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So I have been unemployed for 4.5 months. It's been a long road and I am just exhausted from applying to so many jobs. On Wednesday I received an offer from a company where the position is great (Marketing/PR position) but at the same time the company is not my cup of tea. They do Accounting and Finance, which I have zero interest in, and almost all my professional (and educational) experience has been with the Architecture and design industry for the most part. Let's call this one JOB A
A couple weeks ago, I interviewed with an Architecture technology company for essentially the same role that I received an offer for this week. I LOVE the position and very familiar with the company. I know the Architecture industry like the back of my hand and could come in and hit the ground running. I prefer this one (let's call it JOB B), over JOB A big time. I made it through the first two rounds and only had two more rounds to go. The interviews were a great success and I was told I was their top candidate. My last two rounds were scheduled for next week.
Like I said I got an offer from JOB A on Wednesday. Now initially I was going to accept the first offered to me due to my unemployment status, but I said screw that. After waiting for almost 5 months I at least deserve to have a choice. So I told JOB A I would like some time to review the offer, by EOD Friday. They said that's perfect. I called JOB B right away and notified them that I got an offer.
JOB B scrambled. As soon as I told them got me on the phone with the two final individuals later in the day (one was on vacation) instead of meeting next week, then they asked me for my references. Today they called all my references that I provided. They also started to ask me again about my salary and go over benefits to see if I had any questions in regards to those.
Based on how they scrambled, do you think I will be getting an offer from JOB B? I really hope I do. I have waited to so long to get a new job, it's been such a journey, that it really would be amazing if I was given this role. If I don't get an offer from JOB B by Friday EOD I will have to accept JOB A which is great in its own right, but at the same time frustrating because after all of this waiting and energy spent on the job search it would be nice to have a choice, especially when one of those is a job I really really want.
Accept the offer from Job A and if Job B comes through say 'sorry' once you know it is a done deal. Keep your cards close to your chest. Do not tell Job B that you accepted Job A.
So I have been unemployed for 4.5 months. It's been a long road and I am just exhausted from applying to so many jobs. On Wednesday I received an offer from a company where the position is great (Marketing/PR position) but at the same time the company is not my cup of tea. They do Accounting and Finance, which I have zero interest in, and almost all my professional (and educational) experience has been with the Architecture and design industry for the most part. Let's call this one JOB A
A couple weeks ago, I interviewed with an Architecture technology company for essentially the same role that I received an offer for this week. I LOVE the position and very familiar with the company. I know the Architecture industry like the back of my hand and could come in and hit the ground running. I prefer this one (let's call it JOB B), over JOB A big time. I made it through the first two rounds and only had two more rounds to go. The interviews were a great success and I was told I was their top candidate. My last two rounds were scheduled for next week.
Like I said I got an offer from JOB A on Wednesday. Now initially I was going to accept the first offered to me due to my unemployment status, but I said screw that. After waiting for almost 5 months I at least deserve to have a choice. So I told JOB A I would like some time to review the offer, by EOD Friday. They said that's perfect. I called JOB B right away and notified them that I got an offer.
JOB B scrambled. As soon as I told them got me on the phone with the two final individuals later in the day (one was on vacation) instead of meeting next week, then they asked me for my references. Today they called all my references that I provided. They also started to ask me again about my salary and go over benefits to see if I had any questions in regards to those.
Based on how they scrambled, do you think I will be getting an offer from JOB B? I really hope I do. I have waited to so long to get a new job, it's been such a journey, that it really would be amazing if I was given this role. If I don't get an offer from JOB B by Friday EOD I will have to accept JOB A which is great in its own right, but at the same time frustrating because after all of this waiting and energy spent on the job search it would be nice to have a choice, especially when one of those is a job I really really want.
Congratulations having this interest in you and one offer so far. If you were to say that Job B was stringing you along and not being very responsive to give you an answer, I would say just call Job A and accept their offer. But since Job A has allowed you more time, and Job B seems to be expediting your request, you have a good chance at a job offer from Job B. For a number of reasons, companies like having competition for employees because it means someone else wants you, so you must be better than they thought and they better move quickly. The other thing in your favor is your keen interest in their industry which likely came out in your interview with them so far.
If the company makes widgets, and you love widgets and love to talk about them, if the company is worth their salt they are going to prefer you over someone who barely shows an interest or acknowledgment to their industry.
From what you described you did everything right. I would just relax and let Job B do their stuff.
Congratulations having this interest in you and one offer so far. If you were to say that Job B was stringing you along and not being very responsive to give you an answer, I would say just call Job A and accept their offer. But since Job A has allowed you more time, and Job B seems to be expediting your request, you have a good chance at a job offer from Job B. For a number of reasons, companies like having competition for employees because it means someone else wants you, so you must be better than they thought and they better move quickly. The other thing in your favor is your keen interest in their industry which likely came out in your interview with them so far.
If the company makes widgets, and you love widgets and love to talk about them, if the company is worth their salt they are going to prefer you over someone who barely shows an interest or acknowledgment to their industry.
From what you described you did everything right. I would just relax and let Job B do their stuff.
Please post an update.
Thanks guys for the responses. Yes I will give you all an update tomorrow and see if hear back. I told JOB B that I had until EOD Friday to let JOB A know about the offer, so they know that they would have to get something to me by tomorrow if that's the case.
