What to Do if You Get an On-the-Spot Job Offer

In any kind of job-hunting situation where a job-seeker is facing a tough choice, the solution is always to determine which alternative is the least offensive to the prospective employer(s). In your scenario, it would be much worse to accept the first offer, only to rescind the acceptance the next day.

The even better news for you is that there is much precedence in a job-seeker asking for time to consider an offer. In fact, my advice for all job-seekers would be to ask for time to consider the offer — if only to give you some time to think about it with a clear head. The stress of job interviews is enough to push some of us over the edge, but combine that with the excitement over getting the offer, and you have a job-seeker’s brain which is not functioning at peak capacity.

And if the employer did question your motives for not accepting the job on the spot, that might be a sign that you really would not want to work there anyway.

But all this advice might be moot, because as my mother says, while it’s good to think of all possible scenarios, you may be putting the cart before the horse. I continue to hear more and more of employers extending the typical job-search — where a search may have been completed in several weeks, now they are taking several months.

So, if you do not immediately get an offer from either employer, do not panic. Be sure to write your thank you letters to all your interviewers and be sure to follow-up with both companies.

For other interviewing tips and advice, go to the Interviewing Resources section of Quintessential Careers.