Reasons to Attend a Job Interview You Don't Want

It makes sense to send your CV to as many employers as you can when you're eager to find a job in the hopes that some of the hiring managers will take notice. But what happens if you are invited for an interview for a job that you later decide you don't want?

It's not an unusual situation, and at first, you might be tempted to decline the interview rather than squander your time and the time of others by talking about a job you're not interested in. In actuality, though, there are a lot of reasons to go to a job interview, even if you don't plan to accept the position.

Experience in interviews never hurts

Interviews for jobs can be nerve-racking, but the more experience you have, the more confident you'll likely become. Before going to genuine interviews, candidates are frequently recommended to conduct practice interviews, so if you're invited to meet with a company you don't think you'll end up working for, you may utilize that meeting as a kind of practice interview to perform better in the future.

The benefits of networking for your career

Attending the odd pointless interview, so to speak, can really improve your career in the long run if you're a skilled interviewer who enjoys mingling with new people and forming relationships. This is because every interview you have gives you the ability to network and meet new people, which in turn can open up new prospects for you in the future.

You could decide that you want the position

Perhaps you applied for a position at a marketing company that seemed to need a lot of data entry while in reality you'd like to spend your days coming up with innovative marketing campaigns. However, it's not always simple to sum up a role's responsibilities in a single job description. If you're ready to make the time to go through the interview process, you might discover that the position in question is more interesting than you initially believed. In our hypothetical situation, you might discover that the supposedly dull data-analysis job you were certain you'd reject is actually rather creative in nature, making it a position you'd consider accepting.

A better position at the same company could open up later

There is a good possibility that you will leave an interview feeling the same way if you go in with the idea that you don't want the job. However, if you impress the company's representatives, there's a strong chance they'll get in touch with you the following time a better opportunity arises.

That's a fact, if an interview you're asked to attend has nothing at all appealing about it—for example, if the position is a dud and the company's future appears bleak—then by all means, politely reject it. Alternatively, it never hurts to set aside a few hours of your day to see what an interview has in store. One way or another, it might wind up resulting in a fantastic job.

Browse through our blog section for more!