Dear Work Coach,
I had a first interview with a prospective employer last week, May 14th. I met with the HR rep and she gave me some constructive criticism on my current resume; how to make it more concise for the actual managers I would be interviewing with on a second interview for their company. After a couple days I sent a thank you email and a copy of my update resume. The HR rep called 10 mins after I sent the email and scheduled a second interview for Wednesday, May 21st.
On the second interview I met with the HR rep and four other people on an interview that lasted approximately 2 hours. I felt I left a very good impression regarding my personality and skills. Yesterday morning I sent another follow-up email thanking every person for their time but I still have not heard back.
Meanwhile, I have received an offer from another company only it is not as great as this one. I really want to wait and see what happens but on the other hand I really need to start working right now for financial reasons.
Would I come across as annoying or bothersome if I were to now call HR and ask if I am still being considered, even after I have already sent my follow-up email? Is it too soon?
Megan
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Hi Megan!
Wow. Congratulations on having this dilemma…not that it’s an easy one.
I had something very similar happen years ago. After I got the offer of a job I wasn’t crazy about (but still didn’t want to give up for the same reason as you), I called the other job. I let the person I interviewed with (the head of a New York City agency I really wanted to work for), know. She was a little put off, almost coming out and telling me she thought I was trying to put pressure on her and they hadn’t made their decision yet.
I politely explained I only meant to let her know I really wanted to work for her and yet needed to give an answer to the people who’d already made me an offer. She asked me to give her a couple of days – which I did. And when I hadn’t heard from her, because the other people were so nice and I couldn’t keep them waiting any more, I said yes – and wound up making lifelong friends and meeting someone who eventually got me into the type of work I would have been doing for the Commissioner. Funny how life works.
Oh…one more piece of the story. Turns out the OTHER job (with the Commissioner) had left a message on an answering machine telling me they wanted me – only it wasn’t my machine. And so fate played a role in my future. And yet I never regretted it.
Hope you didn’t mind that slight tangent. Just a nice story about how things work out in ways we don’t expect some times.
As for your situation… I think it would be perfectly ok to call and let them know what’s going on. These things do happen. Remembering my story and how she reacted, just be as polite as possible and make sure they know you feel terrible about trying to rush their decision and that you’re only doing it because of how much you want this job. Nothing lost by trying!
If they ask for a few more days, see if you can get the other job to give you that time. No sense letting a good thing go. And if you do wind up having to take the job you don’t want as much, maybe it will wind up working out as well as mine did. You just never know! (Oh…and don’t forget to see if there’s anything you can do to sweeten the less attractive offer. Sometimes there’s more give than you think.)
Good luck, Megan. Please let us know what happens. Fingers crossed that you get the job you really want. But if not, congratulations on having a pretty good second choice!
Ronnie Ann
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New Work Coach Cafe Policy:
Although I had to stop answering individual questions (to preserve my sanity), as always your thoughts and stories are VERY welcome here.
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