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Author Topic: Need advice: received Offer but have another campus visit  (Read 1738 times)
sockdummy
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« on: January 28, 2012, 10:19:51 PM »

I was lucky enough to get an offer via voicemail today. (Woo hoo!). It is a great school. However, I have a campus visit with another school this week which I am also very much interested in.

My Questions:

When I call back, should I tell School A that I am very excited but may need more than the standard two weeks because I have another interview? Or should I wait to negotiate more time until I see if I like School B better or not(i.e call A when I get back if B is my first choice]?

Assuming I do like School B more than school A when I visit, should I tell School B that I have an offer when I am at the campus visit when asking about their timeline or should I wait to do that until after I get home? [It could well be the case that I am the 1st or second candidate for School B and I know they are bringing out 3 people]

Obviously, I don't want to piss off School A, but I would like to have both schools on the table
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larryc
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« Reply #1 on: January 28, 2012, 10:43:37 PM »

You call A on Monday, say you are delighted to get the offer. Ask how long you have to decide. Ask for it in writing. If you have a spouse say that of course you need to talk this over as a couple and you are sure your spouse will have some questions about the town. Your goal is to make it sound like you are going to take the offer. Say nothing about your upcoming interview at B.

Go on the interview to B. Mention that you just got an offer from another school--make it sound like it was within the last 48 hours. Do your best but don't feel pressured--you already have a job.

In all likelihood you will have to give A a yes or no before you know if B is going to make an offer. This sucks but is typical. At least you got to check out B. Let us know how it goes.
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sockdummy
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« Reply #2 on: January 28, 2012, 10:55:42 PM »

Thanks Larry.

B is in a better location for my family so this is a tough situation. If I do like B, should I let them know my deadline as well as that I have an offer? I don't want pushiness to ruin my chances, but if I like it at B and got an offer, I would probably take it over A.

This whole process is so messed up...
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larryc
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« Reply #3 on: January 28, 2012, 11:38:11 PM »

The process is just like the process in every other field--you apply for a job, they (sometimes) offer you a job, they expect an answer so they can hire you or move on.

Maybe the folks at B will be a bunch of jerks.
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sugaree
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« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2012, 12:01:07 PM »

This happened to me once: had an offer and an upcoming interview, scheduled long before School A called with the offer. I needed to let School A know only a few days after the visit to School B happened was how the timeline worked out. When the subject came up at School B, I told them I had another offer and what the quick timeline for it was (I think I left that interview on a Friday and School A needed a decision by the following Monday).

I got a call over that weekend from School B with an offer. So, if you are the last candidate to be interviewing and they really like you, knowing your other-offer timeline can help them move quickly. If, however, they have other candidates coming to campus after you, likely you will not be able to stall School A until hearing definitively from School B. But I would absolutely tell School B your situation when on campus.

Congratulations on the offer!
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where's the bourbon?
dalekk
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« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2012, 01:50:15 PM »

The process is just like the process in every other field--you apply for a job, they (sometimes) offer you a job, they expect an answer so they can hire you or move on.

Maybe the folks at B will be a bunch of jerks.

I don't think it's "just like" every other field, to be honest.  The academic job market is distinct in that 95% of offers go out in just a 3-4 month period which squeezes everything together in a sometimes awkward way for job candidates who might have a situation like OP.  Companies normally hire year round, so if you work in industry you are much less likely to have these types of dilemmas.
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bowl_haircut
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« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2012, 01:57:19 PM »

You call A on Monday, say you are delighted to get the offer. Ask how long you have to decide. Ask for it in writing. If you have a spouse say that of course you need to talk this over as a couple and you are sure your spouse will have some questions about the town. Your goal is to make it sound like you are going to take the offer. Say nothing about your upcoming interview at B.

Go on the interview to B. Mention that you just got an offer from another school--make it sound like it was within the last 48 hours. Do your best but don't feel pressured--you already have a job.

In all likelihood you will have to give A a yes or no before you know if B is going to make an offer. This sucks but is typical. At least you got to check out B. Let us know how it goes.

As usual, larryc is right on the money.  

I have just one small piece of advice to add.  You're probably a reasonably decent human being.  As such, you will have twinges of guilt should this get to the point at which you are forced to "accept" the offer from School A.  Negotiate with School A like this is the job you will die doing, even if you already know that you will accept an offer from School B if you are offered the position.  Don't sign anything unless you absolutely have to, but don't sweat making a verbal committment to School A.  

This sort of thing happens all the time, in other words.  And even though you will feel like a heel doing it, and even though it will violate or call into question every good liberal sensibility you have, and even though it's an affront to your entire value system, try as hard as you can not to let that get to you.  This is a tough business, and the fact of the matter is that any one of these schools would leave you unemployed without batting an eyelash should some Deanlet decide over his morning coffee that eliminating a tenure line at the last minute might give him a positive line of conversation at his weekly Friday morning golf game with the Provost.  

Be tough.  No one else is looking out for you.
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sockdummy
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« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2012, 12:04:51 PM »

Thanks for the advice. I just called the SCC back and said how excited I was but that I needed the offer in writing and some time to think about it. We agreed on 2 weeks. We will see what happens if School B's search is indeed my first choice and is not going to be over by then.

I might need to think of some stalling tactics.
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snowbound
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« Reply #8 on: February 01, 2012, 09:28:06 PM »


Assuming I do like School B more than school A when I visit, should I tell School B that I have an offer when I am at the campus visit when asking about their timeline or should I wait to do that until after I get home? [It could well be the case that I am the 1st or second candidate for School B and I know they are bringing out 3 people]

Obviously, I don't want to piss off School A, but I would like to have both schools on the table
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snowbound
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« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2012, 09:33:06 PM »


Assuming I do like School B more than school A when I visit, should I tell School B that I have an offer when I am at the campus visit when asking about their timeline or should I wait to do that until after I get home? [It could well be the case that I am the 1st or second candidate for School B and I know they are bringing out 3 people]

Obviously, I don't want to piss off School A, but I would like to have both schools on the table

I don't see any problem mentioning to School A that you have an offer. If you don't want to make a big official deal in front of everyone, you could discreetly mention it to the SC Chair when discussing timelines; it will no doubt quickly be relayed to all the relevant parties. Rather than making them pissed at you, it will make you a more desirable commodity.
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