Got a job offer, but would prefer a similar role with the same company that is closer to home. What are my options?
December 28, 2011 6:40 AM Subscribe
Got a job offer, but would prefer a similar role with the same company that is closer to home. What are my options?
I've been offered a job in another part of the country, and have been inexplicably anxious about moving (it's hard!). The job itself is great, as is the location, the pay, the people, the benefits and the opportunity to shift my career in the direction I want to go.
Doing a web search I just found out that the company has the exact same role open much closer to home. The complication of course is that I interviewed with the far-away office.
What can I do to get an interview with the closer office without ruining everything?
I've been offered a job in another part of the country, and have been inexplicably anxious about moving (it's hard!). The job itself is great, as is the location, the pay, the people, the benefits and the opportunity to shift my career in the direction I want to go.
Doing a web search I just found out that the company has the exact same role open much closer to home. The complication of course is that I interviewed with the far-away office.
What can I do to get an interview with the closer office without ruining everything?
Would you take the new job if the current company does not offer you the similar job? If so, tell current company you have this new job offer but you would like the similar job at current company. Either they say no, in which case you take the cool new job (yay) or they say OK, in which case you take the cool new job in a better location (yay).
posted by 3FLryan at 7:10 AM on December 28, 2011
posted by 3FLryan at 7:10 AM on December 28, 2011
Would you take the new job if the current company does not offer you the similar job?
It's the same company.
posted by empath at 7:17 AM on December 28, 2011
It's the same company.
posted by empath at 7:17 AM on December 28, 2011
Best answer: Partly, your chances of success in pursuing the closer option has to do with the organizational structure of your employer. E.g., are these two separate regions or divisions which are competitive with each other in some way? If so, you could end up pitting one against the other, and that's not a battle you want to get in the middle of. On the other hand, if the company is just one big happy family, maybe it really doesn't matter to them where you go to work. Can you find out anything about this?
Alternatively ...
You, to person who gave you the offer (HR, hiring manager, whomever): "Wow, I was excited to get your offer and was doing some research on the company. Boy, was I surprised to see that the same position I received the offer for is available so close to me that a relocation wouldn't even be required! To tell you the truth, I feel a little funny about asking, but can I be considered for this closer location?"
If you get an unequivocal NO, you'll have to decide whether to accept or decline the offer, as-is.
If you get anything else ("Well, we don't usually do that"; "I'm not sure"; etc., etc.) you can continue to push gently with, "Gosh, what sort of difficulty does that create for the company?" (NOT "for you" because you don't want to personalize this.) If you can gently pursue the "why" of the less-than-yes you will eventually also come to understand how much harder you should, or shouldn't, push. E.g., if there's a genuine complication, it might not be worth your time to press.
posted by John Borrowman at 12:27 PM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
Alternatively ...
You, to person who gave you the offer (HR, hiring manager, whomever): "Wow, I was excited to get your offer and was doing some research on the company. Boy, was I surprised to see that the same position I received the offer for is available so close to me that a relocation wouldn't even be required! To tell you the truth, I feel a little funny about asking, but can I be considered for this closer location?"
If you get an unequivocal NO, you'll have to decide whether to accept or decline the offer, as-is.
If you get anything else ("Well, we don't usually do that"; "I'm not sure"; etc., etc.) you can continue to push gently with, "Gosh, what sort of difficulty does that create for the company?" (NOT "for you" because you don't want to personalize this.) If you can gently pursue the "why" of the less-than-yes you will eventually also come to understand how much harder you should, or shouldn't, push. E.g., if there's a genuine complication, it might not be worth your time to press.
posted by John Borrowman at 12:27 PM on December 28, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Think of this as part of the compensation negotiation phase of a job offer. It's a little out of the box, and perhaps you'll have to talk to the other hiring manager. If this is the case, it can't hurt to ask the first hiring manager if she's willing to "recommend" you.
posted by Pants! at 7:08 AM on December 28, 2011