Accept the offer from Job A and if Job B comes through say 'sorry' once you know it is a done deal. Keep your cards close to your chest. Do not tell Job B that you accepted Job A.
Yeah man what this guy said.
Look, you're disposable. Employers will drop you like a hot brick- that's nothing personal... it's just the reality that we work within these days. They don't owe you a thing; you don't owe them a thing.
If I was in your shoes, I'd happily accept job A. ANY job is better on your resume than no job. Then if Job B called... I'd drop job A like a hot brick and go take the job I really want. You don't owe them the courtesy to do otherwise. Hell, they probably wouldn't even notice. In this day an age... you'll be memory-dumped by the end of the week.
Good luck and gawdspeed.
Last edited by turkey-head; 12-17-2015 at 10:48 PM..
Look, you're disposable. Employers will drop you like a hot brick- that's nothing personal... it's just the reality that we work within these days. They don't owe you a thing; you don't owe them a thing.
If I was in your shoes, I'd happily accept job A. ANY job is better on your resume than no job. Then if Job B called... I'd drop job A like a hot brick and go take the job a I really want. You don't owe them the courtesy to do otherwise. Hell, they probably wouldn't even notice. In this day an age... you'll be memory-dumped by the end of the week.
Good luck and gawdspeed.
I heard doing that though, really can have negative impacts on your reputation? That it's a big no no. I am not saying I wouldn't do it, but I would prefer not to. At the end of the day though I need to do what's best for me, that's why I twisted JOB B's arm, because I have been struggling to get a job for quite some time now, so I think I deserve to have the choice of going with the one I really want....
I heard doing that though, really can have negative impacts on your reputation? That it's a big no no. I am not saying I wouldn't do it, but I would prefer not to. At the end of the day though I need to do what's best for me, that's why I twisted JOB B's arm, because I have been struggling to get a job for quite some time now, so I think I deserve to have the choice of going with the one I really want....
I understand what you're saying... and you know the particulars of your own situation much better than I do.
But really in this day and age, everything comes down to this week. This month. This quarter. Nothing else matters beyond that. We as a culture have the attention span of a retarded gnat. Even if you DO offend somebody (which I think is unlikely), I seriously doubt they'll even remember your name for more than a week. They've got other things to worry about.
And lest you think I'm just talking out my ass... I started my second career almost exactly 4 years ago. Graduated college at age 34 and had two good job offers to choose from. I accepted the first engineering job I was offered. And literally 10 minutes later I got a call from another company I'd applied for... with a very competitive offer. This second offer, I told them that I had other offers in the works... and would they mind if I think about it for a week? The recruiter was fine with that. A week passed, I did my research... and I ended up accepting the SECOND job offer. Called the first job offer that I'd already accepted, and told them that I'd accepted elsewhere. They were a little pissy, but wanted to know what $$$ it would take to get me to work for them. I gave them a number... they didn't like it... and that was that.
Four years later, I still definitely think I made the right decision. I may never apply at that first company again... but even if I do- what are the odds that they'll remember ANYTHING about me 4+ years later? That's just one company out of THOUSANDS that I could work for. I don't owe them anything.
So what I'm saying is: Take care of yourself first. Every company out there is doing the same for themselves... you can do it too. They see hundreds of applicants per job... they won't even remember you.
I'd say, tread carefully. The world is pretty small. You don't want to burn bridges. Job B knows your deadline, so they need to make a move.
I'll share a story from this week.
At my last job we interviewed this horrible candidate that came in from a referral. The whole team hated him. One of my colleagues relayed the story about the guy to her sister. Apparently her sister had interviewed with the same guy and though he was a d*ck so she didn't take the job.
So at a work event were were talking about bad interviews and I relayed the story about that guy. Well it turned out he had interviewed at my current company and everyone hated him as well, several months before he interviewed at my last company. His behavior was quite memorable for everyone. And he also came in via a referral.
So you never know who you may run into again, might as well leave your best impression.
*It turns out one of my current colleagues also worked with my old boss at the last job.
Job B sounds very promising. I'd hold out for that one assuming you think there is a 75% chance at least that they will offer. I was in a similar situation as you a couple months ago and accepted an offer from the equivalent of your "Job A". I wasn't nearly as far along in the process with my "Job B", however, so I ended up accepting "Job A". Just before I was to start I got the offer from "Job B", which was paying $10k more with bigger bonus, better bennies, and in a role I really liked. "Job A" was a little upset and it was tough to tell them at the time but I quickly forgot about it with the excitement and anticipation of the "Job B" opportunity. I've been at "Job B" now for just over a month and it's been fantastic.
Even if you DO offend somebody (which I think is unlikely), I seriously doubt they'll even remember your name for more than a week. They've got other things to worry about.
Even living in a large metropolitan area such a New York City, after working at a couple of places it quickly becomes a small town. A friend of mine just left a job at a very large company to work at another very large company. First week on the job, he told me that several people knew who he worked with at the old job. Likewise, after a couple of weeks on the job my friend has a new supervisor and realized this was someone he interviewed with for a job elsewhere 2 years ago. Everyone in your industry knows each other.
You have to do what is best for you, but it is the way that you do it.
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