“Don’t count your chickens until they hatch”

I recently did interview coaching with a well-qualified senior level job seeker interviewing for his dream job. Everything about the position was exactly what he wanted.

First round interview ✅

Second round ✅

Third round ✅

And then…he was told, “we really like you as a candidate, but we are doing some restructuring and we need to figure out where this role fits”.

As you can imagine, this was hard to hear. Three months wasted and now he is starting over in his search. He learned a valuable lesson. If he wants to arrive at multiple options for his next job, then he needs to keep multiple prospective employers in play at all times.

This is the advice I will share with you too: If you get an interview at an amazing company in a role you are excited about, don’t stop your search. Continue leveraging your network and applying for roles to land others.

Remember. You are more desirable when someone else wants you— and nothing motivates a company more to make an offer than when they know a competitor has already done so. Having multiple “balls in the air” allows you to keep the process moving along and if played properly you could leverage one offer for another. Have you ever used this strategy to land a job or a better offer? Share your story below!

Author

  • Sarah Johnston

    I’m a former corporate recruiter and industry “insider” who got tired of seeing talented high-achievers get passed over for opportunities because they did not have the right marketing documents or know how to position themselves in interviews. I have relocated multiple times across the country as a “trailing spouse” and have had to execute job searches in completely cold markets (where I literally knew no one!) I have been named a LinkedIn Top Voice in the career space in 2019, HR Weekly’s Top 100 Most Influential People in HR, named the owner of the “best resume writing firm for experienced executives” by Balance Careers and a “top follow” by JobScan in 2019 and 2020.

Sarah Johnston

Sarah Johnston is a former corporate recruiter and industry "insider" with a passion for empowering high-achievers in their career journeys. Frustrated by talented individuals being overlooked due to ineffective marketing documents and interview strategies, Sarah made it her mission to equip professionals with the tools and knowledge to succeed. As a seasoned "trailing spouse" who relocated multiple times, she understands the challenges of executing job searches in unfamiliar markets. Sarah's expertise and impact have earned her recognition as a LinkedIn Top Voice in 2019 and a spot on HR Weekly's Top 100 Most Influential People in HR. Her resume writing firm has been acclaimed as the best for experienced executives by Balance Careers, while JobScan listed her as a top follow in 2019 and 2020.

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