Here at PediaStaff, we set up a LOT of interviews.  An interview is your chance to impress a prospective employer with your skills and personality so you can hopefully land the job of your dreams. Make sure, however, that when you accept an interview (be it face-face or over the phone) that you are truly serious about the position (or making a change in the first place) before you take up the interviewer’s valuable time.

Now, it is understandable that in many cases, you will not know enough about the job before hand to really, truly know if you want the job.  That’s what the interview is for in the first place, right?   What we mean about being a good steward, is to do your very best to alert your interviewer to any contingencies before you get to the interview phase, or to pass on interviews for jobs that you really don’t see yourself accepting in the near future.

Here is an example. Your husband may be getting transferred, so you take an interview for a job in the new city.   Let them know ahead of time, that you only MAY be coming to town.  Here is another one:  You accept an interview for a job that is a one hour drive from your house.  Do some serious thinking about whether you really would be ready to take a job that encompasses a lengthy commute – for you to get to.  Just starting your search?  Maybe you should table interviews that would require a longer drive time for farther down the line.

It might not sound like a big deal, but that extending this type of courtesy will go a very long way.  You want to be remembered as that great candidate that they will stay in touch with for next time.