Offered a job

buckle

I interviewed today for a receptionist job for a manufacturing company. Less than four hours after the interview I got a missed call, and when I checked my email I got a job offer asking me to reply to confirm if I want to accept the job. The pay is around £16k but it's a dead end job.

Have another interview coming up on Friday. That one has good career prospects, doing secretary work in aviation industry, and pays around £23k.

I have to give one month notice to my current retail employer so I can stall starting the job, but I need to reply the email either tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest or the employer will suspect I don't really want the job.

El_Torro

Tricky one. I would definitely contact the company that have offered you the job now. I would say thank you for the job offer, and ask if you can get back to them with a decision early next week.

The interview on Friday may want you to come back for a second interview so you might not get an answer from them straight away. If they give you positive feedback from Friday's interview maybe tell them that you have this other job offer so would appreciate a quick decision. I wouldn't mention it during the interview as they may consider it rude and bordering on game playing.

If Friday's interview say no will you take the £16k job? i.e. is it better than your current job? If so then you don't want to lose the opportunity you currently have for a job you may not be offered.

On the other hand, if you're getting interview offers for jobs at £23k with better career prospects then maybe you should be holding out for this sort of thing rather than a £16k dead end job. Only you can decide that.

Opinion

El_Torro wrote: »

Tricky one. I would definitely contact the company that have offered you the job now. I would say thank you for the job offer, and ask if you can get back to them with a decision early next week.

The interview on Friday may want you to come back for a second interview so you might not get an answer from them straight away. If they give you positive feedback from Friday's interview maybe tell them that you have this other job offer so would appreciate a quick decision. I wouldn't mention it during the interview as they may consider it rude and bordering on game playing.

If Friday's interview say no will you take the £16k job? i.e. is it better than your current job? If so then you don't want to lose the opportunity you currently have for a job you may not be offered.

On the other hand, if you're getting interview offers for jobs at £23k with better career prospects then maybe you should be holding out for this sort of thing rather than a £16k dead end job. Only you can decide that.

What he said. You gain nothing from blowing off the first offer until you find out the result of the second.

SailorSam

What about the place you're working now. How does £16k compare to what you're already getting ?

buckle

SailorSam wrote: »

What about the place you're working now. How does £16k compare to what you're already getting ?

I currently earn about £6500, part-time work. The £16k is decent pay in my opinion. I want to wait for the other interview but if I say I want to take some time to think about the offer, the employer might revoke the offer thinking I'm playing games.

What happens if I accept the job by email and on Friday I'm offered the other job? I haven't started the first job and only accepted the job by email, not signed anything. Can I say sorry but I can't work for you? Do I need to work and give a week's notice?

missg2210

I have verbally accepted a job offer but not yet signed anything as im waiting to hear back from a 2nd one today, however if that falls through I cannot risk losing the 1st. Both have good prospects for progression and training just 1 pays 2.5k more.....its a hard decision and im racking my brain to decide...

El_Torro

buckle wrote: »

I currently earn about £6500, part-time work. The £16k is decent pay in my opinion. I want to wait for the other interview but if I say I want to take some time to think about the offer, the employer might revoke the offer thinking I'm playing games.

That's possible, though I think unlikely. Asking them to give you half a week to think over the decision is not an unreasonable request. You might be better off ringing them tomorrow morning rather than e-mailing them tonight. That way you can gauge better whether they're happy for you to wait a few days before deciding.

buckle wrote: »

What happens if I accept the job by email and on Friday I'm offered the other job? I haven't started the first job and only accepted the job by email, not signed anything. Can I say sorry but I can't work for you? Do I need to work and give a week's notice?

Just because you've accepted the job by e-mail does not mean you're committed to it. You can certainly do this, but I think it's not good form knowing that you will pull out if the other job is offered to you. I would only do this if they tell you that you have to give them a decision straight away.

patman99

The potential new employer must know that you need to work 1 month's notice, so accept the first job then if you strike it lucky with the 2nd, then you can accept that one instead & tell the first you have had a better offer.

buckle

patman99 wrote: »

The potential new employer must know that you need to work 1 month's notice, so accept the first job then if you strike it lucky with the 2nd, then you can accept that one instead & tell the first you have had a better offer.

There's an issue about my notice period. I am to give four weeks notice or it's breach of contract. Do you think it's really bad to give four weeks notice and if the second job is offered to me, go back to my retail manager and say there's been a change of plans and now I need to leave in less than a week? The second job made it clear they can only wait 1 week at most if they do offer me the job.

LittleVoice

buckle wrote: »

There's an issue about my notice period. I am to give four weeks notice or it's breach of contract. Do you think it's really bad to give four weeks notice and if the second job is offered to me, go back to my retail manager and say there's been a change of plans and now I need to leave in less than a week? The second job made it clear they can only wait 1 week at most if they do offer me the job.

My immediate reaction is that this is an unreasonable employer. I would not want to work for them.

buckle

LittleVoice wrote: »

My immediate reaction is that this is an unreasonable employer. I would not want to work for them.

They just opened up another office so they're looking to full staff it before officially opening up. I have lost several job opportunities in the past where I insisted on working my four weeks notice in full, thinking employers care when they all just want me to be immediately available, or available in 1-2 weeks notice at most. It might be different for a high paying skilled job where you are in the position to make demands to the employer.