When to Turn Down a Job Interview

As the job search rolls on, many people find themselves applying to an increasing number of jobs to increase their chances of finding something. Unfortunately, this often means jobs that they are not completely enthusiastic about. This includes jobs at companies that they don’t find interesting or roles that are only marginally related to what they really want to do.

If this is the case for you, you need to be honest with yourself when interview opportunities come up. Even if you haven’t diluted your job search in this way, there might be other reasons to turn down an interview.

It’s not always something you can put your finger on, but it may be something in the way the company communicates with you, something you’ve heard about the company or any number of other things. Trust your instincts. If a voice in the back of your head is telling you not to go for it, you probably shouldn’t.

It might also have been the case that you felt your back was against the wall, and decided to apply for anything and everything you could find - spray and pray. Now, you find yourself in the comfortable position of having multiple job interviews lined up. Preparing for a select few which you have high hopes for is better than taking every interview and not having time to properly prepare for each one.

Be wary of rejecting job interviews out of hand, though. Make sure to give it some thought; a job interview is often your best opportunity to really understand the role and company in question. So, if your doubts come down to not having a clear idea about either what the job entails or what it would be like working at the company, it’s a good idea to go ahead with the interview.You can also think of each interview as an opportunity to improve your interview skills. The more experience you get, the easier you will find it next time around.

Mull it over and decide what is best for you. The key thing is not to feel bad or guilty about saying no. If it’s not right for you, there is no sense in wasting both your time and the company’s.

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