Applying for multiple jobs

[Mojooo]

I've got my eye on 4 possible jobs

1 - interview next week
2 - application sent - awaiting results in 2 weeks
3 - applications going in today
4 - advert just come up - have 2 weeks to apply

Luckily for me, job 1 is the one I want so if I am offered it I will take it and cancel the others.

I do wonder though - do people tend to make it obvious at interview that they are applying for other jobs? (for example saying can you let me know the results as soon as possible as I need to make decisions relating to other applications)

Benefits are that it may help negotiate a salary if they think you have options
Downside is they may think you are being arrogant.

The other issue of course if offer overlap. How long can you string out an acceptance period. In that case I am guessing it is best NOT to tell them you are awaiting results from another interview.

[bmwmike]

I wouldnt say anything at interview stage personally. At offer stage, sure.

[mw88]

I'd be honest.

A few years ago, I had 2 interviews on the same day.

Told the first one I had another interview in the afternoon - They phoned whilst I was on my way to the second interview offering the job, but the salary was st, and wasn't a place I would have been happy working at.

Second interview, I told them I'd just come from another and we had a laugh at how st it was

Luckily, also got offered the second job at £10k more, and a much better environment.

[okgo]

Mojooo said:

I've got my eye on 4 possible jobs

1 - interview next week
2 - application sent - awaiting results in 2 weeks
3 - applications going in today
4 - advert just come up - have 2 weeks to apply

Luckily for me, job 1 is the one I want so if I am offered it I will take it and cancel the others.

I do wonder though - do people tend to make it obvious at interview that they are applying for other jobs? (for example saying can you let me know the results as soon as possible as I need to make decisions relating to other applications)

Benefits are that it may help negotiate a salary if they think you have options
Downside is they may think you are being arrogant.

The other issue of course if offer overlap. How long can you string out an acceptance period. In that case I am guessing it is best NOT to tell them you are awaiting results from another interview.

My wife was interviewing with a number of firms, possibly also 4, and was entirely open about the status of that once she got into advanced stages with each of the companies. No need initially IMO, but what this did for her after she got the first offer was allow her to not only negotiate, but also to manage expectations (both in delaying other offers, and in speeding up companies that had yet to).

This approach meant that 4 companies broadly all offered within 10 days of each other. The first to offer was fully aware that they would have to wait for the final firm to have their say as she'd told them she would be respecting the process and pursuing. Once all the offers were in (and I think by being open they knew not to fk about low balling because she was in demand) she was able to use that as leverage to get the best offer from the firm she was most keen on. It worked really well, and as far as I could tell she burned no bridges with the others as she was open all along.

It depends on what you do I guess, what the market for that is like, and whether or not places want you. In my example she probably could do no wrong as the market for people like her was white hot, she obviously interviews very well and she got offered basically everywhere she went, she also works in a revenue generating role - so people expect someone to be commercially savvy (vs arrogant so to speak). I suppose if you think that is broadly you, you'll probably do ok out of it.

I've had a similar situation with two firms, they were both told, and both knew what I was looking for. Got the best offer possible at the time and everyone knew where they stood. FWIW I've also accepted a role in the past and then binned it off when something better came in. Obviously you have to be very sure when you do that, but verbally accepting, or even signing some contract doesn't tend to mean st until you're actually there, and I've never heard of any comeback from breaking that.

Edited by okgo on Sunday 13th February 17:59

[Countdown]

Mojooo said:

I've got my eye on 4 possible jobs

1 - interview next week
2 - application sent - awaiting results in 2 weeks
3 - applications going in today
4 - advert just come up - have 2 weeks to apply

Luckily for me, job 1 is the one I want so if I am offered it I will take it and cancel the others.

I do wonder though - do people tend to make it obvious at interview that they are applying for other jobs? (for example saying can you let me know the results as soon as possible as I need to make decisions relating to other applications)

Benefits are that it may help negotiate a salary if they think you have options
Downside is they may think you are being arrogant.

The other issue of course if offer overlap. How long can you string out an acceptance period. In that case I am guessing it is best NOT to tell them you are awaiting results from another interview.

You've hit the nail on the head. there's no need to mention it unless they specifically ask, or if you're lucky enough to get offered the role

Mojooo said:

How long can you string out an acceptance period

Do you mean where you have been offered one job but are waiting to hear back from another? It's a tough one. Depending on your personal morals you could accept the first one and then, if a better offer comes along later, accept THAT one and tell the first employer you've changed your mind.

Annoyingly it happened to me a couple of months ago but its better than the person starting, not being happy because they know they could be in a better job, and then moving after a few months anyway...

[Sporky]

I'm recruiting at the moment; I'd rather people let me know, and I don't think badly of people applying for more than one job at a time.

Its mildly frustrating when someone pulls out before we've made an offer because that suggests they weren't that interested in coming here, but only mildly.

