Need career advice ASAP re: rejecting offer to move across the country..

[Kalika]

Hi ENA,

 

I really need assistance with this one asap. I work for a big national company and recently posted for several jobs within my company out of state. Just today I did a phone interview for a job in Phoenix, doing something very similar to what I'm doing now, and I'm very qualified (maybe even overqualified) for that job. The problem is, I really really don't want to move to Phoenix. After doing some research, I don't feel it's the right spot for me. It's clear accross the country from me, will be difficult for my family to see me, it's expensive, high crime, etc. However, the assumption is that if I posted for it in the first place, I would accept a job offer there if it were offered to me.

 

Everyone is telling me that if I am offered the job and refuse it, it will look really bad on me and basically end my career/other job opportunities within my company. I hypothetically also have the option to tell my supervisor, before any offer is made, that I want to withdraw myself from consideration for the Phoenix job. This may really also make me look bad as well since I really should have done this before the interview today.

 

I recently interviewed for a job doing something I haven't done before, in Atlanta, and I think that's where I want to be. I am agonizing over the Atlanta interview and how I didn't answer the interview questions as well as I could have. I keep replaying it over and over in my head. I should hear within the next week about the Atlanta job (whether I got it or not) but I am terrified that in the meantime, I will get the job offer in Phoenix, and I will have to make a serious decision about what to do. I am almost thinking that if I were to have an offer extended for the Atlanta job, I probably would have found out by now, plus my interview went just OK, so I'm thinking I may not get that job. The only other interview I have had is the Phoenix job and I have nothing else lined up.

 

I'm wondering what your thoughts are - should I withdraw from consideration before they extend any offers and risk how bad it looks? Wait it out silently and hope they don't offer me the job in Phoenix?

 

I guess the other option is, if I get a job offer in Phoenix, I could always try to negotiate the salary and then decline the job when they don't offer to pay me what I demand. Stupid idea maybe, but it may give me a more "valid" reason for not accepting the job. I really have no idea how to handle this situation without screwing up any future job offers and ruining my reputation within the company. I really want to stay with my company long term if possible.

 

I would appreciate any advice .. thanks!!

[chitown9]

It would be one thing if you were sure of getting the Atlanta job, but you are not. In fact, you have doubts about getting it. You seem more sure of getting the Phoenix job. Common sense would say to hold out and see if you are offered the Phoenix job. It may be the only job that you are offered in the end. Just because you want the Altanta job does not mean that you will get it. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Also, you cannot know that you would not enjoy living in Phoenix as you have never lived there. Try it, you might like it. :star: chi...

[blueidealist24]

Is the job you're at now ok? You could just withdraw your application from Phoenix and say you're thinking staying at the job you're at now might be better than moving. Then, if Atlanta actually wants to hire you, say you "had" to take it because it sounded like such a great opportunity.

[Kalika]

Blue - unfortunately staying at my current job/location is not really an option for me. There have been numerous things over the last two years which have led us all to believe that our office will be closing, probably within a year or two at the most. Even our managers, who were always optimistic, are telling us in confidence that we should start preparing ourselves and our resumes.. So my goal was to try to stay employed as long as possible.

 

I live in NY right now.. my family is here.. I really liked Atlanta too because it's a flight hub and getting back up to my city would be relatively easy, especially when compared with being all the way accross the country in AZ. I have no family anywhere near there and I highly doubt I would see them all that often if I chose AZ to live. My other big concern is affordability - it seems that in ATL I could afford a nice beautiful house. The nice parts of AZ would get me a small condo. I have a son who will be coming with me and I really don't want to put him into a worse situation than we are in.

[Edmund Exley]

Every job is different obviously but I have never heard of a situation where pulling your submission from a job opening is career suicide. I would however do it sooner rather than later so as they don't make a decision to hire you then have to go back to a candidate that was already told they didn't get it.

[blueidealist24]

I think you should hold out and withdraw the application, primarily since you have a son. I don't think it would be good for your son to grow up in a high crime area, either. I don't know much about Phoenix, but it sounds like you've researched the area at least a bit, so if you say it has high crime I believe you lol.