Got a verbal offer, offer letter coming soon, and more interviews lined up. How should I handle this?
Hi all. I have a verbal offer for a contract role. The recruiter said that they are going to send the official offer letter tomorrow. This company moved really fast and based on how fast they moved, they probably expect me to sign same day as receiving the offer.
I am in the final stages for a couple of other companies. I sped up the interviews as much as possible but I can't imagine they can get me an official offer tomorrow.
How should I handle this? I would like to finish these last interviews and see if I get an offer but the timeline is not lining up well.
Update:
I decided to take the offer. I talked to one of the companies that I am interviewing with. They said that they need over a week to get an offer out and they have two other candidates for the role. If I get a full-time offer, I will decide if it's worth it to renege the contract role. The market is so brutal that I don't feel comfortable risking my only offer, and I have no clue how the competition looks for the roles I am interviewing for.
![Senior Software Engineer [E5] at Meta company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Fmeta.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da7a5bcc0-e178-4b5b-b71e-09bf6c6aefae&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
![Entry-Level Software Engineer [L3] at Google company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Fgoogle.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D780356ef-3efc-4728-9eb4-d909b75bb4a6&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Discussion
(3 comments)- 0
4 months agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course HeroCongrats on the offer! Your goal here is simple:
- Keep your existing offer alive as long as possible (i.e. slow things down)
- Speed up your other interview loops to get more offers (i.e. speed things up)
For #1, I really doubt the offer is exploding after 1-2 days, it should be at least a week (custom is 2 weeks but it can be shorter in this market). Say that this is a big decision that you really want to get right, and you need time to reflect and consult your loved ones about it (it's very common for junior engineers to ask their parents).
For #2, let every single other company on your docket that you have an offer coming with an exciting company, so you would appreciate a quicker interview loop (push dates up and try to skip phone screens).
I highly recommend Rahul's negotiation course: [Course] The Insider's Guide To Negotiating Your Tech Salary And Compensation
- 04 months agoEntry-Level Software Engineer [OP]Taro Community
Offer explodes one day after they sent it :/ I got it today and it explodes tomorrow lol.
Job market is brutal...
- 04 months agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
I would push back on the exploding offer, and phrase it in a way that talks about why it's actually better for the company that they give you an extra 2-3 days. I talk about exactly this in Negotiating With An Exploding Offer.
Two tactics:
- Tactic #1: just appeal to their emotions about how exploding offers suck.
I want to ensure I come in and commit to the mission and company fully when I accept the offer. In order to do that, I just need a few extra days to reflect on this big career move and collect a bit more data. I don't want either of us to have 'buyer's remorse'
- Ask to talk to a person on the team to help you make the decision. This process will take time, naturally extending the offer deadline.
I'm really excited about the offer but I'd love ot ask a few more questions about the company and work. Could you put me in touch with another junior eng on the team?
If neither of these tactics works, and this truly is a take-it-or-leave-it exploding offer, I would pass if you feel at all confident about the other opportunities you have. This is a contract role which I'm generally not as excited about. This depends on how long you've been job hunting and how desperately you need a job.
