I just finished a summer internship at a local bank, and had mixed feelings about the work.
The company is a strong one that would bolster my career if I decided to accept a full time offer,
although I am not sure that working for it is exactly what I want.
The company plans on giving out full time offers in the next few weeks, although other employers on my campus
will not even have recruiting until a few months after this.
Given the extremely tight job market, is it reasonable for me to accept the position now and then reneg
on the offer later if I got a better offer?
I'd rather work for another company, but I don't want to be without a job at all.
Everyone that I talk to seems to have a different opinion on this matter.
Thanks for your help!
From: Joe Howard, Senior, Texas A&M
ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:
Hi Joe -
You need to be honest with the employer--if you want more time to fully evaluate what is out there, ask for it.
But don't accept an offer, then continue to job shop for something better.
You should explain it to the employer in the same terms you have me--that you want to make sure this is the right
opportunity before accepting. Then set a reasonable time frame to come to a conclusion.
If they are attempting to prematurely lock you in and only make you a "limited time offer" in an attempt to keep
you from considering other employers, they may not be willing to wait for your answer (or may force you to answer more
quickly than you would like).
If that's the case, you need to take this into consideration as to whether or not this bird in the hand offer is
worth it to avoid the possibility of not being able to secure employment elsewhere.
That's ultimately up to you and it's your choice. But it is a reflection upon what type of employer they will be.
But always be honest about your job search. You expect empoloyers to be honest with you and honor their commitments.
You should do likewise.
Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.
All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.
