Job Search is a Parallel Process

In my conversations with clients, I often hear candidates pinning their hopes on a specific opportunity. Usually, they have completed a few rounds of interviews and are confident that they will receive an offer.

Sometimes, they feel they need to turn down the burners on other opportunities for fear that they may have multiple offers and would run the risk of having to say ‘no’ to someone.

The truth is that it isn’t over until it’s over. Candidates shouldn’t feel completely secure until they are on the payroll day one. Unfortunately, employers may have the best intentions but suddenly need to rejigger hiring plans and disappoint candidates to whom they have extended offers. On the flip side, as an employer, I have had candidates (fortunately, not many) renege on jobs they accepted and left the company in the lurch.

For that reason, an employer is well served by keeping its pipeline of candidates active until the day the new hire signs on. Similarly, the prospective employee needs to stay active until the day they start a new job.

I know this can feel strange to the candidate. But I’ve seen all too many times when a candidate stops working on additional leads because they’re convinced they’ve got the job, and then it doesn’t come to fruition.  It is better to be well-positioned, moving forward with multiple opportunities. This way, if the job doesn’t come through, you don’t need to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and resume a search from a standing start.

Persistence is rewarded in job search -- throughout the process and through to the conclusion. So do yourself a favor and don’t give up until you are in the seat. You’ll be happy you did.

I offer individualized career coaching and advising (remote and in-person) along with text, email, and phone support to help job seekers succeed. I've hired more than 100 people and interviewed over 500 candidates. I've worked at large global companies like Morgan Stanley and a company that is now part of Bank of America Private Bank and founded/worked at six startups. I welcome you to contact me and join my mailing list.