General Etiquette > All In A Day's Work

Job Hunting Nowadays

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JustCallMePat:
[/BG ON] I work for a large company who provides specialized services for clients on a contract basis.  I have extensive experience with a quite unique skillset and am in a very senior technical position. [/BG END]

The project I was working on faced some budget cutbacks by the customer.  Management decided the best way to save money was by removing the two most-senior members of our team, so bye-bye Pat.   >:(  Our company will provide "bench time" for those finding themselves in such a position.  Initially, two weeks, with an almost-automatic one-week extension.  People who are benched are encouraged to scour the available internal job postings and if possible, provide temporary assistance to other projects to compensate hours being charged to overhead expenses.  After the three weeks, cases are considered on an individual basis whether to keep a person or let them go.  It feels personal, but it's simple business logic being used.

The company severance package is set, and between that and my accumulated vacation time which would be cashed out, I would receive the equivalent of six months' pay, so there was no panic on my part.  The stress came from having so many years in with the company - pension, 401(k), seniority, etc - and losing all of that as the company's benefits are really good.

The first day "on the bench", I polished my resume and started posting it to some select job sites.  Within two days, I was receiving 5 - 6 calls daily from companies expressing interest.  Some were bottom-feeding staffing agencies, some were worth considering, and some were just seeing what I was asking for.  (Two Masters', high industry-specific certifications and lots of experience with the top customer programs within a very specific community.)  These situations usually take a long time to work through, so I figured I'd explore some options and see how far it goes should things not work out with my company.  One job seemed perfect, and I expected to be handing in my notice, but due to some administrative technical details I was ineligible to work for this company's client (it's complicated and I can't fully explain.)  As time passed, I saw less indication that I could find an internal job and while I had ample interviews outside, nothing seemed to be working out "right".  I resolved myself to the idea it all might take longer than I had anticipated.  Two weeks later, I had an interview (I was lowering my standards) and pretty much blew away the client's rep.  An offer was made the next day, but there were some red flags about this company, so I declined.  They appealed to me to reconsider, and at the same time another job I really wanted fell through, so I said I'd reconsider their offer (but that was all I said.)  I was still getting a lot of phone calls from a lot of companies.

Thinking hard about it, I had doubts. They offered me a $5K raise.  (Hmmm... quick math - that's $100 per week, or about $65 after taxes. I have to get up an hour earlier as it's a bad commute, spend an extra hour in traffic to get to DD's school at the end of the day.  10 lost hours per week, so my "raise" turns into just $6.50 per hour and I'll always be tired and rushed.  Maybe I could do it to get through the summer as it's better than nothing while I look for a better opportunity...)

My company found a slot when another project suddenly had an expansion of their contract.  I talked to the program manager, whom I had worked with a few years previously, and felt an offer to join that project was forthcoming.  The other company, who I had agreed to "reconsider" was pressing me for a start date, saying their customer was excited to have me on board.  I sorta strung them along while waiting for the offer within my company to materialize. (OK, definitely not 'sorta') After two days of ignoring calls from the outside company, my new project came through.  Within minutes I fired off an email to the other company saying "Sorry but I'm not going to be working for you."  The reply was "Do you realize the position you've put us in?"  Me: "Sorry."

OK, so here are the questions:  Was I unprofessional?  (Well, maybe.)  Was I rude?  (Possibly but not sure it applies under such circumstances.)  I'm justifying it to myself under the guise of 'economic survival in a troubled economy' and doing what it takes to get/keep myself employed. 

buvezdevin:
As described, it sounds as though you never accepted the other company's offer, and while agreeing to reconsider, you delayed replying to their request for a "start date" by two days while waiting for confirmation of a position on a different project with your current employer.

Thar doesn't sound rude to me.  As you had already declined other company once, it should not have been surprising that you "reconsideration" might need a couple of days.

If you were reconsidering, and negotiating with other company over a longer period, still not rude, or unprofessional to give a final decision not accepting the offer, though the phrasing might have been "I have decided to accept another offer.  Thank you for your interest."

In any interviewing process, neither the applicant nor the hiring organization should assume an offer will be made or accepted, until it is.  If the other company made representations to their customer based on an assumption that reconsider=accept, they put themselves in a bad position.

rashea:
I think you burned a bridge. They should have listened to you when you said you were reconsidering, but not committing, but if you were hoping to ever work for that company that possibility is gone now. That's not rude. On the other hand, I think it is a bit rude to intentionally string them along without telling them a date by which you will decide.

Yvaine:
If the wording from your post was the actual wording you used in your emails to outside company, I think you were pretty brusque--but I kind of doubt those are real quotes and suspect they're more of a summary.

I'll also add that think it was unprofessional of them to promise your services to their client before you had committed.

lilfox:
Agree with the PPs:  Considering an offer, or agreeing to reconsider, is not committing.

For your part, you gave it serious consideration as you said you would, and decided it still wasn't for you.  You fulfilled your obligation and you let them know within a few days.  If you had put them off for a few weeks, that's less cool, but then again if they had a pressing need for someone they should have given you a date by which they needed an answer.  Most offers I've had come with a "reply by" date.

I do understand a company/HR/hiring person giving you a hard time or not giving up right away, I've had it happen a few times.  In fact, one company delayed sending me decision-critical information for weeks and when I told them I was declining (I accepted another offer in the meantime), they huffed about having invested so much in me already and basically had counted on me to take their offer.  But it was still unprofessional of them to include "do you realize the position you've put us in?" in their response to you.  If not getting to hire you put them in a bind, that's not your problem.  And if you in fact burned a bridge with this company, they don't need to spell it out to you, they should just make a note of it for the future.

I second buvezdevin and Yvaine that if the wording of your response really was "Sorry but I'm not going to be working for you," that's not as professionally worded as it might have been but I think that may have just been your short-hand for the message content.

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