Well, I’ve been waiting to post with secrecy in regards to where I was at in the process. Only very few people know that I’m blogging, but my family was included in the few. Because my wife and I were doing essentially two separate regional searches, our parents have been holding their breath.
This past week the best/worst thing happened in our opinion. We received a fantastic offer from an institution in the Far-From-Home Region and another fantastic offer in the Close-To-Home Region. If it was that simple, the choice would be Close-To-Home, right?
Comparing these two offers felt as if we were comparing apples to...radios. The communities, the job opportunities, the institutions, etc. were completely different. However, with regards to the “totality of circumstances” (thanks, “Law and Ethics” course) it became a clear decision.
My wife and I committed to making a decision before either offered. If this is your first job search, I believe it is critical to trust your original impression of an institution. Offers make opportunities look so much more amazing. That is why it is important to journal your thoughts as you go through the process.
Knowing all of this, we made our decision prior to any offers this week. We had privately chosen Close-To-Home with no intention of sharing this decision until it was official. The first to call was Far-From-Home on Thursday. I asked to have until this coming Monday to provide a response. I spent (what felt like) all day Friday trying to get in touch with Close-To-Home to find out where I was in their process. It had been made clear to me multiple times that I ranked rather high on their list, but I had no intentions of banking on that.
With two conflicting schedules, I was never able to speak with my contact at Close-To-Home, but received an e-mail that has rather clearly laid out where I am in their process. For legal reasons, though, they cannot officially offer me a position. This means that in communicating, I have to pick up enough signals to know that I’m secure.
With that said, I have a hard phone call to make Monday morning to Far-From-Home. It also means that I’m bungee-jumping without a cord and hoping that Close-To-Home follows through with an offer, because legally they don’t have to. If some type of snag happens, there is no Plan B. I’ve turned down all other campus offers except one or two that have me listed as a Plan B candidate. Close-To-Home won’t finish interviewing until this coming Friday, meaning I’m holding no hope of knowing anything until next Monday at the earliest.
My wife and I feel good enough to share it with family, but let’s just say we haven’t gone out to dinner to celebrate the new job yet.
In the meantime, my job search is complete (we’ll keep praying) and I passed my comprehensive exam. All I have to do now is buckle down for a few more course projects, meet my own expectations in class, and prepare this office well enough that somebody new can step in and take over.
I can’t wait to truly share my excitement with my peers, but some of there are still early in their process and with me finishing my process, new stress is added to them.
Showing posts with label declining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label declining. Show all posts
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #15
Well, with another on-campus interview complete (third of the season), I think that I’ve seen enough. I’m on the fast timeline, which means at this point I’ve started declining on-campus interviews that I otherwise would have enjoyed visiting. I hope that I’ve declined in a matter that hasn’t shut any doors for future opportunities.
I’d like to provide an update on the institution with a quick turn-around on the job offer. When I e-mailed them, I expected them to offer an extension, even though one was denied to me on the phone. The response I got, though, pretty much was summed up, “Thanks for declining us. Good luck, pal.” I was surprised that such an uncompromising timeline really stuck. I don’t feel that I am typically one who wishes a hard time on those who give me a hard time, but I am glad to say that I received an e-mail this weekend from the person who wasn’t willing to compromise by a day on the timeline. The e-mail stated that I would be getting called tomorrow to discuss our search processes.
Needless to say, they received an e-mail from me saying they are no longer a part of my search process.
Apparently, this institution has a history of offering like this to all levels of staff. That’s not the place for me. It seems that it’s not the place for others, either, as apparently they were not able to get enough people to accept this past week.
This story seems to sum up my thoughts about the power of the candidate. I think far too often new job candidates underestimate their worth and negotiating power. I know that there isn’t a magic formula for knowing how much power a candidate has, but there are some factors that help determine your power.
A good example, and the easiest to determine in my opinion, is “supply and demand.”
In short, if they are hiring for a larger number of positions, you may have some level of power in negotiating timelines, salaries, other tangibles (moving expenses, preference in living location). A good and fair question to ask to determine the “demand” is: “How many positions are you hiring for and how many candidates are you inviting onto campus?”
