3 interviews at the civil service! Will the interviewers know?

[StickyToffeeHobnob]

I have 3 interviews for 3 different jobs at the civil service. They are over the next 2 weeks.

They are all for different departments.

Will the interviewers know that I am going for several jobs? If yes, how should I address this if asked?

No. So don't worry!

I really don't think they will realise. And if they do, you are looking for a job! That's what I would say!

HR/recruitment might spot it but it’s unlikely they’d inform the interviewers and wouldn’t really care anyway. And you have every right to apply to the jobs.

Nope, the recruiting managers won't know unless some of the roles happen to be for the same recruiting manager or there's a panel member in common across the jobs.

It won't count against you even if they work it, unless you say completely contradictory things in each interview and a panel member happens to remember you.

It is very common for internal candidates to apply for multiple vacancies when they're ready for promotion, so what you're doing is completely normal.

If you're offered one of the jobs, it is also ok to ask them to wait while you hear back from the other jobs before you choose/commit. As long as the interview dates aren't wildly spread, of course.

No but it really wouldn't matter if they did. I also had 3 CS interviews within 2/3 weeks, and got 2 job offers so ended up turning down an offer I'd verbally accepted (CS jobs hadnt updated anyway!) and the hiring manager was lovely, people understand you apply for multiple jobs when job hunting.

I actually told the last interview I had an offer on the table, I needed to know how quickly I'd be informed as we all know how slow it can be and I didn't want to lead the other job offer on, I ended up getting that job too, they informed me immediately due to knowing I had an offer on the table.

No, if I was hiring I wouldn’t know when you turned up for interview that you had other jobs in the pipeline. Lots of people who apply to CS are applying for the organisation as a whole rather than to the specific job, if you see what I mean.

I can always tell when I interview people tho - 6th sense do they want THIS job or ANY job. I don’t mind though and it doesn’t put me off candidates.

What I would say though is to make sure you are familiar with the role when you’re interviewed so if they ask why you applied it at least sounds convincing. Also when you’re being interviewed don’t do what a candidate recently did and say “can you make sure we finish on time as I’ve another interview straight after...”

When I wanted to move CS roles recently I applied to 5 or 6 and got interviews for them all, so it was a matter of who got there first with an offer - we all do it!