FastTrain

Last year I was working with a very senior person who had three interviews with a company and was convinced that he was going to get the job.  Three months passed by and he had stopped looking for other opportunities.

He had even been told that he was the only remaining candidate, so the job was in the bag.  Then he and his wife were invited to have dinner with the Managing Director and his wife.

The following day he was told that they had decided not to pursue his application.  So he had to start all over again.  He was angry – with them and with himself for stopping his job hunt.  His morale went through the floor and his confidence nearly went the same way except for a lot of hard work by our team to get him re-focussed.

Recently the same thing was about to happen with another client.  Fortunately I now had this anecdote to tell and was able to dissuade him of closing down his job search.

In both cases there was a happy ending.  The first person found another and better opportunity a few weeks later.  Although the selection process was very long and involved numerous interviews, he didn’t stop looking and that made him more confident as he went through each stage.  Today he is prospering in his new position and very grateful that he didn’t get the first job.

The second person hasn’t yet secured a job, but he is still getting lots of interviews whilst this other process continues.  I have no doubt that he will be back in work very soon.

So the advice is simple.  Never stop looking until the contract for your next job has been signed.  It is easy to tell a recruitment agency or potential employer that you will have to withdraw from the process because you have found a position.  No sensible person will blame you provided you thank them and offer the explanation.

Even when you have been offered a job, remember there is still the business of negotiating the package and things could go wrong, so don’t stop until the ink is drying on the page.