With jobs as competitive as they are today, it is baffling why so many candidates discount or eliminate job or company possibilities too early on in the process.

For instance, one candidate saw a job posting online that was very well suited to his background. As a matter of fact, his background was almost that of what the employer listed for the “ideal candidate.”  When asked if he was going to respond to the ad, he replied, “I don’t think so.  It’s a 50 minute drive and I don’t want to commute that far.”

For the previous fifteen years, this person had been lucky to have lived only ten minutes from his former place of employment.  When he lost his job, he immediately held that his next job had to be at the same pay level, and no further than fifteen minutes from his home.  Eight months later he was heard complaining, “There just aren’t any jobs out there.”

Another candidate, also with a single employer for over ten years, took a different attitude.    She decided not to discount anything that was within a reasonable range of job challenge, pay, or commutable distance.  She fervently pursued all reasonable leads, following each one up with a phone call.  She treated each lead as if it led to the perfect job.  She knew that only by doing so could she get close enough to the inside of the company to really make that determination.

It is unfortunate that so many people make assumptions about potential jobs and companies, so as to eliminate them prematurely.  Here are some other assumptions that candidates have made which eliminated otherwise valid leads:  The job won’t pay enough…..The company just let some employees go, so it probably isn’t a stable place to work…. I’m overqualified…I’ve already done that kind of work…There’s too much travel involved…etc.

Time and time again, those who have kept an open mind have landed a good job, sometimes unexpectedly.  The following are all true scenarios that could happen to you, as well.

• The job appears to be similar to the one you had two jobs ago. You get an interview, and they are impressed with your qualifications, personal presence, and potential contributions.  They want you on their team and so they upgrade the position to his/her level to fit your requirements.
• The interview process reveals that your candidacy does not fit for what they need at this time, but you wowed them, and they call you two months later when an opening occurs for which you are better suited.
• When the interview ends and you have mutually decided that this job does not fit for you, the Human Resource manager shares your name with another company who he/she knows is looking for someone with your background.
• You feel that you are over-qualified, but the interviewers keep introducing you to managers higher up in the organization anyway…finally the vice president suggests that your skill sets would be very valuable to the company and they would like to create a new position for you.
• You are not very excited about the 45-minute commute, but the job and the company are very attractive to you.  After interviewing, you find out that the person who accepts this position will be asked to open a local office in about 18 months.
• You get to the interview and find out that the director of the department was an old friend from high school that you haven’t seen for many years.  Even if you don’t get the job, you have expanded your network.
• You go to the interview half heartedly but find out the job is much more diverse, challenging and interesting than was reflected in the ad’s description.  You become genuinely interested and pursue the job with new energy.

How many opportunities might you have missed by disconnecting from the process too soon? The fact is, each time you interview you are setting the stage for new perspectives to emerge.  Interviewing is a two-way street: you are there to sell yourself to the company, but you are also there on an information-gathering mission, to gain insights about the job or company which may not be readily available or visible from the outside.

The next time you hear yourself nixing a job possibility for one reason or another, stop.  Reconsider. Remember to keep your options open.  Each interview is an opportunity to expand your network.  Each interview is also an opportunity to get better at the interviewing process.  Best of all, you may discover an unexpected opportunity just by being at the right place at the right time with the right people.