You Have An Offer And Other Promising Interviews On The Table. Here’s What To Do

Unsplash/Bruce Mars

Wow, you’re killing it out there in the job search game with all these interviews in the bag. You may be feeling hopeful when you interview with one particular company that you think would be the best fit, but what happens when you get a job offer from another company? Do you take it or do you hope for the best with your preferred company that has yet to give you an offer? Depending on how flexible your financial situation is, you may or may not be able to take the risk. Here’s what to do if the timelines just don’t match up.

Ask the company that offered you a position how long you have until a decision must be made.

Even though it may feel awkward to ask, it’s standard protocol. Simply call or email your point person and say, “Thanks so much for the offer! This was such great news. I’d love to take a few days to look over the details. I’ll be in touch shortly.” If they do have a preferred time, they’ll let you know the final day by which you need to give them an answer.

Unsplash/Andrew Neel

Talk to your preferred company ASAP.

Now that you have an idea of how much time you have before you need to respond to the offer, talk to your top choice and let them know that you have an offer on the table. Reach out to your point person at your preferred company and say something along the lines of, “I wanted to give you a heads up that I received an offer from another company to which I have until Thursday to respond. That said, I found the open role within your company to be an excellent fit, and I’d love to put my skills to work there since it’s my top choice. Is there any way to expedite the interview process (or, if you’re at the end and just waiting to see if they offer you a position, say “provide me with feedback on where I stand in the hiring process”) before Thursday? Thanks so much! Looking forward to hearing back from you.”

The message makes clear your serious interest in the company and the role but that you (reasonably) need to consider all your options. Hopefully, your desired company will move the process along quicker to accommodate you. If they like you as much as you like them, they’ll be flexible enough to keep you in the running.

Keep interviewing!

Establish and maintain the perspective that nothing is certain until you sign on the dotted line with someone. If you’re not really feeling the company that offered you a position and you’d like to hold out for another company’s answer, it’s your right to rescind the offer. But know that you’re taking the risk of not receiving an offer from your preferred company. If you can’t tie up the loose ends by the offer deadline, you’ll have to decide if you’re in or out. In the meantime, keep interviewing. The more options you have, the better chances you’ll have in feeling good about your decision.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, choose what’s right for you, and always be upfront and classy about it. And as they say, it’s not personal… it’s business.

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