What to do: Cancel interview, or go?

[mx5tom]

Just after a bit of advice...

I applied for two jobs, had the interview for the first last week and I have an interview for the second in a few days.

I've just been told I was successful at the first interview and have a job offer! So, pretty happy, but I don't want to mess the second company around. I liked both, but my preference was always the first company (the one who have offered me a job) and so even if the next interview goes well, I'm almost certain I'm not going to take the job.

So, what should I do? If I'd known sooner, cancelling the interview would mean they may have had time to get another candidate in and so no ones time would be wasted. Now there's only a couple of days, so probably not enough time for them to do that.

A careers advisor at Uni has told me to just go and keep my options open, which might be good advice but to be honest, best case scenario I end up getting a job offer and then saying "thanks, but no thanks". It's just a bit of a knobbish thing to do, isn't it?

[Terminator X]

Cancel. As an interviewer I'd appreciate the honesty + avoiding wasting my time with an interview going nowhere.

TX.

[SpeckledJim]

I'd say cancel it. You've got your first option, let someone else have a crack at the other one, (and/or save the second interviewer wasting their time).

[Gargamel]

Cancel, they will be disappointed, but if you have an offer you prefer then pull out.

I am a recruiter in a large firm by the way.

[Shay HTFC]

If you want the first job regardless, then just cancel the interview.

Ring up and tell them your situation straight. I'm sure they would rather cancel the interview than have you go along to it with no intention of going further with them.

[mx5tom]

Fair enough, that's pretty much what I thought.

[andy-xr]

Get the offer confirmation from the first, then cancel the second. Nice position to be in, congrats on the job

[SWAT78]

andy-xr said:

Get the offer confirmation from the first, then cancel the second. Nice position to be in, congrats on the job

Seconded. Just like handing in your notice, you never do it until you've got the offer in writing.

[Bodo]

As the interview is lined up anyway and you have not yet received a signed contract for the first, go there and talk to them.
a) Maybe your impression with company 2 gets better than with company 1; or
b) for talking about salary, calculate for yourself at which threshold you'd rather work for company 2.

If they think that's too much, they will not offer you the job. A typical market economy situation .

[rog007]

Whilst the views above from a recruiter's perspective may be valid (I'm an employer, so recruit too), you should be looking at it from your own perspective of seeking out the best employment. If you're 100% sure the current job offer has been confirmed and this second role is not for you, then cancel. If there's even a slither of this second opportunity being also right for you, then go to the interview; you never know what it might throw up until you attend. Good luck!

[RealSquirrels]

i'd say go, and see if you like it there.

there is also the argument that you shouldn't cut off any options until you've signed on the dotted line.