BFF and I competing for the same job?

[busymama77]

Has a close friend of yours or someone that you know well ever competed for the same position or really to work at the same company?  My BFF, who is also looking for something new, told me the other day that she's been called in for an interview at the same company that I was just at on Wednesday for my 2nd interview.  The position that she's going for was something that they had mentioned to me during my interview that they felt I might be a good fit for as well.  The positions availabe: Administrative Assistant, Account Manager/Inside Sales, and Business Development Manager for a local coffee company. 

Her and I have similiar personalities but have very different life paths.  I'm married with kids, live in the burbs, she's single, no kids, lives on her own and isn't dating anyone currently.  We both some common interests but as far as our resumes go they are night and day.  She has been working in a coffee shop/retail store for almost 8 years now.  Her prior experience is in retail and some admin work.  All of my work for the past 10 years has been administrative/office management.  As they've said in the interviews I've been on, while they are looking for experience, they are also looking for that 'perfect person' who has the drive to really divuldge themselves to the company and grow. 

While it would be so awesome for us to work together - I hardly ever get to see her anymore since I'm so busy with my current job and the kids and the fam - and she's got her own things going on. 

But I also don't want it hinder our relationship in any way if I get something that she went for and vice versa.

How would you handle this?  Has this ever happened to you or if you know someone that this has happened to? 

I felt really good about my 2nd interview the other day. I wrote, what I felt, was a nice thank you letter and card really expressing my life path/career path and I would like to work in a place such as theirs where I know I can grow and utilize my skills.  Her and I both need something like this, but in a different way.

[Mosaic]

I've applied for several jobs along with at least one friend. In fact, for the job I'm in now (and the one I've had for the last 8 years), they actually offered it to my friend first, but she turned it down and then they offered it to me (and obviously, I took it). To boot, they offered a probationary internship to yet another friend of mine at the same time (when she was going for the full-time permanent job like me)!

So in this case I was both the one who lost AND the one who won the position.

Just be honest. You're friends, and while you both want a new job, you each want the other to succeed, too. If she doesn't get the job, commisserate with her and help her keep looking. If she does get the job, congratulate her and go out to celebrate.