Declining a job offer after having accepted it - HR people please respond!!

[kelbillug]

Hi everyone,

I'm on the job hunt and have had three interviews in the past three weeks, and haven't heard from any of them yet. Today's interview went fantastically well, and I think there could be an offer coming. Problem is, it's only a five month contract with no guarantee it could be extended.

Last week, I had an interview that went okay, but I really want that job and was surprised to find I've been invited back next week for a second interview.

The dilemma... Job #1 said they plan to get back to me with an answer tomorrow, as the guy goes on holiday Friday and wants to get it taken care of before he goes, but it's job #2 that I really want. Either way, I NEED a job as I won't have one by 12th October.

I am thinking of accepting job #1 if offered, then see if anything comes of job #2. However, I have several former colleagues/friends who work at job #1 and I don't want to burn bridges or get a reputation for being unreliable if I ever need to come across any of these people again.

If I were to turn down job #1 after accepting it, citing that I had been interviewing with another company at the same time and it can offer me a permanent position instead of a five month contract, do you think I'll gain enemies or will they fully understand?

This is, of course, provided I get offered ANYTHING :)

Any opinions would be appreciated!

[boxtops]

I don't think you'll gain enemies, if it were me offering you the job I would rather you told me straight up before I've had time to decline the others, so I can offer the job to the second choice. This did happen to someone I know - they contacted the unsuccessful people before offering the job to the winner, who then said she didn't want it after all - the job was then offered to someone who knew they were a second placer. If you say what you said in your para it is honest and won't do you any harm. If however you accept #1 then drop them in it because the other one is offered to you - that's not such a good move, IMO.

[dotty.]

they shouldn't expect an answer so quickly, that is unfair. stall if you can

[boxtops]

^ PS I'm assuming here a very short timescale - you need to tell No 1 that you don't want it - you can't accept then say you don't want it after all, that is not fair to anyone.

[kelbillug]

I want to stall, but if this guy is going on holiday Friday and my other interview isn't until next week, I'm not sure I can stall that long.

I realise it won't be fair on them, but I will want the job if the other one doesn't come through. It's such a tough situation, I just don't want to end up with NO job.

[WhiteBears]

when is the start date for #1 if it was offered to you? because you dont have to accept it straight away, u can ask if you can have time to think about it,(say one week) during that time you can contact #2 to see when you are expecting an answer and tell them the reason.. ie been offered a job but really like yours etc....

this was advise from the jobsite website ermm from one of the Dragon Den's guys said it.