Do I really REALLY have the job?
November 19, 2014 10:48 AM Subscribe
I accepted an offer from the hiring manager three days ago -- but I still don't have an offer letter. When do I start to panic?
Three days ago, I accepted an offer from a company. I spoke directly to the hiring manager who offered it to me. The company's HQ is in NYC. He said the offer letter would be forthcoming from HR that day. Second day, still no letter. I pinged the recruiter, who pinged the HM. The recruiter assured me -- it IS coming. Mid-day on the third day, still nothing.
At what point do I start panicking? I've resigned my current job and also turned down another offer. I don't want nag or be pushy --- but do I need to start up my search again? How long is an appropriate time to wait and how often should I push back?
Three days ago, I accepted an offer from a company. I spoke directly to the hiring manager who offered it to me. The company's HQ is in NYC. He said the offer letter would be forthcoming from HR that day. Second day, still no letter. I pinged the recruiter, who pinged the HM. The recruiter assured me -- it IS coming. Mid-day on the third day, still nothing.
At what point do I start panicking? I've resigned my current job and also turned down another offer. I don't want nag or be pushy --- but do I need to start up my search again? How long is an appropriate time to wait and how often should I push back?
Agreeing with AH that this is not *in itself* a sign of foreboding things to come.
More importantly, do you have anything in writing? Personal story: When I accepted my first Federal job, I received an email detailing the offer/salary, so I went ahead, quit my contractor job, went on vacation, and showed up on the agreed-upon day to find out that (a) the HR rep I had been in communication with had left the agency, (b) there was no record of my offer anywhere else in the HR division, and (c) they then needed to generate an official offer letter, which had not yet been done--I didn't even know I needed one. Everything turned out fine, but you can be damn sure I held on for dear life to that email I received, which was the only proof in existence of my hiring.
posted by psoas at 11:08 AM on November 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
More importantly, do you have anything in writing? Personal story: When I accepted my first Federal job, I received an email detailing the offer/salary, so I went ahead, quit my contractor job, went on vacation, and showed up on the agreed-upon day to find out that (a) the HR rep I had been in communication with had left the agency, (b) there was no record of my offer anywhere else in the HR division, and (c) they then needed to generate an official offer letter, which had not yet been done--I didn't even know I needed one. Everything turned out fine, but you can be damn sure I held on for dear life to that email I received, which was the only proof in existence of my hiring.
posted by psoas at 11:08 AM on November 19, 2014 [5 favorites]
Deep breath. What you have here is probably just a hiring manager who has no idea all of the hoops HR has to jump through before they issue an offer letter. I'd assume a couple of days before HR actually mails the letter, plus several days for it to get to you in the mail. Just chill and wait. (And never give notice before you have the actual offer in hand, as others have mentioned.)
posted by MsMolly at 11:11 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by MsMolly at 11:11 AM on November 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Actually -- just received it. PHEW !
Lesson learned about not resigning until the actual letter is in hand !
posted by duckus at 11:13 AM on November 19, 2014 [47 favorites]
Lesson learned about not resigning until the actual letter is in hand !
posted by duckus at 11:13 AM on November 19, 2014 [47 favorites]
Hooray! All's well that ends well. Congratulations on your new position.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:18 AM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Admiral Haddock at 11:18 AM on November 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
So, for future reference, would a PDF of the letter (with H/R signature) suffice? That could have been emailed on the spot if so.
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:49 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by JoeZydeco at 12:49 PM on November 19, 2014
6 years ago I had an offer letter overnight FedEx'ed to me. This year it was a scanned (signed) pdf version by email after receiving an oral offer by phone.
posted by eatcake at 1:10 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by eatcake at 1:10 PM on November 19, 2014
Response by poster: @JoeZydeco .. that's what I was waiting for and ultimately received. I think it was just a normal lag.
posted by duckus at 4:41 PM on November 19, 2014
posted by duckus at 4:41 PM on November 19, 2014
Ah ok, cool. Some companies still prefer the written letter sent overnight to back up the PDF.
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:53 PM on November 20, 2014
posted by JoeZydeco at 2:53 PM on November 20, 2014
This thread is closed to new comments.
I've resigned my current job and also turned down another offer.
For future reference, don't do that until you have your offer letter.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 10:51 AM on November 19, 2014 [43 favorites]