You just finished a grueling day of on site interviews - not only did you talk with the person you'd be reporting to, but you met with every member of the senior management team.
You got a great vibe which was underscored by positive feedback from the recruiter.
Next step? An offer! Hmmm..
..
what to do about the interview scheduled for the day after tomorrow with another company that you set up weeks ago? Though you're interested in this alternate opportunity, it's not your first choice.
The other one is.
And you're expecting an offer from them.
No sense going through the motions when you're almost at the finish line with your dream job.
You should probably just cancel this appointment, right? Wrong.
Until you have an offer in hand, proceed as if you're still on the market.
Never get ahead of yourself.
The recruiter is hedging her bets - so should you.
Remember, she works for the hiring company, not you.
Her job is to fill the position with the best qualified candidate.
That could be you - or it could be someone else.
Yes, you interviewed well; you can bet your recruiter is going to work hard to get you the offer.
Still, you're not the only candidate she submitted.
Somebody else may have aced their interviews, too.
In addition, the recruiter has backup candidates ready to go if needed.
She knows better than anyone that many, many things can happen to break up the deal - even during the final stages.
You need to think the same way.
Following are just two scenarios: 1) Always assume there's more than one finalist.
(There may or may not be - but always assume that's the case.
) Let's say there are two of you on the short list.
Maybe the other person haven't interviewed yet.
They really liked you, but they may end up thinking the other candidate is a better fit once they've talked with him.
2) They like you - a lot - but you didn't hit a home run.
They want to see who else is out there; that comparison will help them make a final decision.
(Understand - you still may get the offer.
) They're going to stall.
They're not going to tell you outright what's going on, of course.
This isn't sinister - it's simply part of the due diligence process.
They still may decide you're the best candidate; obviously they don't want to taint things by sharing any reservations they may have had.
So the company tells the recruiter to "keep you warm" - they don't want to cut you loose, but they do want to interview another candidate.
Depending on the outcome of their talks with this other person, they'll decide what to do about you.
They want to keep you in reserve.
Meantime, the recruiter is going to submit someone from her backup pool of candidates.
It's never over until it's over - either way.
Whether you end up out of the running or get the offer, sometimes it's hard to predict which way it's going to go until the very end.
Don't take anything for granted.
If everything works out and you get the job, fantastic! In the meantime, though, don't cancel other interviews you've already booked.
By all means, be honest with your recruiter and let her know you're talking with another company (that gives you some leverage), but consider your search active until you've sealed the deal.