Apprenticeship offers

[HappySonHappyMum]

Can anyone fill me in on the protocol. My DS has several apprenticeship interviews coming up all for apprenticeships that start September 2020. Should he accept any offers and then withdraw if he gets a different one he prefers? I would feel a bit awkward about letting people down but is this the done thing. I'm really not sure how it all works so any advice or experience would be really helpful.

I think it's better if possible to ask for a few days thinking time in between being offered a job and his next interview, rather than accept and then withdraw if he gets a better offer later. But people do do that, and I certainly wouldn't advise him to decline his 2nd choice purely on the chance he'll get his 1st choice offer later, if you see what I mean, so needs must, the employer will understand. If he does need to turn an offer down he should so so asap so they can go back and offer to their 2nd choice candidate...

It's such a strange process - some interviews are happening now - some apprenticeships are not even being advertised until May. It hadn't occurred too me that companies would have first and second choice candidates - this makes me feel better about withdrawing at a later date if needs be…

No it’ll still be really annoying for them if he withdraws at a later date. The second choice candidate won’t hang around for months, they’ll be applying for other things too, so if your son withdraws they may have to start again.

People do this of course, you don’t want to risk being unemployed! Just like Maxelly says if he is going to drop out he has to tell them ASAP.

You don’t need to worry about it though - it’s your son that has to make the decision and ring them to tell them if it does happen