Articles From the Team
Why not to cancel interviews
As you put the phone down from the recruitment consultant that has just delivered you a job offer an automatic checklist forms in your mind of things to do. Ring your mum, hand in your notice, by a new suit and cancel that interview next week. But hang on, why are you cancelling that interview next week?
As the market continues to improve we are finding that many candidates have the opportunity to interview with several firms at the same time, often for similar types of legal positions. Many candidates assume that a job offer from one firm, will be very similar to a job offer from another. Others have simply had enough of looking for jobs and yet others are sure they prefer one firm to another.
The reality is that all firms have unique personalities and all roles are different even though they may look similar on paper. Until you attend an interview and meet the people that you would be working with it is almost impossible to predict how you will feel about the interviewing firm. It may be that you prefer them to the firm that have already made you an offer. It may be that the job is more interesting or offers more progression. You may also find that you do not like the other firm and so can be even more assured that the offer you have is the right one.
The experience of interviewing when you already have a job offer can be quite surreal as the pressure is often off and candidates are able to really express themselves in the meeting. Whether or not you ultimately get a second offer to consider seems less important because you already have one on the table. Many people give a better account of themselves and ultimately find that they get a better offer.
Obviously time can play a factor and no one wants to keep a prospective employer waiting for two long. A good recruitment consultant will be able to offer advice on each individual client’s tolerance levels and the amount of time it takes them to get paperwork to you etc. In some cases it may be that you risk losing an offer by not signing the contract quickly enough. The reality is that the interview you thought you needed to cancel next week is generally well within the time scale you have to consider things.
As the market is improving BCL Legal are able to offer candidates the opportunity to interview with a greater number of firms. This seems likely to continue after Christmas, into the new year. We are always more than happy to discuss the best ways to manage multiple interview/ multiple offer scenario’s with any registered candidates.