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I have a second interview scheduled soon.
I already had a first interview via phone and I got a bad feeling about the Hiring Manager with whom I talked to.
The Hiring Manager sounded kinda weird and I fear of getting into a bad workplace.

Today I noticed that another position is open and is a lot closer to me (without the above Hiring Manager).
Both positions are in the same field, so technically I'm a good fit for both.

How do I tell the recruiter that I want to get the other position?

After the first phone interview I called the recruiter and said that I want to get interviewed to additional positions in the company.
The recruiter asked me If I don't want the first position and I said that I want it (I didn't want to lose a position which is perhaps good, but now I don't want to take a risk).
The recruiter said that I can't be interviewed to other positions in parallel.

Notes (due to the questions/comments below):

  • Both positions are in the same company.
  • The recruiter works for the company.
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  • I'm confused. By HR, do you mean Human Resources? Maybe you instead mean Hiring Manager?
    – Gregory Currie
    Dec 26, 2022 at 13:54
  • Or are these positions at two different companies?
    – Gregory Currie
    Dec 26, 2022 at 13:56
  • @GregoryCurrie HR = Hiring Manager. Both positions are in the same company.
    – rop
    Dec 26, 2022 at 13:58
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    HR does not mean Hiring Manager. You can modify your question to use the correct term.
    – Gregory Currie
    Dec 26, 2022 at 13:59
  • @GregoryCurrie I edited my question regarding Hiring Manager
    – rop
    Dec 26, 2022 at 14:01

3 Answers 3

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The recruiter has said you cannot apply to two positions in parallel. That's their rule. So, either you wait until you are offered the job you don't want (because the hiring manager sounded funny to you) and decline it, or wait until that hiring manager tells the recruiter you're not a good candidate, or you tell the recruiter you don't want that one but you do want to work for the company so please consider you for other ones. Those are your choices.

You say you don't want to lose a position that is "perhaps good". This implies you wouldn't decline the offer if you got it. You don't seem to have considered how your application to the other department might be affected by the first department not choosing you. Switching your application to a better fit might be your best approach. Or perhaps taking the "perhaps good" position and hoping for a transfer.

What isn't an option is for you to ignore their rules and work out a way to make their recruiter (who works for them) let you do something they've already told you that you cannot do.

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    In that case, tell the recruiter so. Give up your "claim" on the first and ask to be considered for another. And do it before the first one tells the recruiter you're not a good candidate, which could hurt you for the second one
    – Kate Gregory
    Dec 26, 2022 at 14:16
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    @rop Note you are giving up the first position for the OPPORTUNITY to apply for the second. There are, of course, no guarantees you will get the second role.
    – Gregory Currie
    Dec 26, 2022 at 14:17
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    You had an interview and learned more about the position, and you think you will prefer [specific position] because it has more [thing you like to do] or just is a better fit.
    – Kate Gregory
    Dec 26, 2022 at 14:26
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    @rop physical proximity would be a perfectly valid reason to give, then you can avoid the conversation about the hiring manager completely
    – motosubatsu ♦
    Dec 26, 2022 at 16:35
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    You don't necessarily have to explain declining the first beyond "it just didn't feel like a good fit". That does happen. But by their rules, apparently you do have to decline before you can talk to the second group, to avoid wasting the first group's time; that's not unreasonable from the company's point of view.
    – keshlam
    Dec 26, 2022 at 16:35
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How do I tell the recruiter that I want to get the other position?

After the first phone interview I called the recruiter and said that I want to get interviewed to additional positions in the company.

The recruiter asked me If I don't want the first position and I said that I want it (I didn't want to lose a position which is perhaps good, but now I don't want to take a risk).

The recruiter said that I can't be interviewed to other positions in parallel.

You make a decision.

If you don't want the first position, then you decline it, bet on yourself and your abilities, and take a chance that you can land the second position.

If you do want the first position in spite of the manager, then you stay silent regarding the other job, and attend the second interview.

Decide, then act accordingly.

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Note that the manager may just not be comfortable interviewing over the phone, and you might like them in person. Or, after meeting and talking to the other members of the department, you might decide that the Manager's oddness (whatever it is) doesn't actually seem to be a problem.

If you think you might still want the first opening, and aren't willing to let go of it, wait until you've had an on-site interview, or even suggest that you'd like one.

If you're afraid the second job will be gone by the time you make a firm decision... Well, that's how this company works. There may be others opening up in the meantime. And presumably you are continuing to apply and interview at other companies in the meantime. Which might even find a better opportunity so you decline this company entirely.

But you do have to make a decision for how you want to proceed with this company: continue to check out the first job in case your first reaction was mistaken, or turn it down and ask to be interviewed for others ("it just didn't feel like a good personality fit" is an entirely legitimate reason for doing so).

Every choice involves a bit of a gamble. You need to decide which one(s) you're comfortable with. We can't do that for you; we don't know the jobs, didn't have the interview, and most importantly aren't you.

If you really can't decide whether to finish the interview process for the first job ... Flip a coin?

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