I am a
newspaper reporter looking for my second job out of college. I have an
interview in two weeks at a newspaper that I really want to go to, and
it would do wonders for my career.
Another newspaper just left
me a message saying they are interested in interviewing me. The first
paper has told me that I am the only person they are interviewing and
that, if all goes well, they will make me
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an offer.
My
question is: Do I accept an interview offer from the second paper,
knowing full well that I have a possibility I will jump at if it's
offered to me? I would hate to have someone schedule an interview and
make travel arrangements, only to cancel. However, I also don't want to
put all my eggs in one basket and decline the second interview in case
the first one doesn't work out. How do I handle this?
Rachel 
Ah,
that's ticklish. You anticipate the recruiting companies' positions
well. Express your genuine interest in the second paper, but tell them
it'll be a couple weeks until you can commit to a travel date. The
issue will arise only if there is air travel involved. Hotels can be
canceled with 24-hours notice or less, and schedules can be dropped
quickly.
