Juggling job opportunities

Dear Joan:

I recently learned that there is a very high probability that I will either be downsized out of, demoted from, and/or have to take a significant salary cut in my current position.  Because I commute, even if I get to stay employed, the demotion would be devastating, in that I would lose my director title along with the pay.  Since I commute, it will be a struggle at a lower salary - the salary was the reason I thought I could do the commute in the first place.

 

I have been with this same employer in various positions over the last 13 years, the benefits are good, and I hate to lose all the credit I have earned toward retirement.  However, after much thought, and being motivated by the real fear of being unemployed, or commuting to a job for less pay, I decided to begin looking.

 

I have done well in my job search, having gotten interviews for each job I've applied to, so far.  I bowed out from one offer because it was too low, but have now received, and verbally accepted, another offer recently - even though it was lower than I really need to keep from struggling (because time is getting short on the decision of demotion/layoff, and the only other employer I hadn't gotten any response from seemed not to be interested. I hadn't heard anything in the 6 weeks since I applied.)  This employer, who had not responded, was my number one choice.

 

Well, two days after I verbally accepted the less than desirable offer, in order not to end up unemployed, or working to pay to commute to work, I received a request for a phone interview from the preferred employer.  I have not yet received a written letter confirming the less desirable offer, and plan to do the phone interview with my number one choice in a few days.

 

I do wonder, though, how long I could stall on firming up the offer, to see if my employer of choice wants to see me for an in-person interview and will make a better offer.  I am also concerned it would be unethical not to accept the less desirable written offer once I receive it.  This is particularly sensitive because I know the people where the offer is not that great, and have worked with them on a temporary basis in the past.  These are people I like, and they are excited about my joining their team.  I tried to negotiate a little better salary with them before accepting, but it became clear they weren't going to give me more, and I had to decide to accept the offer, or take my chances with an increasingly grim situation at my current job, so I gave the verbal acceptance.

 

I can tell you I am very anxious and have had nightmares of losing my home, getting divorced, etc. since giving a verbal acceptance of the offer:  it is far less than I make now, even if I don't have to commute, but about the same as I probably would receive if I were retained at my current employer (the difference is that the benefits at my current employer are great - although I'm not sure they are great enough to offset the decrease in pay with the same commuting expense).  Can I ask the desired employer about their timetable?  Should I mention that I have another offer that I'm considering, and if so, when should I bring that up?

As you can see, I am truly confused.  Any insight you can share would be truly appreciated.

 

Relax and enjoy your popularity. You are obviously a very marketable candidate and, as a result, don’t be surprised if you end up retaining your current position at full pay—and have three positions to choose from!

 

Whether you accept verbally, or receive an offer in writing, the choice is still yours. If the desired job is offered to you, after you accept the first job—whether it’s a day, a week, or a month after, you can still choose to leave for the better offer. The reason you will give is: “I was interviewing for the second job at the same time I was interviewing for this job. While I really like your company, the people and the position, I am being offered significantly more money (and more responsibility—if that’s true), and I feel it’s in my best interest to accept it. I appreciate everything you have done for me, and I regret leaving, but I feel it’s better to leave before you invest a lot of time orienting and assimilating me.”

 

Don’t be surprised if you get a counter offer. The last thing you want to do is start playing one employer against another for the best compensation package. If you do get an offer from the company you like best, make a firm decision, one way or the other.

 

During the interview from the desired employer, be upfront about the fact that you have received a verbal offer from another employer. Explain that you accepted this invitation for an interview because they are your first choice. It’s also perfectly appropriate to ask them about their hiring timeframe.

 

This exact situation happened to me. When I resigned, a month into the job, I was so nervous my knees were like jelly. They were gracious and commented that this sort of thing happens sometimes. Hopefully, you will receive an offer for your dream job. It sounds like you just might get it.