The Student Room Group

Accepted a job offer - Got interview for another job. Decline it?

Added at a later date:

Just been offered ANOTHER interview, for something which is better paid and more closely related to what I want to do (I think lol), and still almost as easy to get to.

I'm getting really angry now. Feel stupid for accepting the first job... it was the lowest paid job I applied for but I'd had so many rejections for jobs which were essentially the same as everything else I applied for I thought this was my best chance!

Do I just suck it up and live with the job I've accepted for now? (Haven't started yet but some forms have been signed) And go for something I would class as better later on? Maybe after 6 months-year? I'm really starting to feel like I've settled for something rubbish :frown:

OP:
As the title says really. I accepted a job offer a week or so ago, it was my first interview out of about 5 job applications but all the other closing dates were much later. I accepted straight away as it is definitely a job that is right for me. I had a letter today offering an interview elsewhere. As far as I remember, this second job paid more, but it is futher away and harder to access (making travelling quite difficult) and wasn't a great deal different/better than the job I accepted.

So I presumed that since I had already accepted a job I shouldn't go to the interview because I couldn't turn down the job I had recently accepted. My Mum said the same thing and made me ring the second place immediately to decline the interview so they could offer it someone else/whatever.

My boyfriend says I should have accepted the interview and gone anyway because it was for more money and he seems to think that the travel wouldn't have caused that much of an issue. And that if I had been offered the job, I could have turned down/handed my notice in at the one I've just accepted (bare in mind I don't start work there until August 19th).

So I was wondering, what do people normally do in these situations? ie, when they've applied for several jobs. And let's assume the 'best' job, was not the first to offer you an interview/job. Obviously there's not a lot I can do now but for future reference it'd be nice to know :o:

Oh and I can't ask my parents because they've never been in that situation...

Sorry it was long
I wouldn't gamble my first job, if possible I might have considered going to the second interview if possible. However I would ultimately go for the job which I would prefer doing.
impervious
I wouldn't gamble my first job, if possible I might have considered going to the second interview if possible. However I would ultimately go for the job which I would prefer doing.


I can understand that... it's all about being happy in your job. But when the first place offers you a job, surely you can't risk turning it down in hope of a new job!!

This is the first time I've ever applied for a 'real' job, career if you will :yep: So to be honest I wasn't expecting to be overly successful due to lack of experience!
I would only interview for the second if it didn't interrupt the first. I wouldn't want to take time off nor notify the employer.
impervious
I would only interview for the second if it didn't interrupt the first. I wouldn't want to take time off nor notify the employer.


Well it wouldn't interrupt the job, my second interview was for the 17th August. I don't start the job I applied for until the 19th... have I screwed up? Should I have accepted the second interview? I just don't understand how I would have gone about it if I had been offered the second job! Surely I could not accept, in which case I wasted their time in going to the interview!
Na don't worry its done now. Many don't even have a job, and it sounds like you will enjoy it. I would hate to have a difficult journey to work.
Reply 6
I had a similar situation these last two weeks, and fortunately the one which I got offered was a good firm, reasonably paid and in a better location. I didn't find out how much the other one would have paid, but it would've been more I think.
As long as the pay is reasonable for the one you've been offered, I would probably go for that.
Reply 7
No you made a decision so have faith with it.

If I read your post right your boyfriend thinks that you should've gone for the second interview and then if you'd got it you'd take that job over the first?

But you said at the start of your post you didn't want to travel and they're practically the same other than that. So, you already made your choice right?

If he meant you would be able to quit the first job once you'd started that would be really bad form and actually things have a habit of getting round to other employers in business you know.

Also what's the job? My dad's an immunologist so I'm interested :smile:
cats_have_teats
No you made a decision so have faith with it.

If I read your post right your boyfriend thinks that you should've gone for the second interview and then if you'd got it you'd take that job over the first?

But you said at the start of your post you didn't want to travel and they're practically the same other than that. So, you already made your choice right?

If he meant you would be able to quit the first job once you'd started that would be really bad form and actually things have a habit of getting round to other employers in business you know.

Also what's the job? My dad's an immunologist so I'm interested :smile:


Oh do put me in touch :p:

Well, the job I accepted is a science technician in a college. Might not sound brilliant but I think it's a good starting point in the current climate! Especially seeing as I have little experience!

The second is the same type of work but at a uni hospital. Obviously paid a little more and I suppose possibly a bit more respectable! But it would just be a pain in the ass to get to... a long motorway drive before a lengthy town journey and at around 8.30 am it would not have proved easy! It's nottingham in case you're familiar...