You can also ask, “Where do I stand as a candidate with your institution?” If they are highly interested, more than likely they will share that information.
This does not apply only to institutions that are hiring a large number. The more important factor to look at is the ratio between open positions and candidates invited on-campus.
Alright, enough of the strategic talk. I hope to have this search process wrapped up by the end of the week. That’s the plan. My wife and I have it narrowed down to two schools and the timing is perfect. I’m pretty confident I will have one offer that I believe I will have high negotiating power with and a potential offer from another institution. Regardless, I will hear from one institution this week and will use it to solicit information in regards to where I stand with the other institution. Based on the details that we can work out, I hope to select a position.
My wife and I (and our families) are holding our breath in regards to which job we will select if both offer.
The decision of the next chapter of our lives is quickly coming to the decision we feared most: a great opportunity in a dream location far from family versus a great-but-not-dreamy opportunity in a great community (but far colder) closer to family?
Stay tuned for the surprising results (even we don’t know yet…)…
I’d like to provide an update on the institution with a quick turn-around on the job offer. When I e-mailed them, I expected them to offer an extension, even though one was denied to me on the phone. The response I got, though, pretty much was summed up, “Thanks for declining us. Good luck, pal.” I was surprised that such an uncompromising timeline really stuck. I don’t feel that I am typically one who wishes a hard time on those who give me a hard time, but I am glad to say that I received an e-mail this weekend from the person who wasn’t willing to compromise by a day on the timeline. The e-mail stated that I would be getting called tomorrow to discuss our search processes.
Needless to say, they received an e-mail from me saying they are no longer a part of my search process.
Apparently, this institution has a history of offering like this to all levels of staff. That’s not the place for me. It seems that it’s not the place for others, either, as apparently they were not able to get enough people to accept this past week.
This story seems to sum up my thoughts about the power of the candidate. I think far too often new job candidates underestimate their worth and negotiating power. I know that there isn’t a magic formula for knowing how much power a candidate has, but there are some factors that help determine your power.
A good example, and the easiest to determine in my opinion, is “supply and demand.”
In short, if they are hiring for a larger number of positions, you may have some level of power in negotiating timelines, salaries, other tangibles (moving expenses, preference in living location). A good and fair question to ask to determine the “demand” is: “How many positions are you hiring for and how many candidates are you inviting onto campus?”
You can also ask, “Where do I stand as a candidate with your institution?” If they are highly interested, more than likely they will share that information.
This does not apply only to institutions that are hiring a large number. The more important factor to look at is the ratio between open positions and candidates invited on-campus.
Alright, enough of the strategic talk. I hope to have this search process wrapped up by the end of the week. That’s the plan. My wife and I have it narrowed down to two schools and the timing is perfect. I’m pretty confident I will have one offer that I believe I will have high negotiating power with and a potential offer from another institution. Regardless, I will hear from one institution this week and will use it to solicit information in regards to where I stand with the other institution. Based on the details that we can work out, I hope to select a position.
My wife and I (and our families) are holding our breath in regards to which job we will select if both offer.
The decision of the next chapter of our lives is quickly coming to the decision we feared most: a great opportunity in a dream location far from family versus a great-but-not-dreamy opportunity in a great community (but far colder) closer to family?
Stay tuned for the surprising results (even we don’t know yet…)…
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #14
Wow.
Good opening for both me and my blogging buddy.
There is a job offer on the table.
I’m grateful for the offer. It was an interview I enjoyed, the people I met on campus were great, and the job would be close to home. Here is why there is no exclamation point on that sentence.
This past week I had an on-campus interview that exceeded the offered job in every category except for being closer to home. I also have my third on-campus interview scheduled for Friday of this week. Now, typically, because I enjoyed the interview and could see myself working there, I would ask for time to make a decision. This way, if the excellent institution didn’t offer (I believe they are only inviting three onto campus), I wouldn’t end up jobless or taking a job somewhere that I didn’t enjoy.
I asked if I could contact them in two weeks. They laughed.
I explained that I had one more on-campus this Friday. They were gracious and gave me this whole weekend to decide.
Keep in mind they contacted me on Thursday.
