Lateral Interviews

Lateral interviewing is a very demanding process; it takes a great deal of time, energy, and effort. In light of this, do not interview if you are not ready, and do not interview “just in case.” Evaluate your likelihood of moving, and only apply for a job if you are ready to make a move within six months or less. Once you decide to leave, leave. Do not succumb to pressure or flattery from your current employer: working there after you had “strayed” may end up being like a marriage from hell.

Lisa, who worked in a small legal market, interviewed “just to look around.” After she announced she was leaving, her supervisors convinced her to stay. Nevertheless, she was subjected to a terrible work environment, and months later her employer gave her the boot. The firms that previously gave her offers said they could no longer hire her because she did not take her job search—or their time—seriously.

It is one thing to turn down an offer because you have joined another firm. It is another thing to waste the firm's time and resources and tell them you are not ready to move after all.

Jackson interviewed with every firm in town and received offers to join them as a lateral. But he changed his mind and decided to stay. When he tried to interview with these firms again a year later, he did not receive a single interview. No one took him seriously anymore.

Moreover, by interviewing before you are ready, you may inadvertently alert your employer to your disloyalty.

Joanna, a mid-level associate in Los Angeles, applied to another firm because she wanted to see if the grass was indeed greener. While interviewing, she discovered she liked her current firm more and decided to stay after all. But her strategy backfired when she ran into a colleague from her current firm during one of her interviews. In her freshly pressed suit, with a resume in hand, and having called in sick at work, Joanna had no choice but to admit she was interviewing. Unfortunately, this meant she now had to leave, whether she wanted to or not.