Re: O/T: Question re: Job Offer Situation

jeanlake · ‎03-10-2010

JJ - Now you know, so this was a valuable experience. You've been out of the job market for a while and according to Human Resource experts, there's been an increase in employees bringing lawsuits against employers. Human Resources look at employees through a microscope. Another thing, it is expensive to hire and train employees. If you showed uncertainty, and expressed potential family problems, then they had no choice but to pass.

You'll be equipped for the next interview. Take a moment and read about current workplace business practices and atmospheres. Again, I hope you can value what you learned from this experienced and be ready for the next prospect. Good luck to you.

"I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Henry David Thoreau

Tissyanne · ‎12-07-2012

Remember too, they called you back months later. I don't see how you could lose a thing by calling them back.

JamicaJammer · ‎01-14-2013

Thank you one and all for each input!

Yes, I agree - I've burned that bridge, regardless of my intentions.

The fact I was in no way job hunting to begin with caught me so off-guard that I didn't have my wits about me enough to ask for a longer time to consider the offer.

I think if I were hiring someone, esp someone who I "cold called" 6 mo after their initial application, I'd not think it strange that they needed time to consider my offer.

And I didn't handle it well.

So, moving on now, and I'll not be contacting them again. If they do interview others and still decide I'm their #1 choice, they have my number.

And if it's after I've accepted another position, it just wasn't meant to be at all.

Thanks again, ladies! ${#emotions_dlg.wub}$

SwimGirl12 · ‎01-19-2014

On 2/25/2014 JamicaJammer said:
On 2/25/2014 gailchap said:
Why go to the second interview if you really didn't know if you wanted the job? I think it probably worked out in the end because you were so on the fence about it.

When I was doing the hiring in my department I would not have re-considered you after you declined the job. You kinda came across as not being reliable. I'm not saying that you're not reliable but the back and forth is off-putting.

Keep looking and I bet you'll find something closer to home with better hours. Have you considered working for the city, county or school systems? They pay well, with good benefits and some offer flexible hours. Good Luck!! Gail

I agree - they probably figure I'm unreliable now.

I think it was just such a out-of-the-blue thing, it caught me off-guard, and I honestly thought I'd be able to find something closer to home or PT that paid $15-18/hr. HA. What a mistake!!!! "Part-time" now means 35 hrs/wk, not 15-20. And only the college folks get the $15/hr jobs. Nobody pays more than that for anyone!

You obviously aren't in Indiana! Here, all government office jobs including schools pay about $8-8.50/hr, but I still apply for them since they are close to home and have so many, many holidays!!!

Woah $15/hr ... that is terribly low. I guess this is for a basic admin job, but still, with a college degree that is quite low. I couldn't survive on anything even close to that low! I make 4x that and am worried about saving, etc. Craziness!

I agree with the other posters though, you definitely missed this opportunity. In the future if you are unsure about accepting an offer I would suggest asking for an extension, even a day or two more to decide instead of making a quick decision. It is totally acceptable to ask for an extension. Best of luck to you! I am sure you will figure something else out !

citygirl_nyc · ‎02-23-2012

On 2/25/2014 Tootie15 said:
IMO ...To begin with, if you were hesitant to accept, then you really didn't want the position (for whatever reason) ... and I think your Mom laying a guilt trip on you pushed you over the edge!!

Hopefully you will find something that you want .... Good Luck!

Completely agree!! If it paid 2x going rate and this is EXTREMELY hard to come by in IN... if you really wanted this position there would be no way you would turn it down.

However, I would try and make contact again... by email or letter... show that you are in earnest. Bottom line, IMHO, you have nothing to lose except your pride. They can only say no (again)... but you'll know that you gave it your all.

missy1 · ‎03-10-2010

On 2/25/2014 SwimGirl12 said:
On 2/25/2014 JamicaJammer said:
On 2/25/2014 gailchap said:
Why go to the second interview if you really didn't know if you wanted the job? I think it probably worked out in the end because you were so on the fence about it.

When I was doing the hiring in my department I would not have re-considered you after you declined the job. You kinda came across as not being reliable. I'm not saying that you're not reliable but the back and forth is off-putting.

Keep looking and I bet you'll find something closer to home with better hours. Have you considered working for the city, county or school systems? They pay well, with good benefits and some offer flexible hours. Good Luck!! Gail

I agree - they probably figure I'm unreliable now.

I think it was just such a out-of-the-blue thing, it caught me off-guard, and I honestly thought I'd be able to find something closer to home or PT that paid $15-18/hr. HA. What a mistake!!!! "Part-time" now means 35 hrs/wk, not 15-20. And only the college folks get the $15/hr jobs. Nobody pays more than that for anyone!

