How Doing A Great Inteview Pays Off, Even If You Don’t Get The Job

Depending on the type of position you are applying for and the span of control of the hiring manager, it is very likely that they may have other open positions or they may know of other hiring managers with open positions that you’d be perfect for.  So, be prepared to answer the question “should you not be selected for this position, would you be open to considering other vacancies in the department?”  I do this frequently myself when I interview candidates.  It is usually because I have found the perfect person for the job but then another great candidate comes along that I don’t want to slip away.

From the candidate’s perspective, this can be a difficult question to answer because you don’t want to give the hiring manager the impression that you are interested in any ole job, however you want to maximize your chance of getting a job.  This happened to me in my recent job interview. 

I knew I was applying for a job I was minimally qualified for (they preferred more management experience etc…). Towards the end of the interview, the hiring manager told me that she knew of another vacancy in the organization that I’d be perfect for given my skills and experience and wanted to know if I’d be open to interviewing with the other hiring manager.  How did I handle that?  I informed the hiring manager that I was not opposed to discussing the other opening however, my primary interest was the position in which I was interviewing for.  In the end she informed me that she was bringing back the top two candidates for the second round of interviews and that I was the third ranked candidate (bummer!).  At that time I consented to her forwarding my resume to the other hiring manager and when she did so, she even included the email trail where she had described how she “believed in my talent and ability”, so it was basically a bonus reference to the other hiring manager.

So, be sure to prepare to discuss other openings at the interview keeping these things in mind.

1. Emphasize your interest in the position you are applying for taking the time to reiterate why you’d be perfect for it.
2. Always be open to discussing the other position.  Even if it turns out not to be what you are looking for, it could lead to something that is.
3. Make a great impression with the hiring manager, even if it’s clear they don’t want you for the job because that manager may end up being the best reference you’ve ever had.