Another, less obvious benefit of having another option: it makes them get their ass in gear. So many companies feel like they have an urgent need to hire, but start taking forever to get back to you throughout the process, whether it's scheduling interviews or drafting an offer letter.

When you get the chance to say "I do have one other offer that is expecting a response by $date, but I am really interested in this position, so I wanted to see if it was a good fit before committing to the other. Do you think that is enough time for us to meet?"

Suddenly, mountains start moving.