Is it weird for a prospective employer to ask....?

[Anonymous]

"If you don't get this job, what will you do?". I'm the person being interviewed. I didn't really know what to say because it seemed like a personal question. I said that I would keep looking and stay at my current job (haven't quit yet). It's like they expected me to say "well I'll just go back to selling drugs". Has anyone asked you this in an interview?

[Anonymous]

We ask.

Will you just go back to your current job for the foreseeable futur, will you look externally/internally, will you try something new or different, go back to school, etc?

Here are many legitimate answers that speak to your career goals and your plan if all eggs in one basket don't pan out.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard that phrasing, but I think it's an awkward twist on " Why this company? /why now?/Why should we hire you?"

It;s also probably a play on " Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

They want to see how interest you are in working for them and how passionate you are about the field, that you see working for them as more than just a paycheck.

Of course I'm probably wrong.

[Anonymous]

OP here,
It was more odd for me because in the context, I am not interviewing at a company. The type of work I do is more personal, in home, think nanny or other long term household employee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here,
It was more odd for me because in the context, I am not interviewing at a company. The type of work I do is more personal, in home, think nanny or other long term household employee.

Same idea though they want to know why they should pick you as the nanny, how likely it is you are going to stay with them long term.

[Anonymous]

It's a negotiating question. They're trying to figure out how many other jobs you're interviewing for, how bad you need the job, and so on.

[Anonymous]

I think it is a way to gauge how much the offer should be. If you are kind of non-committal about it and say you have yuor current job plus other interviews- you might get a higher offer.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I ask that (in a corporate context where we often have reached out to recruit the candidate)). If someone is telling me they are unfulfilled, not growing, etc in their current role as their reason for being open to the conversation, then I expect to hear they will continue to seek other roles. Otherwise it reads like they are complacent.

[Anonymous]

I've never asked it nor been asked, and I think it's kind of a stupid question intended to game an offer (rather than just having a range for your position and seeing if you and the candidate are in the same ballpark) or make some sort of assumption about the candidates assertiveness or planning or whatever. I prefer more direct questions rather than asking something sideways and making assumptions based on the candidate's answer, personally.