The reason why the employers ask this question in an interview is to see what other companies have you applied for, how your search for a job is going on, whether you are getting other job offers or not, what kind of jobs are you looking for, etc. as they want to hire the candidates who are a perfect fit for the job position and who have specific job target to apply for a specific position in a particular specialization and not just applying for every job for which the positions are open.
The employers also ask this question to check if you genuinely interested in working with them, or in the role at the company, they try to test your seriousness about the job so that when the time comes in the hiring process, they can gauge their own timeline.
While the employers ask, “Are you interviewing with any other companies?”, the candidates get confused about how to answer such questions and how much detail should they actually give to the employer about the other positions in other companies they applied for. Such questions get tough to answer. But, do not worry as we have got it all sorted for you. In this article, we will cover the following topics:
- How to answer such questions in an interview?
- Things you should avoid while answering such questions.
- Examples of how this question can actually be answered in a smart way.
How to answer ‘What Other Companies Are You Interviewing With?’
This question needs to be answered strategically, tactfully, and comprehensively without giving all the details to the employers.
Keep your calm
While answering such questions, keep your calm and be confident in your answer. If you prepare to answer such questions in advance, this will help you maintain your calm and give a better answer to this question.
Prioritize your role for the company
When you answer such questions in an interview, you should answer in a way that shows that working for the company you are currently interviewing with is your top priority. Your answer should portray that the job in this company is more important to you.
Portray that you are consistent
To portray that you are consistent means that you should only mention the names of positions that are similar to the role you have applied for. The companies that you have applied for should have some commonality between them, to showcase that you are particular about your job search.
Mention your selection criteria
In case, you get multiple job offers, speak to the employer about how you would choose between the companies. This way, the employer will get an insight about your decision-making skills.
Things to Avoid While Answering Such Questions
Do not lie
One should be honest while answering such questions as the employers may cross-check your answer for their reference and that won’t end in any good. So, if you are interviewing for multiple companies, you should mention it, and if that is the only company you are interviewing for, you should be honest about it to the potential employer.
Do not get into details
Make sure you do not get into many details as to keep things private. Be careful about what details and how much of them you should disclose while answering this kind of question as they are not easy. Even if the hiring manager tells you to give details about the interviews with other companies, it is a smart choice to choose not to answer it. You can mention that the information is private even if the company turns down the offer on you. But you should maintain confidentiality about other job interviews.
10 Sample Interview answers
Sample Answer One
“My career in this field has just begun and I am at the early stages of my job search. So, currently, this is the only company that I am interviewing with so far. My job idea is to focus on one company at a time, and to work with a company like yours have always been my dream. So, I don’t have any other interviews planned up or other job offers to consider yet.”
Sample Answer Two
“Even though my job search has just begun I have applied for a similar position in several companies to take advantage of the opportunity. I feel that the technology industry is open to vast growth now and so you should always have your opportunity cost ready in case things do not work the way you want them to. I do feel that the position of a Digital Marketer in this company is the best fit for me as here I will also get to work on projects related to writing and presenting as you mentioned. I think my individual growth will be better in this company as I will get to learn new things.”
Sample Answer Three
“I am really focusing on exploring as much business world as I can, so I am interviewing several companies that have the position opened in this field. I want to be able to choose what is best for my career and my overall development that is why I am keeping an open mind in this whole process. However, the job description in your company seems like it matches my job requirements.”
Sample Answer Four
“No, I am not interviewing for any other companies at this moment as I am really passionate about working in this company at a position of [position name]. My focus is currently to get my hands on this position as I have been working really hard for this.”
Sample Answer Five
“I have applied for two other interviews at two different companies for the same job position. However, I will be excited to work for a position where I would be able to use the best of my skills and knowledge while observing overall growth in myself. I look forward to working with a company which has the same work values as I have and, in my opinion, your company will be the best choice for the same.”
Sample Answer Six
“I have a job offer from one company that I interviewed for before this job interview. But, based on what I have learned in my research about your company, I really think I will be able to add value to this company right after I get hired for this role as the work requirements and description matches my experience and knowledge. I look forward to work with your company, and contribute to the company’s growth.”
Sample Answer Seven
“I have applied for several companies in this field which offered a promising careers in this industry. I am really focusing on finding out what is best for my career development as I am at the building stage of my career and I do not want to risk it by being in my comfort zone. But I think this company has excellent training and appraisal methods to keep their employees motivates to work at their best.”
Sample Answer Eight
“I have a couple of interviews coming up for several companies for the same position. All the job descriptions of these companies matched perfectly with my job requirements as they would give me the opportunity to develop my skills further and offer the same working techniques. Based on my research, this company would be a great option for me to enhance my skills at my best as it is offering everything that I am looking for at this stage for my career.”
Sample Answer Nine
“As I was specifically looking for a position like this that offered everything that this company is offering. I have looked for other positions as well under the same industry but none of them all of the things that I was looking for in my ideal job search. This is the only company that will allow me to use my skillset and expand my experience in this industry while growing. So, for now, my interest is only in this company for this particular job position, I will be extremely delighted to work with this company.”
Sample Answer Ten
“I decided to apply for as many roles that matched my skills and my background. The industry is a lot more competitive than it was ever before and that is why I decided to apply for the most exciting roles providing the best opportunities that would help me achieve my goals in this industry. The other companies that I am interviewing for have scheduled the interviews for the coming month. However, so far in this interview I am extremely excited to work for this company as a [position name].
Conclusion
So, this was all for this article. Go through all the things mentioned in this article from how to answer such questions to the sample answers to have a thorough preparation for your interview. I hope you enjoyed reading this article, found it informative, and now you are confident enough to answer such questions in an interview. Comment below what you liked about this article and share it with your friends and workmates.
We wish you all the best for all your interviews! Thank you for reading this article!
References
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Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of PrepMyCareer.com website.
I am a full-time professional blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web, and I try to learn new technologies every day.
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