To reject job offer after verbally accepting?

[Indigo89]

Head versus heart dilemma...

Job A: job offered, in my current profession, permanent position, very comfortable with the job role, same wage as I'm on currently but in a better company with better conditions. Safe option.

Job B: interview in 2 weeks time, career change to different profession which involves one of my hobbies and interests, 8k paycut, rare opportunity.

Would I be unreasonable to stall on accepting offer from Job A? I'm thinking of verbally accepting and waiting until after interview for Job B.

Would you take a chance on changing career for less stress and to pursue your passion? Or is it foolish to take such a paycut if Job B was offered? (Fwiw, if I was offered Job B, even with the paycut we could pay bills and mortgage, there'd just be less disposable income)

WWYD?

In my industry a verbal acceptance is as good as a written one and our name would be passed around as mud, making it hard for us to get another job if we did that. Best idea would be to ask for a couple of days to think about it. Two weeks? Probably not.

If you are only going to be doing exactly the same job, for exactly the same money I would risk it and wait for the second interview.
The first job may be for a "better" company (in what way?) but you will be doing just the same as you are now. If the second job involves an area you are really interested in and you are confident that you have the experience and qualifications to do it, and you can afford the pay cut then this would be what I personally would go for. Worse case you won't get it and you will still be in your current job, which you obviously are good at (you got offered another job doing the same thing) and you don't hate (because you APPLIED for another job doing the same thing)

Can you go to job B and say you have a big dilemma with an offer from elsewhere. If they really want you, they might bring the interview forward or at least give strong encouragement to hold on. And if they don't, you know where you stand.

YANBU

A few years back I offered a job to a woman (not that gender made any difference) she accepted and and gave her 4 weeks notice to her existing employer. 2 weeks later she rang and said she had been offered a promotion instead and had decided to take it.

I wished her well and offered the job to the 2nd in line, no drama no slating, I understood her decision. Applicant no.2 was delighted to get the job and was able to start straight away.

Lots of people do this. It isn't professional but it is expected in some circumstances. As long as you never expect to need a favour or job from that company or anyone they know (how well networked are they?) you could do it without too much consequence for you. Not a good thing to do to them though, obviously.

I'd be leaving my current profession if offered Job B so offending Job A and gaining a bad reputation for myself in the field wouldn't be a big concern, although of course I would be apologetic for inconveniencing them.

Well no-one is going to say this is fine, OP. It isn't. It's dishonest. But it sounds like you will do it anyway.

I think keeping them hanging on for over 2 weeks is unfair tbh and wouldn't go down well in places I have interviewed.

and this is why candidates sometimes never hear from a company after an interview, or why it takes ages to get a reply.

People do this all the time, accept, then change their mind - for whatever reasons. It's a job, you do what is best for you. It might be annoying for the recruiter, but that's life.

Frankly, I would accept job A. Interview with B doesn't mean decision will be made in 2 weeks. Job A should give you a long enough probation to allow you to give a short notice should everything works well with B.
If it doesn't, A will never know and you don't appear flaky. The probation period works both ways!

It's dishonest.

I say that as someone who's DH is currently doing the same thing at the moment. I've tried to say several times that it's dishonest and unfair - he's unlikely to get the second job but it would be an amazing job opportunity for him. But I don't think it's fair on the first job. They're really looking forward to him joining later this year and they seem a lovely tight knit place.

It's not a great thing to do but if it's in your best interests not to take the job, don't take it.

Nothing worse than starting somewhere knowing in the back of your head you made the wrong decision. Just don't make a habit of it.

Is there no way you can call job B, explain the situation and ask for an interview sooner?

You can't stall. Accept job A - give your current job 4 weeks notice. Attend interview for job B. If offered it, do some thinking and if it's right, politely decline job A with apologies as your circumstances have changed. It's fine.