Job offer advice

6 Comments

1. Stephanie Mansueto, Corporate Recruiter & Job Hunting CoachNovember 2,2021 at 6:09AM UTC

   Two options to consider:
   1) If you NEED to secure one of these jobs and don’t think the employer that extended you an offer (company A) will wait longer than Monday and you’re not too concerned about burning a potential bridge with them then I say accept the offer, and continue to interview with your employer of choice (company B) but don’t tell company A until a decision has been made with B. You can let company B know you have another offer on the table and need to make a decision soon so hopefully that helps speed up their decision process, so if you do end up reneging on your accepted offer with A you can do it before they get too far with the hiring onboarding process.
   2) If you don’t want to burn a bridge with A and feel confident you are a strong candidate for both A and B, you can let A know you have a final interview early next week with another employer that you would like to see through because both offer different and unique opportunities. If A says no to giving you more time then revert to my first option or decide if you want to accept A and cut B loose or reject A and see things through with B. Respect A’s deadline when they give it to you. If they are willing to give you another week then let Company B know you have another offer on the table but they are your first choice and that you would need to know of B’s decision before the end of the week. If it truly is a final interview and you’re a top candidate, they’ll move quick to lock you in.
   Hope that helps! Good luck!

2. AnonymousNovember 2,2021 at 1:02PM UTC

   Thanks so much for your reply! I thought of doing 2) but I'm afraid company A can take the offer back if I mention about company B. Would salary and vacation time negotiation slow down company A waiting time? The deadline of end of this week or Monday is assuming I accept all the terms in the offer. I told them I needed time to review it because this company is 40 miles away from my home and I want to check out the area first for potentially moving closer (that would be true in case company B doesn't work out). All the recruiting process was virtual and I haven't had a chance to meet them or the location.

3. Stephanie Mansueto, Corporate Recruiter & Job Hunting CoachNovember 2,2021 at 3:12PM UTC

   Yes, that is a possibility that company A could rescind their offer if you tell them about B but honestly, that's a spiteful approach for them to take. They should give you their hard deadline, but you also need to respect that and not drag it out with them. It also depends on what level of a position we're talking about here. If it's mid or senior level position that can be hard to fill with not a large candidate pool, then they should have no problem waiting another week to 1.5 weeks for you to make a decision, but if it's a position where they can easily go with their back-up candidate they yes, they may have no issue with rescinding their offer that's why there is a bit of a risk involved with option 2. You can buy yourself a bit more time if you enter negotiations with company A starting on Friday when they check back in with you, but if they are looking to move quickly you would need to be prepared to accept or reject an offer on Monday or Tuesday next week possibly.
   It really all depends on how badly you need a job. If you NEED a job with either A or B then go with option 1 which protects you either way.

4. AnonymousNovember 3,2021 at 5:05AM UTC

   I would pick some areas to start negotiating the current offer but wait until Monday to start the negotiation to buy more time. Meanwhile let company B know that u have an offer on the table but u are really more interested in their opportunity if the timing could align.

5. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterNovember 3,2021 at 1:49PM UTC

   Reach out to the company you prefer to see if they can move your interview up and/or let you know where you stand. Explain that you have another offer in hand (you can tell them a bit of information, but no details such as job title or salary). If the other company really wants you, they will do what they can to speed things up.

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6. AnonymousNovember 5,2021 at 8:22PM UTC

   Update: I was able to negotiate with company A more time to review the offer, until Wednesday and told company B about the offer. They weren't able to move up my interviews but they will touch base with me about their timeline to make a final decision on Tuesday, during the interview process.