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I received a callback from a relatively small firm in the area where I want to work. The callback is an entire weekend with interviews and dinner with a partner one night and then morning interviews plus lunch and a couple of activities the next day. The firm sending out the invites said that spouses/significant others are welcome to attend the callback weekend as well. In such situations, do most people take their SO? I don't want mine to be the only one there, but I also don't want to be the only one without mine there. Will it be awkward if she's just sitting around while I'm interviewing? Any advice? Take her or not?

edited: Oops, I misread. I didn't see that they specifically invited significant others.
Sure, bring SO along.

I cannot tell you what most people do, but is not unusual for smaller firms to be more welcoming and show more of an interest in your spouse and other family members.

Where I work, we tend to interact a lot with each others spouses and family at various firm events and social activities (including going on not-work-related trips together for a few days). They wanted to meet my spouse before I ever started working here (though, it was after I was officially hired due to logistics reasons). I would expect they are extending the invitation for spouses/SOs to demonstrate their recognition you do have a family life, and perhaps to meet the spouse as well as part of the whole "evaluating fit" thing.

If your SO is comfortable with it and wants to go, and is independent enough to do her own thing while you are in interviews (I should hope she is) then go for it. If she does not feel up for it, then I would not worry about it. No one is going to question too much why a spouse could not also attend your callback, and it is not mandatory!

CanuckObserver wrote:I cannot tell you what most people do, but is not unusual for smaller firms to be more welcoming and show more of an interest in your spouse and other family members.

Where I work, we tend to interact a lot with each others spouses and family at various firm events and social activities (including going on not-work-related trips together for a few days). They wanted to meet my spouse before I ever started working here (though, it was after I was officially hired due to logistics reasons). I would expect they are extending the invitation for spouses/SOs to demonstrate their recognition you do have a family life, and perhaps to meet the spouse as well as part of the whole "evaluating fit" thing.

If your SO is comfortable with it and wants to go, and is independent enough to do her own thing while you are in interviews (I should hope she is) then go for it. If she does not feel up for it, then I would not worry about it. No one is going to question too much why a spouse could not also attend your callback, and it is not mandatory!

Thanks. That's what I was looking for. My girlfriend actually wants to go, but I just didn't want it to be an odd situation.

I don't like adding variables. Your SO could be a huge plus, but you need to think critically about the downsides.

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Anonymous User wrote:I don't like adding variables. Your SO could be a huge plus, but you need to think critically about the downsides.

I definitely agree. I think that the pros outweigh the cons though. We're both from that area (with her still being in grad school there and both of us wanting to live there when we graduate), so I think she helps me play up my "roots." She's also pretty smart and generally does well in social situations, but she can also be pretty ditsy sometimes too. I guess it's just a calculated risk. Like you, I'd much prefer that they just not add variables by inviting SOs, but, since they did, I felt kind of obligated to at least ask if she wanted to go.

This depends. How hot is the SO?

So I'm wondering what they do if you don't have an SO?
Do they cover that expense also?

I don't know about this, this firm did the same thing (--LinkRemoved--)) and it didn't work out so well.