Accepting a Job Offer, how long can I reasonably take to consider?

koneko

I am in the very fortunate position of having an offer made to me for a job that I recently interviewed for, the response has come sooner than expected and I am thrilled that it is good news.

However (there's always a however isn't there!), I have another interview booked early next week, not wanting to put all my eggs in one basket I put my CV in for a couple of jobs initially and was lucky enough to be invited to interview for more than one. The other job is a little closer to home, has slightly better benefits and a slightly higher potential salary, but obviously the crucial factor is, following interview, the company may not want to make an offer.

So my question is, how long can I reasonably take to consider a job offer? I am already looking into seeing if it would be possible to move the other interview to the end of this week, but have not heard back on this yet. It may be relevant that I am currently in a job at the moment, but looking for a new opportunity.

PlutoinCapricorn

I have seen this sort of thing many times. If someone looks good on their CV, they are likely to get asked to several interviews; if they get a job offer from one source, it is likely that another company will make them an offer too. HR people and other recruiters are usually well aware of this: they know that when someone good is on the market for a job, they will accept the best offer they receive.

I would say it is best to be open, all the more as you are in a strong position. Companies often tell you that they have other candidates to interview, and candidates tell interviewers they have other interviews scheduled. Some candidates accept everything, then tell one or two companies that they are cancelling their acceptance.

Was this a formal offer in writing? Did they mention any deadline? Do you really want this other job much more than the first one?

InsideInsurance

Is the offer conditional or unconditional? Did they say how quickly they want to onboard the successful candidate? What is your notice period in your current role? What grade is the role/ how difficult is it to find a suitable candidate?

All of these will have an influence on what is "acceptable" though generally it is best to be fairly open about these things. For a role that is fairly difficult to fill you can definitely stretch it out for a couple of weeks especially if there are a month or more's notice period involved etc. Evidently if it is a straight forward role that they need someone to start yesterday then they are less likely to keep the offer open for any length of time.

koneko

Thanks for the replies, the offer is verbal at the moment, I will be waiting for it in writing so I know all the full details before I make any decision, but I'm not sure how long that will take. I do have a months notice where I am now, so there would be several weeks before my start date and they are aware of this, but it is a fairly junior role with additional training on top on my existing skills so I suppose not as difficult to fill as something more senior.

The main draws on the other job are that I could walk to work and save money on petrol, and the benefits/salary are better (profit share bonus, discounts etc). Aside from that the 2 jobs are fairly similar in terms of training and career progression, which is my main goal in moving. The obvious difference at the moment is that I have an offer for one and only an interview for the other at the moment.

k3lvc

OK - maybe this is unethical from your point of view but I'd accept the offer (assuming you do want it) as soon as the written confirmation is received.

You then have
a) The job you're currently doing
b) A new 'offer' - presumably conditional
c) Another 'potential' which if you get you could potentially start sooner if you've already handed your notice in for b)

The key here is not the acceptance of the other jobs but when you show your hand and hand in your notice to your current employer

Wyndham

If you need references, then your current employer may prefer to do one rather than two.... I think I'd tell the first company that I had another interview and would like to know the outcome before committing, but I'd also make sure they knew I was grateful for the offer. And I'll tell the second company at interview that I had another offer, so they would know that I would wait weeks for them to make a decision.

Also, even if you can move the second interview to the end of this week, you may not get a decision until next week anyway if they have other people to see.

t0rt0ise

I wouldn't tell them you are waiting for another interview. If they have a second best candidate lined up they are likely to withdraw the offer and offer it to the runner up. They won't want to be kept waiting for a week. I'd accept it and then withdraw later if necessary. They will still be able to go to their runner up then.

koneko

Wyndham, whilst it may be the case that I still had to wait until next week for a decision from the other company, going in and speaking to them and taking a look around will give me a better idea as to whether it really is a better propect than Job A. I haven't heard back yet about a day/time though so I'm starting to think it isn't going to happen this week.

Job A is pushing for a decision but I don't have anything in writing yet. I assume I can accept provisionally pending receipt of an offer in writing, that will allow me a couple of days for the post to come through (knowing our post more than a couple of days!).