You obviously aren't in Indiana! Here, all government office jobs including schools pay about $8-8.50/hr, but I still apply for them since they are close to home and have so many, many holidays!!!

Woah $15/hr ... that is terribly low. I guess this is for a basic admin job, but still, with a college degree that is quite low. I couldn't survive on anything even close to that low! I make 4x that and am worried about saving, etc. Craziness!

I agree with the other posters though, you definitely missed this opportunity. In the future if you are unsure about accepting an offer I would suggest asking for an extension, even a day or two more to decide instead of making a quick decision. It is totally acceptable to ask for an extension. Best of luck to you! I am sure you will figure something else out !

They make 8-10 an hour, here.

SwimGirl12 · ‎01-19-2014

On 2/25/2014 missyw1 said:
On 2/25/2014 SwimGirl12 said:
On 2/25/2014 JamicaJammer said:
On 2/25/2014 gailchap said:
Why go to the second interview if you really didn't know if you wanted the job? I think it probably worked out in the end because you were so on the fence about it.

When I was doing the hiring in my department I would not have re-considered you after you declined the job. You kinda came across as not being reliable. I'm not saying that you're not reliable but the back and forth is off-putting.

Keep looking and I bet you'll find something closer to home with better hours. Have you considered working for the city, county or school systems? They pay well, with good benefits and some offer flexible hours. Good Luck!! Gail

I agree - they probably figure I'm unreliable now.

I think it was just such a out-of-the-blue thing, it caught me off-guard, and I honestly thought I'd be able to find something closer to home or PT that paid $15-18/hr. HA. What a mistake!!!! "Part-time" now means 35 hrs/wk, not 15-20. And only the college folks get the $15/hr jobs. Nobody pays more than that for anyone!

You obviously aren't in Indiana! Here, all government office jobs including schools pay about $8-8.50/hr, but I still apply for them since they are close to home and have so many, many holidays!!!

Woah $15/hr ... that is terribly low. I guess this is for a basic admin job, but still, with a college degree that is quite low. I couldn't survive on anything even close to that low! I make 4x that and am worried about saving, etc. Craziness!

I agree with the other posters though, you definitely missed this opportunity. In the future if you are unsure about accepting an offer I would suggest asking for an extension, even a day or two more to decide instead of making a quick decision. It is totally acceptable to ask for an extension. Best of luck to you! I am sure you will figure something else out !

They make 8-10 an hour, here.

Wow, good grief that is low!! Good thing I went to college and worked hard to get where I am!! How unfortunate.

NYC Susan · ‎03-13-2010

On 2/25/2014 chi5925 said:
I worked in HR at my last company and was responsible for recruiting and screening candidates. The actual hiring was done by the manager. Here is my input:

You did nothing wrong or out of the ordinary by requesting time to think about the offer. It showed that you wanted to make sure that the job would work for you and for the company. We found that most of our candidates wanted to think about it and call us back with a timeframe that we decided (usually 24 hours).

Where the problem lies is when you called them back AFTER declining the offer telling them that you changed your mind. As others have stated here, by doing that it, unfortunately, made you seem indecisive and flaky.

My suggestion would be NOT to call the company back. The fact that they have already placed another ad is a clear indication that you are no longer a viable candidate.

Let this be a learning experience for you and don't dwell on it.

Good luck in finding another position!

I completely agree with all of this.

Asking for time to think it over once an offer is made shouldn't be a problem. I think it's pretty common to ask to think about it overnight, especially if salary/benefits/whatever were not fully discussed until the actual offer was made. When I hired people, I never expected an immediate answer, and when I was the one being hired, I always asked if I could let them know the following day. It was never a problem.

But once you call back with your answer, it should be your final answer. You accept the job, or you decline. Changing your mind is likely to give them second thoughts. They don't have time to worry about the possibility that you'll change your mind again, and they want someone with enthusiasm about the job, not someone who is waffling back and forth about it, and may leave after a short time. And in this economy, they know that there are many candidates out there who would give them a definite "yes" and be grateful for the opportunity. (I'm not saying you're not grateful, just that it may appear that way.)

We've all made mistakes like this in the heat of the moment, and I completely understand that you were caught off-guard, so I don't mean to sound critical.

Personally, for me, a long commute is a dealbreaker. It can add a lot of time and stress. You mentioned the long commute as a negative, so maybe things will work out for the best and you'll end up with something closer to home. Long commutes can be expensive too, so IMO something closer to home even with a lower salary may end up turning this into a blessing in disguise! Good luck!!! Kiss

ivey · ‎03-10-2010

First of all, wishing you the best in finding a job.

Interviewers might not say it overtly, but mentioning family issues (children, older parents, transportation, etc.) is a big red flag to them. They think you'll be missing work for these issues. They're hiring you because they need you to work.