Sometime last week I was juggling nine different job opportunities, meaning that I was actually contacted and somewhere in the interview process for nine different positions.

Today I am down to six jobs and I can tell you that the deeper I get into these interviews the harder it is to manage them all!  One job fell off simply because the hiring manager and I couldn’t stay connected, proving that eight really is enough!  It was an interesting job, but for a major network and I have no experience in that industry, and the title was lower than my previous position, so I just had to let it go.   Survival of the fittest!

So, what is still in play?

Active (odds of getting to next round in parenthesis)

1) Niche apparel company – L.A.

• HR phone screen – conducted 3/8
• Hiring manager is currently traveling (odds 90/10)

2) Construction materials – Denver

• HR phone screen – conducted 3/8
• Hiring manager is currently traveling (odds 65/35)

3) Women’s apparel and bath products – Ohio

• HR phone screen – conducted 3/13
• Hiring manager phone screen – pending (odds 90/10)

4) Major perfume/cosmetics/couture fashion house – NY/NJ

• HR phone screen – conducted 3/13
• Hiring manager phone interview – scheduled for 3/20

5 & 6) Apparel company (2 jobs) – Atlanta & Connecticut

• HR phone screen – conducted 3/8
• Job 1 = Hiring manager phone interview – conducted 3/16
• On-site interview to be coordinated – date TBD
• Job 2 = pending, HR manager balancing against outcome of job 1

Dead or presumed dead

1) Mystery company in Northeast

• Phone screen with recruiter. Not pursuing, agreed that job requirements weren’t matched closely enough

2) Hand-held device covers (start-up company) – Atlanta

• HR and hiring manager phone screens conducted.
• Interview with hiring manager was odd, didn’t get the feeling they had enough metrics and structure in place and he probably thought I was too “old school” in asking about that kind of stuff.  I haven’t received an official rejection, but at this stage if I get called back it is obvious that I am considered second-string to them…. and “nobody puts Baby on the bench!”

3) Major network – Atlanta

• Never connected with hiring manager (swapping v-mails), job fell through cracks