It is unlikely you applied for just one job. With hundreds of candidates applying to every position, sending your resume to just a single company is too risky a move. Chances are you sent your resume to any job that looked adequate, and are simply waiting to see if you get a call back.

Interviewers know this, and so they may ask you what other companies you have sent you resume to. This query is not a trap, but it is also not something you should answer haphazardly.

Purpose of the Query

As with all kinds of interview queries, this question does have a purpose. The aim of this question is to gauge the following of the applicant:

• Will the candidate admit that they have applied other places or provide a canned answer?
• Has the applicant put any thought into the types of companies they have applied?
• Does the applicant consider the company before they send their application?

As you can see, there are many things that employers can learn about your candidacy relying on how you answer the question.

Bad Answer

Never claim that you didn’t apply to other places. The employer will not believe you. You should always come prepared to answer with a few companies that the employer will be familiar with. Bad answers are also those that are somewhat rambling and do not have a clear purpose. For instance:

“I’ve applied to a few companies. As you know I worked in marketing, so I applied to MarketTech Inc. and MakeRevenue, Inc. I also have some experience in psychology, so I applied to ReadUMind. There was also a job working in information systems that I was interested in.”

It is not the length of this answer that is a problem. It is the different kinds of jobs. This answer makes it appear you have no clear focus, and that your goal is to find a job with anyone that will hire you.

Good Answer

“As you know I would like to work with direct marketing. Beyond your company I have also applied to DirectMarket Inc. as well as InYourMailMarketing for their open campaign management positions.”

This answer is more specific. You’ve applied to positions similar to the company you’re interviewing with – possibly even competitors.

The company now sees that:

1. You’ve an answer for this query.
2. You’ve a real aim and you apply to jobs to reach that aim.
3. If the company does not hire you, you may help one of their competitors succeed.

All of these benefit your chances of getting the job. You may not need to mention a direct competitor relying on how cutthroat the type of business, but you should mention immensely similar positions you applied for, where you’ll be performing the same tasks with roughly the same title.