From what I’ve heard and experienced, this is a rather unrealistic timeline. Typically, when you ask for a specific length of time for a specific reason, you can get it. If not, there is some level of compromise that you can work with. In this conversation, no compromise was made, regardless of the number of options I attempted to provide.
It can mean different things, but at this point in the process, I see it as a bad sign. To me, it says that there is poor planning on their part, high pressure to have me accept before checking out my options, and it communicates a lack of foresight. I was told when I finished interviewing that there would be every effort made to accommodate my timeline as necessary within reason; now I’m being told there is no time for a decision to be made.
Having to make a decision in such a short period of time, I asked if they could tell me what position I would fill. I was told that they weren’t sure if I would be placed in one of two halls. This typically occurs when hiring multiple professionals for the same level of position. However, wanting a quick response from me warrants me having extra information. I was told I could end up in an all-male hall composed of mainly freshmen or a co-ed hall of upperclassmen. These are two very distinct populations. One of which I’d be excited to work with, one of which I’d be somewhat hesitant.
Needless to say, I’m going to have to respond tomorrow declining the position. This is very frustrating, as I did enjoy my experience and could see myself working at the institution down the road. Also, from a practical point of view, having a “contingency” plan never hurts. I know that we don’t tend to talk about “Plan B’s,” but they make sense to have. I didn’t really view this institution as a “Plan B” yet; there is still one other institution I wanted to be able to compare it with.
So…I am officially making the decision to continue this exhausting process and tell a pretty good place that at this moment in time, if they require a response, I’m not interested.
Good opening for both me and my blogging buddy.
There is a job offer on the table.
I’m grateful for the offer. It was an interview I enjoyed, the people I met on campus were great, and the job would be close to home. Here is why there is no exclamation point on that sentence.
This past week I had an on-campus interview that exceeded the offered job in every category except for being closer to home. I also have my third on-campus interview scheduled for Friday of this week. Now, typically, because I enjoyed the interview and could see myself working there, I would ask for time to make a decision. This way, if the excellent institution didn’t offer (I believe they are only inviting three onto campus), I wouldn’t end up jobless or taking a job somewhere that I didn’t enjoy.
I asked if I could contact them in two weeks. They laughed.
I explained that I had one more on-campus this Friday. They were gracious and gave me this whole weekend to decide.
Keep in mind they contacted me on Thursday.
From what I’ve heard and experienced, this is a rather unrealistic timeline. Typically, when you ask for a specific length of time for a specific reason, you can get it. If not, there is some level of compromise that you can work with. In this conversation, no compromise was made, regardless of the number of options I attempted to provide.
It can mean different things, but at this point in the process, I see it as a bad sign. To me, it says that there is poor planning on their part, high pressure to have me accept before checking out my options, and it communicates a lack of foresight. I was told when I finished interviewing that there would be every effort made to accommodate my timeline as necessary within reason; now I’m being told there is no time for a decision to be made.
Having to make a decision in such a short period of time, I asked if they could tell me what position I would fill. I was told that they weren’t sure if I would be placed in one of two halls. This typically occurs when hiring multiple professionals for the same level of position. However, wanting a quick response from me warrants me having extra information. I was told I could end up in an all-male hall composed of mainly freshmen or a co-ed hall of upperclassmen. These are two very distinct populations. One of which I’d be excited to work with, one of which I’d be somewhat hesitant.
Needless to say, I’m going to have to respond tomorrow declining the position. This is very frustrating, as I did enjoy my experience and could see myself working at the institution down the road. Also, from a practical point of view, having a “contingency” plan never hurts. I know that we don’t tend to talk about “Plan B’s,” but they make sense to have. I didn’t really view this institution as a “Plan B” yet; there is still one other institution I wanted to be able to compare it with.
So…I am officially making the decision to continue this exhausting process and tell a pretty good place that at this moment in time, if they require a response, I’m not interested.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Great Fishbowl Quest #8
Okay, put your seatbelt on and secure your helmets. I’m hearing a good number of questions and rumblings from my grad student colleagues both on my campus and on others.
Stop showing all your cards so early! If employers ask (which they will) where they fall in your ranking, you do not have to tell them early on.
