Waiting for interview results...

[Meridian]

I actually think that this part is worse than looking for jobs. For complicated reasons I quit my old job, and am now job-hunting. My hit rate so far is not too bad: four interviews from seven applications, but the wait to hear the results of an interview is the stressy bit. The interview might apppear to have gone well, but you still get turned down. In my case, two so far, one a surprise, the other less so - one person who got a job there is someone I trained. I've got a second interview for one job, which is more stressful than a first, as now the stakes are higher. Then's there's the nightmare scenario where a job you don't particularly want offers before the people you do want...

All that said, back in 2012 when I left the FSS it took seven months, 196 applications (with only six leading to interviews), and a move of 180 miles to get a job, so there are worse things in the long term. But it doesn't seem like that when you wit for the call.

 

[Martynt74]

Yeah it is crap. I've just been invited back for a second interview and the first was the 30th August! The FD had been away on holiday for 2 weeks though.

 

[dowie]

As annoying as they can be recruiters are sometimes useful here as they'll chase things up regardless. Also no harm in asking what the next steps/rough timeline is at the end of the interview.

Then's there's the nightmare scenario where a job you don't particularly want offers before the people you do want...

Eh? That can be a great scenario, especially if you're not currently employed and so otherwise have less leverage. If you've already got an offer on the table then that just increases your ability to ask for more money from the job you do want if/when they make an offer.

If you mean to imply it is an exploding offer that you *must* reply to by a certain date date then you can always push back on it, you can also use it to hurry along a decision by the other firm. It isn't exactly unusual for a candidate to be interviewing at multiple companies at once.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

It doesn't hurt to accept a job then withdraw later if you get a better offer.

The only time it can be an issue is, if both/all are from the same recruiter. They may well play the situation to suit them as opposed to you.

 

[dowie]

It doesn't hurt to accept a job then withdraw later if you get a better offer.

The only time it can be an issue is, if both/all are from the same recruiter. They may well play the situation to suit them as opposed to you.

Well that's not the only time it could be an issue, people do talk. (how much of a factor some of the risks are here is perhaps industry dependent.)

It is rather unethical though, not just to the employer but potentially to the other job seeker they'd have hired if you'd been honest.

It would be better to be up front and delay acceptance of the offer than to essentially lie when you accept it while interviewing at and actively trying to get a job elsewhere.

Edit - having said that, exploding offers with a short time limit are unethical too IMO and if they don't agree to extend/push back knowing you're interviewing elsewhere then they're bringing it on themselves if you do in fact land the other job and then drop them immediately before you start or worse still in your first week or so. The hiring manager gets to look like a complete and utter mug in that instance and the recruiter has probably collected part of his/her fee too...

 

[Lopéz]

As annoying as they can be recruiters are sometimes useful here as they'll chase things up regardless. Also no harm in asking what the next steps/rough timeline is at the end of the interview.

The problem with that is that in my experience the timeline they give you bears no resemblance to what actually happens.

 

[HangTime]

One of my biggest regrets was rejecting an interview request I received literally my first week into a job, I just didn't feel it was appropriate (plus I'd have to have arranged time off I hadn't declared when joining etc) and wanted to see how that job worked out. The place I turned down would have given me many more opportunities for progression I feel, had I got a job there.

As for the nightmare scenario, I disagree. Nightmare scenario is you don't get offered any jobs, receiving a job offer you don't particularly want is better because you can either accept it, use it as leverage, or simply reject it - which has exactly the same impact as if you had never received it in the first place, with the possible exception of alienating a recruiter / potential future employer.

 

[Meridian]

OK, I appreciate that the first post looks like the job version of First World Problems, but remember that different people are stressed by different things. The stress of being without a job is low-level but constant (I once spend a three years on and off the dole), but that of waiting for the call (or not) is short but higher. I tune out constant stuff, so it's the short-term stuff that hits me. I'm also of an age (57) where employers just don't want me, but I don't have enough pension/money to retire. So every wait is the wait for: "Will my last job be my last job?" The joys of not working are easily offset by not being able to buy anything.