Yeh my boyfriend is very much a 'look after number one' type person, whereas I'm way more considerate to people's businesses etc.

I'm happy with the job I've accepted and it's not gona stop my ambitions for the future! I was really after opinions on how to deal with thi type of situation in the future... should it ever come about :p:

Oh and to add: The difference in journey length between the two jobs isn't massive, but the second one is in a much busier area, so differences between travelling times would be a fair bit different... However my boyfriend is a coach driver so he sees the journey from mine to the second job as no big deal because he drives hundreds of miles all week, he doesn't think about little old me with my old banger of a car!!
Reply 9
I'm in (sort of) the same situation as you. I hope you don't mind if I post in your thread seeing as it's the same kind of question :p:

I'm almost certain I'll be offered a job on Monday. I do want the job but it's not related to my future career aspects. I also have another interview for a job that is a lot more related to my future plans, which is in a couple of weeks. Do I:

a) Accept the first job, take time off to go to the interview for the second job, and leave the first job if I'm offered the second job. If so, how do I tell the first job that this is what I'm doing?

b) Accept the first job, decline the interview for the second job.

c) Decline the first job, hope that I get offered the second job.

I'm thinking a) but I don't want to screw over the first job after only working there for like a month. Thoughts/advice would be very welcome!
Reply 10
If the interview for the second job is before you start work, maybe go for it for interview experience and then you can take it from there - you may not even get offered it.
james99
I'm in (sort of) the same situation as you. I hope you don't mind if I post in your thread seeing as it's the same kind of question :p:

I'm almost certain I'll be offered a job on Monday. I do want the job but it's not related to my future career aspects. I also have another interview for a job that is a lot more related to my future plans, which is in a couple of weeks. Do I:

a) Accept the first job, take time off to go to the interview for the second job, and leave the first job if I'm offered the second job. If so, how do I tell the first job that this is what I'm doing?

b) Accept the first job, decline the interview for the second job.

c) Decline the first job, hope that I get offered the second job.

I'm thinking a) but I don't want to screw over the first job after only working there for like a month. Thoughts/advice would be very welcome!


Don't mind at all dude...

To be honest, the first option would be ideal but I just don't think I could bring myself to letting someone down. I was in that exact same position to be honest, except the fact that I do want the first job. Just worried something else could be better!

Oh well, I know I'm not going to be in this job forever so I suppose I can still look forward to applying for these other jobs!
Reply 12
shorty.loves.angels
Don't mind at all dude...

To be honest, the first option would be ideal but I just don't think I could bring myself to letting someone down. I was in that exact same position to be honest, except the fact that I do want the first job. Just worried something else could be better!

Oh well, I know I'm not going to be in this job forever so I suppose I can still look forward to applying for these other jobs!


Yeah, that's the only difference. I wish I were in your situation tbh! I hate letting people down...but at the end of the day this is my career potentially on the line, and I'm sure they'd be able to find someone else instead....

If I were you, I'd be content to have the job that I really wanted, and I wouldn't worry about any other interviews :smile:
Same happened to me about 2 years ago, second job paid more but I was happy to go for the first one as I wanted it, plus the second job would have only been a first interview anyway

In hindsight I should have gone along to the second interview

In the OPs case you dont sound liek you wnated the job anyway so its irrelevant.

James - depends on the jobm is it the kind of thing you are expect to work long term or is it a retail tpye thing?

A sounds godo if job 2 really applies to your chosen career
Updated OP, please read if you feel you can advise!

Thanks anyone
Reply 15
Do interview, do current job - that way no regrets.

If you get 2nd job, worry about which job to pursue - but unless you got an offer - stop worrying.

For now, go to that interview (even if for just the interview experience) - and do your current job as normal. When you get an offer, make a new trs thread :biggrin:
ma2k5
Do interview, do current job - that way no regrets.

If you get 2nd job, worry about which job to pursue - but unless you got an offer - stop worrying.

For now, go to that interview (even if for just the interview experience) - and do your current job as normal. When you get an offer, make a new trs thread :biggrin:


I spoke to my tutor and he said that providing the interview will not interfere with my first job - which is doesn't - I should go to it!

I really am perfectly aware that I have a slim chance of job number 2 (There are degrees better suited to the job in question) but then I was shocked that I got the first job! Plus job number 2 truly is better as it's a job in a hospital lab which is where I ultimately want to be working, so I don't want to miss out just in case!!

I'll go to the interview, worry about it if I get offered the job, and if I don't... then I have experience of an interview in a hospital :yep:

Thanks