Should I tell other interviewers where else I've interviewed? I am currently travelling for faculty interviews. Some professors and other interviewers have asked me where else I have interviewed. Should I tell interviewers where else I've interviewed?

Intuitively I would like to give them less information, but I also don't want to appear guarded and defensive as a person, either.
Some professors and other interviewers have asked me where else I have interviewed. Should I tell interviewers where else I've interviewed?


Yes, it is very likely in your best interests.  If you have other interviews at comparable schools, then you will benefit from saying so.  If you don't, then it's not so clear.  However, departments will assume your job search is not going well if you are reluctant to address the issue and they haven't heard impressive rumors about your interviews, so avoiding discussing interviews won't really help.  Instead of saying something awkward like "I'd rather not talk about that", it's better to be up front and optimistic.  "This is my first interview" is better than "This is my only interview so far".

Here are a few reasons why telling about other interviews can help your case:


As a general rule, people want something more if they know other people also want it.  Valuing a second opinion is rational behavior.
Even when it doesn't change the outcome, competition can speed things up.  If a search committee member is trying to make an offer and still needs some final committee or administrative approval, it's helpful to be able to say "Let's move fast, since she is also interviewing at X, Y, and Z, and we'd like to make a good impression by coming up with the first offer."  If it's too late for that, they can say "She already has an offer from X, so we need to act before she decides."


In principle, you could hurt your chances if you list a lot of schools typically considered much more desirable (which could make the school you are currently interviewing at feel they would just be wasting their time trying to compete).  However, in this case you are probably already in trouble, since the rumors of your busy interview schedule may already worry the search committee.  Instead of trying to cover things up, it's better to acknowledge that you have these other interviews.  If you are worried about this risk, you can address it by making your interest clear throughout the interview.