"HAVE YOU HAD OTHER INTERVIEWS?” OUR TIPS FOR ANSWERING
If you are actively looking for a new job, it is more than likely that you have applied for multiple jobs and therefore interviewed with several different employers.
During one or all of these interviews, it is also likely that the recruiter will ask you if you have had any other interviews with other employers. Although this may seem like a simple question, at first sight, it can seem intrusive.
Fortunately, while the question can catch even the best-prepared candidates off guard, it can be answered with tact, clarity, and ease if you adopt the right strategy.
So here are some tips to help you answer this question without doing yourself any harm.
Why do recruiters ask this question?
Before you think about how you can answer this question, first understand why they ask it:
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To check that you are interested in the job in this company
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To get proof that your job search is well thought out and focused
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To find out if you have had or are about to have an interview with one of their competitors
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To understand how quickly they will have to act if they want to offer you the job.
This question is not just asked to test you, but also for perfectly strategic reasons for the recruiter. To help you answer this question constructively and strategically, here are some tips.
"Have you had other interviews?”: how to answer?
When answering this interview question, you should, first of all, make it clear that you are a sought-after candidate, but also a perceptive and well-organised one, who has carefully targeted his applications. Simply answering that you have a lot of interviews with other companies may give the recruiter the impression that you have not taken a strategic approach to your job search and are applying for every job you can find.
What to say:
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In your response, you need to convey that you are primarily interested in this company and this position.
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Instead of focusing on other employers you have interviewed with, direct the conversation to what you are looking for in your next position – this way, you stay focused on this particular position, not others you may or may not apply for.
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Don't go into detail. If you have several interviews planned, you can say so. Explain that you are actively considering your options and that although you have several interviews lined up, you are most interested in this job.
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If you have already received a job offer, don't hide it. But again, keep it general. Just show that you are a candidate that employers are looking for, but that you are primarily interested in this particular job.
What not to say:
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Remember that at no point are you required to give specific details of other employers you have interviewed with or are about to interview. You do not have to give the names of the employers (whether or not they are competitors), the job titles, the number of jobs you have applied for or interviewed for, or when the interviews have taken place or are due to take place.
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Also, you should never exaggerate the extent of your job search or your progress in the interview process. Just as you would not lie about your skills or abilities, there is no need to put yourself in an awkward position, as employers can cross-check most of the information you give them.
Example: "I have some interviews with other companies in X city. I was attracted to these positions because of their focus on X and Y skills, and the opportunity to further develop my skills in this city. However, from what I understand, the vacancy in your company is particularly suited to what I am looking for, as it offers precisely the challenges I am looking for at this stage in my career."
"Which companies have you interviewed with?”
If you admit to having applied and interviewed elsewhere, most recruiters will not ask you for more details. However, some may ask you additional questions. In this case, try to answer the question tactfully, without revealing any information you would prefer to keep to yourself.
Example: "The other companies that have invited me for an interview are, like yours, leading companies in sector X. They have also advertised some particularly interesting jobs in sector Y, and as my ambition is a position as a Z in the future, I have decided to apply for the most interesting positions that could help me achieve this goal."
How to respond if this is the only company you are interviewing with
If you have applied to several companies but have only been invited to this interview, you should not pass this information on to the recruiter. Instead :
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You could explain that you are selectively applying for specific jobs with specific employers and that this is the first job you are interested in that might match your skills, experience, and potential.
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If you don't want to say that this is the only company that will interview you, you can simply explain that you have just started your job search.
Example: "As I am specifically interested in positions like this, I applied exclusively for the position you advertised. I have of course looked for other opportunities, but this is the first and only job I have found that would not only allow me to use my skills in X, but also broaden my experience in Y and develop my potential and interest in Z. I will consider any similar positions I find, but for now, my interest is solely in this position and your company."
Now you understand why recruiters often ask you this question and what you can do to prepare yourself. Remember, you don't have to reveal every detail of your job search. But you also don't need to give an overly closed answer that doesn't answer the recruiter's question, or that might even give the impression that you are not very interested in the job you are being asked to do.
Instead, your answer should serve to position you as an ideal and in-demand candidate, who could very well be recruited quickly by other companies. This is exactly what the recruiter wants you to be, and every question they ask - including the very specific ones - should be used to prove this.