And while some people would have no problem accepting one job knowing that they plan to accept another later if it comes along, that doesn't sit easy with me. I've done it once before, while I was waiting for security clearance (Secret under old scheme, so it took a long time), but I still felt bad handing in my notice for the job I'd been doing for five weeks. Everyone is different.

Anyway, wish me luck for Monday.

 

[crinkleshoes]

I actually think that this part is worse than looking for jobs. For complicated reasons I quit my old job, and am now job-hunting. My hit rate so far is not too bad: four interviews from seven applications, but the wait to hear the results of an interview is the stressy bit. The interview might apppear to have gone well, but you still get turned down. In my case, two so far, one a surprise, the other less so - one person who got a job there is someone I trained. I've got a second interview for one job, which is more stressful than a first, as now the stakes are higher. Then's there's the nightmare scenario where a job you don't particularly want offers before the people you do want...

All that said, back in 2012 when I left the FSS it took seven months, 196 applications (with only six leading to interviews), and a move of 180 miles to get a job, so there are worse things in the long term. But it doesn't seem like that when you wit for the call.

The waiting game can be a pain, but only because you create so many varieties of the scenarios that could play out & especially when we are feeling the need for something so important; our base income, potentially even in the worst case affecting the roof over our heads, the food on our plates and whatever other commitments we've made that we've taken for granted until presented with such a scenario, our brains have a very bad habit of creating a whole host of unpleasant scenarios which of course grab our attention & then the unpleasant feelings linger.

Even if you're in a good position where you don't have to worry about those needs for a good few months, maybe even years... we still seem to run through those scenarios anyway - only projecting them a bit further in the future.

When you're on the cusp of freeing yourself from these concerns, they have a nasty habit of amplifying... waiting for the answer is usually one of those times... much more so than the build up to the interview.

Your reality is often less serious than what goes on in the peculiar recesses of our twisted minds... still haven't quite figured out why our minds like to torture us from time to time, maybe it gets a kick out of it

Best way to chill out and dial it out is to get active... go out and do things that require both physical and mental interaction... something that demands a level of focus... even if it's just going to the park to throw/kick a ball around or a handy hobby that has no/low cost associated with it, that light focus can help quite a bit. Ideally something you enjoy, even better if it has a feeling of familiarity... then you get a moment of normal back which gives you some breathing room.

Try not to kick yourself too much, it'll work out.


As for various offers coming at different times... if the one you don't want offers you the position and you're hopefully waiting on a response from your preferred option. It's perfectly normal to ask them to give you a bit of time to consider your options, you can ask them what timeline they would prefer to receive your answer & even be open with them and let them know that you are waiting on another option and as it's all in progress, you would be doing yourself a disfavour by not considering all the options that have been put in front of you. It's just business for them, it's a significant life decision for you... most will understand and give you time, some may appreciate your candour and one that's really keen on bringing you onboard may even come back to you with an increased salary offer. Don't expect that last one, but it is possible. If it's your less favoured option that pulls a salary hike out of the bag to bring you in, you might like to take a closer look as it's possible it might be a nice environment, after all.

If you find yourself in that position & the company you ask for a bit of time to consider your options declines your request and demands a quick answer... you generally want to turn them down... although you need to read it on your own, because it's also possible that they have a significant gap in their team & need someone as soon as possible and if you're possibly going to decline their offer, then they will quite quickly get in touch with their second choice before they accept another option and they risk having to restart the slow and arduous recruitment process, but a better company with such a need will usually head back to their first choice with a higher salary offer... as long as their accounts will approve it.

Also, even if you accept an offer & then later on, before your start date, that offer you really wanted comes through lands... you can still change your mind, just communicate with them and there won't be any significant hard feelings. It's not an ideal position to be in & it can feel like your breaking your highly held honour in doing that... and perhaps if you were making such a commitment on a person-to-person level, then I would likely recommend following through with your commitment. But you have to put yourself in the frame of mind where the outcome of this deal is directly important to you on a personal level, whereas to the company - it's just business & it will not cause any significant problem to the company or the people you were interacting with as representatives of the company, you are not causing any harm by acting in your best interest & they will understand.

I have been on the company side of that exact scenario not so long ago and neither the MD nor I held any ill will against the person. Just remember it's personal for you, it's a business deal for them.

 

[Meridian]

Thanks for a well-considered reply.