Always Take the Interview
As a recruiter, candidates often ask for advice on various subjects and one that sticks out the most is whether or not to take an interview with a company that they are not sure of. The answer? Always take the interview.
You don't know what you don't know. Every company is unique and has different things to offer. It's a possibility that the company you're hesitant to interview with has opportunities for career advancement. Maybe the work-life balance or commute would be more favorable. The overall benefits and pay could be much more generous. There are a number of factors at play, but turning down the opportunity to at least interview could be closing doors, instead of opening them.
If you're not 100% interested, at the bare minimum going on an interview is great practice to help you better prepare for future opportunities that might be more up your alley. But in many cases, candidates who were initially not that interested ended up interviewing all the way into the final offer stages. Throughout the process, they were able to get a proper evaluation of the company and the position itself.
Although a recruiter's time is valuable, nothing is more important to a good recruiter than finding the right candidate for their client and the right opportunity for an ideal candidate. It is important for candidates to remember that recruiters do typically monitor how they perform in interviews and how they act toward their clients. If a candidate keeps pulling out of interviews a recruiter will eventually stop sending you forward to interview for opportunities because they will be more willing to present new opportunities with other clients they have that would be a better fit for you.
If you put the work in to update your resume, speak with recruiters about potential opportunities, always take an interview when one is presents itself. You never know if it could be a career changer, and as they say: without risk, there is no reward.