I accepted my first job offer, only for a better offer to come a week later. Perhaps I jumped the gun, but I wasn’t certain the better offer would ever come, and the first only gave me 24 hours to respond.
What should I have done?
My first choice offered less pay and more hours, while my second choice offered more pay for fewer hours.
Seems obvious, right?
But the issue came when my second choice didn’t respond for two weeks. My first was quicker to offer a position, with only a day to decide, and I hoped that my second choice would follow soon after. Feeling the sense of urgency, I took the first offer because it could’ve been another week, or even a month, before hearing back from my second choice.
At the time, my choices were clear: accept a guaranteed offer or wait for something better that might never come.
I chose the guaranteed offer. And I don’t regret my decision. I did what I thought was best with the information I had.
But the better offer arrived a week later, and for a brief moment, my resolve wavered.
If possible, I’d have accepted the better offer and respectfully declined the first. But I already signed the contract and have my orientation scheduled.
I informed my second offer about my situation, and they suggested I do things properly by working there first. Fortunately, both choices are of the same parent company, so they suggested I work there for a few months before requesting a transfer to my second choice.
I feel bitter about all of this now, but I’ll be grateful about it later on.
I’ll let this serve as a reminder when making decisions in the future.
For now, I’ll focus on doing my best with what I have.
I’ll be so good that they can’t ignore me.
Here’s my inspiration for the day.