| James Innes
Are there any other organisations to which you are applying?
Alternative and related questions:
What other organisations are you applying to?
What other jobs have you applied for?
Have you had any other interviews yet?
Have you received any job offers yet?
The meaning behind the question:
This question has nothing directly to do with your ability to do the job. The interviewer is trying to gauge how important this particular application is to you and how much you are in demand with other – possibly competing – organisations. They want to assess how discerning you are or, the other side of the coin, how desperate you are! If you’ve already received a firm offer from another organisation then they will know they need to act fast if they don’t want to lose you.
Your answer:
You’ve got to tread carefully here. You don’t want to be trapped into disclosing too much detail – especially the names of specific organisations. The only exception to this is if you are also applying to a direct competitor. It’s a risky move – the interviewer might see this as rather mercenary on your part – but it can motivate them to want to secure your services rather than let ‘the enemy’ take advantage of you. Generally, it’s best to dodge the question somewhat and give an appropriately vague answer but, above all, to be truthful. If you round off your answer by emphasising that this particular vacancy is your preferred choice then the interviewer is unlikely to press you for further details of your other applications.
Example:
Finding the right position is obviously very important to me so I am being rather thorough in my job search. I have been quite selective but I have identified a number of different jobs and organisations which fit my criteria and my applications for these vacancies have reached varying stages. However, this opportunity with yourselves remains my preferred choice – both because of the specifics of the role in question and because the organisation itself is one I feel to be particularly appropriate to me.
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