Waiting For The Job Offer – Choose Sanity!

Sometimes organizations take a long time to make a decision. Really I should say people, hiring managers sometime take a long time before making a decision. So what’s a reasonable wait time? That depends. It depends on the organization and it depends on what is going in the organization that you may not know about while you are in the midst of their hiring process. Here is a question that I received and my response regarding the wait…

I’m in the middle of that painful waiting time. For me it has lasted more than 30 days. The interview seemed to go well and I heard from others after the interview that everyone I interviewed with really liked me. When I heard nothing after a week, I politely emailed and asked for an up-date. I was informed that the law firm was to interview a few more candidates prior to making their decision. Additionally, I was given a time-frame for those interviews, approximately 2 weeks. I have kept in polite email contact with the HR rep and have learned that the hiring partner has not made a decision as of Tuesday. I know that he is incredibly busy (which is why he is attempting to hire someone) but should the fact that it is THIS hard for him to decide if he wants to hire me be a concern for me, i.e. does it basically mean a NO. I have tried my hardest to keep myself busy, but I feel as though I am losing my sanity. The HR rep has been fabulous throughout the entire process, but I feel as though even she is getting frustrated. So my questions are: Am I even in the running? Should I ask the HR rep if I am?

I have another interview in a few days for another law firm. However, the one I am waiting for is my first choice. Trying to stay sane!

Here is my recommendation for you:
1. Go to the next interview and give it your best. Until you have the #1 choice in the form of an offer letter, you have to remain focused and continue to pursue other job opportunities.

2. Continue to look for other potential opportunities that interest you. The best way to leverage an offer from a company you really want to work for is to have another offer in hand.

3. Evaluate why you want the job you want. What is it about the organization that you really like that is drawing you to them? Is it about the culture, the job itself, the potential salary, etc.? What is it that makes you want the job? Look for those qualities in other potential opportunities.

4. Invest time looking for other jobs for the next two weeks. If at the end of the two weeks they have not contacted you, I would contact them one more time. If you can get to the hiring manager, that would be ideal. If you can get to the hiring manager, express your interest in their organization. Ask, “when do you anticipate making a decision on this position?” If you can share something with the hiring manager that will help them make a decision about your candidacy.

5. Choose SANITY!! None of these companies are worth you going insane!!! You CHOOSE!!

Image Credit: sxc.hu