By: Taunee Besson
Today I got a call offering me a job that sounds interesting, but not as intriguing as another still in the early interview stage. I would rather have the second position, but I hesitate to reject the first without the other in hand, especially in today’s job market. I want to be fair and honest with everyone involved. What should I do?
Those of us who have received an invitation to the prom from the wrong person can relate to your predicament. Fortunately, corporate egos don’t bruise as easily as teenagers’.
An employer wants you to be truly enthusiastic about joining its team. Generally, your potential manager would rather wait a little while until you are sure about the position than make a costly hiring mistake.
Also keep in mind that once an organization has chosen its number one candidate, all competitors become distant seconds. Now that the decision is made, you can be certain the leadership really wants you. As you haven’t said yes yet, you can probably buy a little time. Just be careful not to come across like you’re playing games.
To be fair to everyone, try the following process:
♦ Call the company that offered you the job to find out its sense of urgency. If its recruiter wants an answer in the next few weeks, you have some breathing room. If she expects a response ASAP, tell her you need time to make a well-considered choice, and you’ll get back to her in three days. If she presses you to move faster, her motive may be suspect. People who want important decisions on the spot often have hidden agendas.
♦ Contact the employer with the opening you really want. Be candid about your situation and ask him to be truthful as well. Find out how interested he is in you. If you know he has already eliminated you from contention, your decision about the offer on the table will be much easier. If he wants you on board, he may speed up his interview/hiring process to scoop the competition.
♦ Should you be offered the preferred position (in writing if possible), you can graciously decline the other. When you do, mention the good things about the job you aren’t taking to soften your rejection and end the discussion on a positive note.
♦ If firm number two doesn’t plan to extend you an offer or is unwilling to condense its interview cycle, you’ll have to decide whether to take the job in hand. To make an informed decision, compare your offer with your ideal job description. Consider how well the opportunity reflects your skills, interests, values and personality. Accept it, if you genuinely believe there’s at least a 75 percent match with your dream position.
Otherwise, it’s better for everyone if you decline. Unless you are in major financial distress, taking a job that won’t be satisfying is unfair to you and your potential employer. You both deserve better.
Taunee Besson, CMF, is president of Career Dimensions, Inc., a consulting firm founded in 1979, which works with individual and corporate clients in career change; job search; executive, small business and life coaching; college major selection and talent management.
“One of the smartest minds in the career field,” according to Tony Lee (VP of CareerCast Operations at Adicio and former publisher of the Wall Street Journal’s Online Vertical Network), Besson began writing for the Dallas Times Herald in the early 80s. Having read several of her columns, Lee asked her to contribute regular articles to the Journal’s National Business Employment Weekly (NBEW) as well. Since then, she has been a triple award-winning columnist for CareerJournal.com and Senior Columnist for CareerCast.com, as well as WorkingWoman.com and Oxygen.com. At Lee’s request, Besson authored five editions of NBEW’s Premier Guide to Resumes and three of its Premier Guide to Cover Letters. She has also written articles and/or been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, Business Week, Time, Smart Money and Yahoo among others.
Taunee has worked on community nonprofit boards and committees for over 30 years including Girls Inc., Women’s Center of Dallas, Girl Scouts and Dallas Women’s Foundation, The Volunteers of America and Mortarboard, among others. She was a member of the Leadership Dallas in 1987 and Leadership America in 2003.
In 1994, the Dallas Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development chose her as its “Professional of the Year”. Her NBEW columns were selected for the “Ten Best Article Award” in 1990, 1994 and 1997. In 1999, Alpha Gamma Delta, a 200,000 member fraternal organization, named her as one of three “Distinguished Citizens” at its biannual international convention.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
