TRAPS: Answer with a flat "no" and you may slam
the door shut on this opportunity. But
what if you'd really prefer not to relocate or travel, yet wouldn't want to
lose the job offer over it?
BEST ANSWER: First, find out where you may have to relocate
and how much travel may be involved.
Then respond to the question. If there's no problem, say so enthusiastically.
If you do have a reservation, there are two schools of thought on how to handle
it. One advises you to keep your options open and your reservations to yourself
in the early going, by saying, "no problem." Your strategy here is to
get the best offer you can, and then make a judgment whether it's worth it to
you to relocate or travel. Also, by the
time the offer comes through, you may have other offers and can make a more
informed decision. Why kill off this
opportunity before it has a chance to blossom into something really special?
And if you're a little more desperate three months from now, you might wish you
hadn't slammed the door on relocating or traveling.
The second way to handle this question is to voice a
reservation, but assert that you'd be open to relocating (or traveling) for the
right opportunity. If the company really wants you, saying this can induce them
to sweeten the pot or hire you in a capacity, which doesn't entail relocation
or travel. The answering strategy you choose depends on how eager you are for
the job. If you want to take no chances,
choose the first approach.
If you want to play a little harder-to-get in hopes of
generating a more enticing offer, choose the second.
