Changed job whilst still in the interview process with another company

Question

What is the best way to update the company that I'm interviewing that I've changed positions but I'm still interested?

Additional information:

Company A that I'm interviewing with is my first choice however they have a long drawn out interview process 3 stages in total, this has taken months so far.

I've recently joined company B for around a month. I accepted it as it was a software engineering position and provide a decent pay rise from what I was on before.

I assumed I didn't get the position with company A after not hearing from them for some time, I could only have delayed the acceptance from A for so long.

However I was called for a second stage recently and I've cleared it. I would like to infrom company A that my circumstances have changed but I'm slightly concerned it may hinder my chances.

The reason I'm interested in company A is because they pay $12,500 more than B, a step up in seniority as well as it also being a prestigious company.

Answer 1

You should be careful.

While your decision to join company B certainly makes sense given your situation (some companies just take too damn long to get back to you), you have made a commitment to B that you will work for them for the Foreseeable future*. Of course, you're free to drop them and join company A, however you should take into account the following:

• This will likely burn bridges with B since you've basically dumped them and likely wasted their time and money (on-boarding, training, background checks, missed out on viable candidates, etc.)
• A will be more wary of hiring you, since you're showing them that you're flighty.

But to answer your question: If you really want to work for A, you should contact the hiring manager and explain that you've taken another job, and that you have to make good on your commitment to B, but are still interested. They will likely see this as a sign of maturity, and would make you a more attractive candidate.

However, there is no way to protect your reputation if you choose to join a company and then leave it for another position so soon. If B isn't a good fit that may be another story, however be prepared to explain why.

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*Forseeable Future is of course a relative time based on your job field's discretion, but for Software Engineering (my profession) I would say you should try to stick with a place for long enough to at least pay them back on their investment - say, 6 months minimum.