I Have an Offer and Need to Stall for Something Else | JobSearchTV.com
I have an offer I don’t want to lose but I’m interviewing with this other company I am really interested in. How do I stall the first firm so I can finish interviewing with the second one?
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I’ve received an offer. But I’m interviewing at this other company that really seems even better. How do I stall for time? You know, it’s not that hard. It requires a little theater on your part. But here’s a couple of options that I think will serve you.
Number one, ask for a few days to think about it. You’re not the first person to say, “I’d like to think about it for a few days.” “Well, what do you need to think about?” “You know, I really liked your opportunity. But I learned a long time ago that if I act quickly, sometimes I make mistakes. So if you can give me a couple of days, I just want to mull it over. But I’m thinking very favorably about joining. You are because if this whole thing falls apart, you’re going to take their job, so you are thinking favorably about it. But we’re trying to stall for time.
When you come back to them, or as an alternative, what you can say is, “You know, can I see the place?” You know, especially if this has been interviews where it’s been done over video, you haven’t seen the offices yet. “Can I visit the offices just to see where we’re like, because at some point, you’re gonna push for us to all come back in. I just want to see what the facilities like.”
Or you can say, “You know, I’d like to meet some of the people on the team, some of my co-workers or the people I’ll be supporting or working for in the course of this.” For some of you, you’ll be interacting with others and providing service to them and you want to have a chance to meet with him.
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“Well, this could blow things up!”
“Better that it happen now than after I come on board and feel trapped. So, I don’t think you want someone who’s going to come on board and suddenly be unhappy. I just want to meet with the people I’ll be providing service to.”
At the same time, you can start pruning the list of firms that you are interviewing with. And the idea is reject them. Let them know you’re going to be taking another offer. Thank them a lot; be friendly and cordial. End it cleanly.
At this other firm, what you might do is just let them know, “I’ve got another offer. I’m very interested in your opportunity. Is there a way that we can accelerate the process a little?”
“Well, you have another offer? Why don’t you just take it?
Because I’m very interested in yours. I want to see this through. At the same time. I’m not independently wealthy. This is a good opportunity but I want to see what yours has to offer. So that’s not just about the money. That’s about the work and all the other things. Can we accelerate the process.”
I’ll see.
“That’s fine. Just let me know when they can do it. I’d like to do it as quickly as possible.” So you’re getting them to try and accelerate things so they’re not dawdling their way through this process.
Another way you could do it, not my favorite way, but it is another option, you accept the job qnd you ask for a delayed start. “I’m going to be away for a couple of weeks. I want to celebrate this. Can we start in three, three and a half or three, four weeks? This way, I can finish up where I am, take two weeks off to vacation then come in fresh. That’s a month delay; the other firm should be able to do something within a month.
So when all is said and, by the way, on that one, at the end of two weeks, you should give notice so that this way you can start at the time you said you want to start.
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ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2300 episodes.
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