[x5tuu]

I’m in a similar boat at the moment.

I’ve got 2 at initial stages and 2 at final stages

1 is in the Middle East and all the others are UK / Europe based.

Ive been totally upfront with them all that I’m very actively looking and am fundamentally looking for a business that can offer me the best opportunity and fit against my own values and aims (not at all financially as they’re all much of a muchness)

1 wasn’t happy that I was looking elsewhere, but I was totally frank that I wasn’t prepared to put all my eggs in one basket and that I was actively testing the market and seeing what and who was out there and who had the best “complete offer” so to speak

[Mr_Megalomaniac]

mw88 said:

I'd be honest.

A few years ago, I had 2 interviews on the same day.

Told the first one I had another interview in the afternoon - They phoned whilst I was on my way to the second interview offering the job, but the salary was st, and wasn't a place I would have been happy working at.

Second interview, I told them I'd just come from another and we had a laugh at how st it was

Luckily, also got offered the second job at £10k more, and a much better environment.

This.
If I'm in the market, and I'm interviewing, I'm going to be honest with them about it. Sometimes they may have a helpful perspective, or might clue me up to culture or something else important that might be a factor.
In addition, I've often been presented with two offers at the same time historically, and because I was always clear about salary expectations I've received the two offers in line with one another.
That actually makes it much easier to choose since salary doesn't influence your decision as much as the role itself does.

[dibblecorse]

My whole recruiting team asks every candidate the question about other processes, what stage, same role or different etc, never ask who with etc, if they want to say then fine, also we never bad mouth or bh about a competitor, it enables us to accelerate processes for those that post 1st interview we are keen on, also means on roles where we have time we can wait for a better potential candidate and slow roll a process f need be, its a game of two halves and as long as everyone is treated fairly and respectfully.

We have also been in a position where we have multiple great candidates and won't short circuit a process until we have fully appraised all of them, so works in both direction.

My advice OP is answer if asked, if one of the other roles feels like its a potential better fit than the one you currently really like, just say that, that you really like the sound of the opportunity but are at an advanced stage in another process so if there is any way of moving quickly you can be flexible with times etc to help that.

[edc]

Sporky said:

I'm recruiting at the moment; I'd rather people let me know, and I don't think badly of people applying for more than one job at a time.

Its mildly frustrating when someone pulls out before we've made an offer because that suggests they weren't that interested in coming here, but only mildly.

It's a bit hypocritical to be frustrated by candidates withdrawing prior to being offered as you will do exactly the same on the other side as you won't offer everybody but you will reject some an put some on hold. The interview is a chance for them also to figure out if they do in fact want to work with you and sometimes what they see at interview doesn't match what they want or their original expectation.

[Sporky]

edc said:

It's a bit hypocritical to be frustrated by candidates withdrawing prior to being offered as you will do exactly the same on the other side as you won't offer everybody but you will reject some an put some on hold.

No, that may be how you do it, but it's not how I do it.

[Countdown]

Sporky said:

I'm recruiting at the moment; I'd rather people let me know, and I don't think badly of people applying for more than one job at a time.

Its mildly frustrating when someone pulls out before we've made an offer because that suggests they weren't that interested in coming here, but only mildly.

if they've gone to the bother of applying for the role (well enough to getting shortlisted), then turning up for one or more interviews that suggests to me that they WERE interested in coming. (If they weren't then why waste their own time and petrol?)

I've been for interviews and then withdrawn - once because I realised I'd be way out of my depth, once because the organisation looked like it was being run on a shoestring, once because the hiring manager came across as a control freak. There are multiple reasons why you might change your mind about applying once you've had an interview.

[Sporky]

I'm not disputing the validity of their reasons - I should clarify that the frustration is just about not managing to hire someone really good.

[LosingGrip]

My other half applied for a new job and had an interview last Thursday. It came up during the interview that she was applying for a few places (long story short her career has stalled at her current place and she is looking to move to progress it).

Interview went well and she was told she would be contacted this week.

Friday at 10am she gets a phone call offering her the job. They told her that they didn't want to wait until after the weekend in case she found somewhere else.

It worked out well for her. She liked the place as well.

I went for an interview years ago at Waitrose and mentioned that I had applied for Tesco as well. Waitrose rejected me as they said I was committed enough to them.

[okgo]

It’s a fine balance and often down to the attitude of the hiring manager.

I almost certainly got a job a few years back through vocally saying I wasn’t looking. I wasnt unhappy in my role I just loved this company and thought I could make them a lot of money. Went through it all and got down to final stages and lost out to another lady. 7 months later the role reappeared. I basically was in that same position, not looking to leave for anything and only really liked this company. That time round I got the job and he later cited that me holding out for them and obviously being true to that was a large part of what got me in.