the best situation to be in is to have several interviews on the go and several possible jobs to choose from and to let a potential employer know this if they ask. Again, no specifics such as the names of other companies you are interviewing with should be divulged.

It’s sort of like having several people all interested in you at one time. Who doesn’t like that?

At a minimum, it might help to get the companies you are interviewing with to move a bit faster than they normally would if they are really interested in hiring you if they think they might lose you to another company if they’re too slow.

At the end of the day, most companies don’t just interview one person for a job so it’s unreasonable to think that you are going to interview with just one company at a time hoping they’ll hire you, if you have other opportunities you could pursue.

If you expect honest feedback and input from potential employers, it’s only fair that you provide them with the same. Just like you want to know how you compare to other people they are interviewing for the same job, they will want to know if you are interviewing elsewhere so that they are aware that competition for your services exists.

Carl Mueller is an Internet entrepreneur and professional recruiter who wants to help you find your dream career.

Visit Carl's website to separate yourself from other job searchers: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com

Sign up for The Effective Career Planner, Carl’s free 5-day course: http://www.find-your-dream-career.com/effective-career-planner.html

Please feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your website but please don’t change any of the content and ensure that you include the above bio that shows my website URLs.

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