When you get a job offer letter, how much time do you have to respond?

[milestogo]

I just received an offer letter from Company A 5 minutes ago. It says I must return the letter tomorrow.

I have an interview with Company B this afternoon. The job is comparable and its a lot closer to home. But even if it goes well, I would be surprised if they offer me a job within 24 hours.

I am working with a very pushy recruiter on the job with Company A. She wrote the offer letter. Its a good job but I am so uncomfortable with her pushiness that I'm really annoyed right now.

[at140]

1. Tell company B that you will be able to start

in a week or possibly sooner. That way you have some time to hear from company A.

[milestogo]

2. I think you reversed A and B.

That's the problem. Company A wants me to respond immediately and they also want me to start immediately.

[at140]

4. You can always start immediately and quit immediately afterf

unless you have to sign a contract binding you to stay for a certain period.

[unblock]

3. i've never heard of an offer letter written by a recruiter.

unless you're actually being hired by the recruiting firm (which is how some consulting jobs work), then the offer letter should come from the company you'd actually be working for.


regardless, i've never been afraid to honestly negotiate. if you need until the end of the week, tell them. if you've got another possibility that might take a few days to play out, just say so.

[dawg day]

5. Yes, you can say that you have some details you need to work out--

especially as it sounds like distance is an issue.

You can temporize-- ask for more information, a formal offer. You shouldn't be pressured into making a decision so quickly, so write back politely and ask for more information.

And congrats for being in demand!

[milestogo]

6. The network was down at the client so they asked the recruiter to write it.

But its on the recruiters stationary and she's totally in the middle of this.

They have rushed every aspect of this, and it makes me uncomfortable.

[Hoyt]

7. Can't say it's a good thing to do, but apparently a lot of new hires are backing out

nowadays — before showing up — because they got a better offer from another company.

Good luck. You’re in a good position, even if trying to juggle things.

[milestogo]

9. I hate doing that.

But if they give you an ultimatum over responding to the offer letter, they shouldn't be surprised if you accept and then back out a few days later - especially if they know you have an interview elsewhere.

[jayfish]

10. Don't Hate It.

They would dump you for whatever reason without a second of thought. You owe them nothing.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

11. Firstly is the offer completely acceptable? You can buy time by responding with a counter wherein

you request any number of adjustments to the terms such as the salary, vacation, allowances, etc.

Let me know if you need help with your response.

[milestogo]

12. Well that's weird too.

The recruiter told me not to negotiate. Its not all that I hoped for.

[mnhtnbb]

13. The recruiter is working FOR the company. You are secondary to her.

Just because she told you not to negotiate, don't believe it.

There's nothing to prevent you from going around the recruiter straight to the company person with whom you interviewed and see if you can negotiate a better offer.

Congrats on being in demand!

[Floyd R. Turbo]

14. Do you have the offer in writing? If not request it. If so, go through it point by point and prepare

a list of the items that don’t meet your requirements. Everything is negotiable. The offer in writing is confirmation that you are the preferred candidate. It’s typically more advantageous to an employer to negotiate with the individual they want to hire than to start from scratch or decide who among the also rans most closely possesses the necessary skill set and behaviors.

[Wawannabe]

15. Tell them

You have also received another offer.
Then negotiate. For time ...or...
The job market is with you on this.
You have stated the offer is not “all that”.
If your gut tells you that you can get other interviews and better job ...roll that dice. Worse thing they can do is recall the offer.

[milestogo]

16. I had the interview with another company this afternoon

and will have another one at 10am. This is pretty speedy. I am pretty sure this is the one I want if they offer it. So I am going to wait till they decide to respond to the first offer. I'm doing them the favor of telling them the honest truth. If they don't like it they can move on and find someone else.

[Wawannabe]

17. Bingo

Good on you for being honest ...most potential employers and a lot of other employers aren’t! good on you!

[milestogo]

18. I just accepted the offer from the second company!

Company B rushed me through 4 interviews in 2 days, so that I would not have to decline the first offer. They made me a good offer and I accepted it. I emailed Company A and told them I was declining their offer because I had accepted another one.

The response from the recruiter was "you're welcome". Snarky, snippy, sarcastic. As if I owed her something. I could have been less than forthcoming and accepted their offer only to decline it a few days later when a better one came through.

What a bitch. I feel like going over her head to her manager, but I won't waste my time.

[avebury]

19. You might consider contacting the person at Company A

that interview you and thank him/her for the opporunity to interview with his/her company. And then let him/her know that, unfortunately you were unable to accept their offer. You might give them a heads up about what transpired with the recruiter and that it was one of the factors that you considered in making your decision. Setting the recruiter issue aside, it they seemed like a decent enough company they might deserve to know if the recruiter is handling their account in a way that might actually discourage interviewees from accepting a job with their company. Just a thought.

For sure it never hurts to write a thank you letter for the interview.

[milestogo]

20. It is a decent company.

They are small and their benefits are not as competitive.

I did write a follow up letter on Friday after the interview and I expressed interest in the job.

I had a phone interview for the second one Monday morning and I wasn't expecting much - thought I would just go through it since I said I would. But it turned out to be a great job, close to me, good benefits. Similar job and same salary as the other one.

Not sure if I would say the recruiter had anything to do with my rejecting the position but I sure would not send any job seekers her way.