If you’re interested, but it is still early in the process:
“I really enjoyed this, this, and this about your institution and department. After talking with you, I’m interested in continuing to pursue the position. However, I still have other interviews scheduled so I don’t think that I can tell you with accuracy where you fall in my ranking.”
If you’re not interested at any point:
“I enjoyed this and this about your institution, but I don’t think the position is right for me because (I’m looking for a higher level of responsibility/I’m looking for a smaller department/etc).”
Personally, I think it is bad practice for employers to ask your “ranking” of them at an exchange. The ones that may ask are completely comfortable with you telling them that you need time to process and compare your options. More than likely, they asked in hopes that you would give them “bonus” information. It will not hurt your “score” as a candidate to hold back. In fact, at an exchange I think you’re more likely to harm yourself by sharing that information than help.
I think the tendency to share information is based in excitement and thinking that if you tell the employer they’re in your “Top 3,” it will help. Not necessarily. Here are ways that it may damage you:
1) Employers talk to each other. If you commit to giving them a “ranking,” that information may be shared.
2) If an institution knows you’re “super excited” and they are your “number one” it won’t really get you anywhere early on. If they’re interested in you, they’ll pursue you, anyway. Telling them how high they rank may lower the amount of energy they spend trying to recruit you. They may contact other candidates prior to contacting you.
3) Your ranking can change. If you tell a school that they are in your “top three,” they will carry the assumption that you will want to move into the next phase (possibly an on-campus interview). If you turn it down (which you will find to be much harder), they may actually experience a feeling of frustration with you.
LESSON 1: Don’t show employers your cards: regardless of your excitement, level of interest, or fear of losing their interest. I promise that you can get a job without ever telling one school that they are your number one.
LESSON 2: Don’t leave employers hanging when you decide that you aren’t interested. Let them know as soon as you make the decision. There is nothing more frustrating than a candidate who shows interest and then never responds.
You have control as a candidate to pick who you interview with and who you pursue. After all, you’re the one committing to a new job.
Stop showing all your cards so early! If employers ask (which they will) where they fall in your ranking, you do not have to tell them early on.
If you’re interested, but it is still early in the process:
“I really enjoyed this, this, and this about your institution and department. After talking with you, I’m interested in continuing to pursue the position. However, I still have other interviews scheduled so I don’t think that I can tell you with accuracy where you fall in my ranking.”
If you’re not interested at any point:
“I enjoyed this and this about your institution, but I don’t think the position is right for me because (I’m looking for a higher level of responsibility/I’m looking for a smaller department/etc).”
Personally, I think it is bad practice for employers to ask your “ranking” of them at an exchange. The ones that may ask are completely comfortable with you telling them that you need time to process and compare your options. More than likely, they asked in hopes that you would give them “bonus” information. It will not hurt your “score” as a candidate to hold back. In fact, at an exchange I think you’re more likely to harm yourself by sharing that information than help.
I think the tendency to share information is based in excitement and thinking that if you tell the employer they’re in your “Top 3,” it will help. Not necessarily. Here are ways that it may damage you:
1) Employers talk to each other. If you commit to giving them a “ranking,” that information may be shared.
2) If an institution knows you’re “super excited” and they are your “number one” it won’t really get you anywhere early on. If they’re interested in you, they’ll pursue you, anyway. Telling them how high they rank may lower the amount of energy they spend trying to recruit you. They may contact other candidates prior to contacting you.
3) Your ranking can change. If you tell a school that they are in your “top three,” they will carry the assumption that you will want to move into the next phase (possibly an on-campus interview). If you turn it down (which you will find to be much harder), they may actually experience a feeling of frustration with you.
LESSON 1: Don’t show employers your cards: regardless of your excitement, level of interest, or fear of losing their interest. I promise that you can get a job without ever telling one school that they are your number one.
LESSON 2: Don’t leave employers hanging when you decide that you aren’t interested. Let them know as soon as you make the decision. There is nothing more frustrating than a candidate who shows interest and then never responds.
You have control as a candidate to pick who you interview with and who you pursue. After all, you’re the one committing to a new job.
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