[awinder]

This is a bit ahead of the getting started area, but the last time I was interviewing out of state, no one told me this, and I was young, so here goes:

Do not let companies set you up for failure with a ridiculous travel schedule. I was flown from MD->CA for a big-five tech company, on a flight with 2 layovers, that arrived at 11PM, with interviews starting at 10AM the next day. I have never screwed up an interview so bad as that one, and to some level I still blame the whirlwind schedule for being super-fried coming into that interview setting.

You'll probably get much better suggestions from the rest of the group here, but hopefully this still-painful-12-years-later story will bring some amount of levity. Best of luck! :)

[jobsearchthrow]

Thanks! I thought about this as well. One thing I would ask, how common is a company paying for travel/accomodations for an interview? I am capable financially of making trips for interviews, but I almost feel like I need a commitment from a company to show that they consider me a serious potential hire for me to spend my own money for just an interview.

[charlesdm]

If the company isn't willing to pay for your travel, you shouldn't work there. Serious companies will pay for travel.

[sokoloff]

100% accurate. When I was interviewing on the west coast, I tried to coordinate between two companies where one would pick up the hotel and the other the flights, mostly so I didn't have to cross the continent twice. That was a surprisingly difficult thing to pull off. Each of them seemed to prefer to pay for it all and have me criss-cross once per company...

[samfisher83]

Why didnt you just get them to both book you a flight and the just not take one of the flights each way.

[sokoloff]

I eventually got them to cooperate. Your solution would have been ok, but only if one was still willing as I’d have to book one east->west round trip and fly only the first leg and the other west->east (starting after the interview) and fly the first leg of that, because the airline is able to cancel all your remaining legs once you miss a leg.

It seems that might be harder than just telling one of them that I’ll already be in the area on such and such date.

[pavel_lishin]

Doesn't that rather depend on the job? A senior position, yes; but why would a New York company spend two grand bringing someone in when they've got qualified applicants lining up out the door?

[RhodesianHunter]

Because they're paying recruiters 15-25% of the first year's salary just to get qualified applicants and two grand on travel is just a drop in the bucket.

[jobsearchthrow]

good to know, thanks!