A case of job applications offers potentially coming up in the wrong order.
Backstory: Currently been doing a maternity secondment until June at a promotion grade to substantive role. Previous post-holder def not coming back but boss hasn't yet put the ad out for their permanent replacement and ad will have to go external as well as internal due to our processes. Expect ad to go out in next fortnight so interviews in a month. I'm doing well in the post at promotion grade but highly competitive external market. I'd put my odds of successful offer at around 70%. Will refer to this as job A.
In the meantime I've been applying for other jobs at the promotion grade (because I thought postholder was originally coming back).
Job B-another company. I'm down to the last two so there is reasonable chance I'll get an offer this week. More money, slightly longer commute, job sounds interesting but unknown organisation. I'd estimate chance of successful offer at around 50% as in the last 2.
Job C-another company but one I've worked for before. Terms roughly same as Job A. Interview week after next. Estimate chance of successful offer around 10%.
All 3 roles have much better terms than going back to my own substantive role after secondment so taking a complete chance is risky. If time was not a factor I would be most interested in A then C then B. But if I was to be offered the order would be B then C then A.
Has anyone been in this situation before? What would your considerations be if you got offered roles in the "wrong" order (realise it's hypothetical at the moment)!