Potential job offer but better one on the horizon. WWYD?

[nellyjelly]

This is all a bit hypothetical but I need to consider the issues.

I have an interview on Tuesday and have 1 in 3 chance of getting as 3 candidates. It is a good job BUT I have also applied for a much better one, pretty much exactly what I want to do. Unfortunately the closing date is not til Monday. IF I get job 1' they will want acceptance quite quickly but obviously they will need various clearances and I will have to work my 4 week notice. So what if in the meantime I get an interview for job 2 and get it????

I am quite an ethical person so would feel bad pulling out of Job 1 but opportunities like Job 2 are rare so would hate to miss out. Also wondered of the legalities of pulling out of a job once you had accepted it.

I do need a job so can't forget about Job 1 and put all my eggs in the basket of job 2.

I know this is all hypothetical but need to get my head around it I think.

What would others do?

Help!

How soon will the first one need to know if you are accepting? Any way of being straight with them and saying you need some time (ie a couple of weeks) to think it over? It's a long shot, but maybe worth it. How many other jobs have you applied for? Is it likely another job will come along if you decline the first one and don't get the second one. Not a bad dilemma to have though!

Thanks so much for reply. I reckon they will want a quick answer, places usually do. I could try and stall them though as will have childcare to sort out.

There are only these 2 jobs. Haven't seen any for ages and 2 come along at once! I am in a job already but fed up and facing poss redundancy next year so looking around. I don't want to settle for anything amd though the first job is good, the second is better.

It's difficult isn't it - I am in the same position. the thing is, though, you have to look after your own interests and you don't actually owe any loyalty to the one you are currently interviewing with - it is dog eat dog out there in the current economic climate. I am veering towards accepting the first offer and then seeing how the second one goes. If I get job two (and it is by no means certain) and have to then let the first one down then I figure that they will go with their second choice. That said, I think it depends on what type of business you are in. If it is a small pool of prospective employers so you may want to go to the first one later on in your career life, you may not want them holding a grudge!

You say you do need a job so would seem sensible to take offer one and see how job two interviews go. If it is your dream job you might kick yourself in later years for not going for it. And on the ethical side - pulling out to take a better job gives another candidate a chance!

Good luck

Thanks. You make some useful points. Still grappling with it.

I would accept the first offer, is it direct or through an agency? If you accept verbally, by the time all the paperwork comes through you will probably know what is what with the second role. You can't stall a potential employer for long - thinking overnight is OK but if you need too long, they will have doubts about you from the start which is not good. crisps is right, it is a dog eat dog climate out there and you have to look after your own interests. Great news though, hope it works out!

So if I get job 1 next week do I ask them for time to consider? Am guessing they will only want to give me a couple of days max and don't think I will hear if I have an nterview for the preferred job by then.

If I get and accept job 1 then later get an interview for job 2 will be gutted! Then again I might end up with no job!

If you really want job 1, then accept it straight away. Then, if you get an interview for job 2, you can still go - there are no guarantees you will get it, or you may be offered job 2, at that point you will still have the time to pull out of job 1 - could always say the employer took ages to come back after your interview with a decision (which does happen). If you don't get job 2, you still have Job 1 in the bag and nobody needs to know! It is not easy to do this, especially in a theoretical situation, but remember employers have plenty of "second choice" candidates at the moment - you have to think about yourself!