Dolf's Tech Job Seeker Corner: Pressure Tactics During the Offer Process

Lately, I have seen an increase in the "We need an answer on our offer of employment by tomorrow!” tactic. The main reason this is done is to keep job seekers from receiving other, potentially BETTER offers. It’s a high pressure move that invariably limits your choices and opportunities. 

What do you do when someone tries this maneuver? My recommendation is to thank them for the offer and say that you have other opportunities to consider and that you will require at least one week to make a decision. If the company truly wants you, they will give you the extra time. If they don’t, they are most likely trying to fill a time-sensitive req and you just happen to fit the bill. Ask yourself if you really want to work for a company that wouldn’t give you a reasonable and fair amount of time to make such a huge decision. 

Of course there are circumstances when you might not have the luxury to turn down an offer. If you are unemployed and have been looking for a long time, TAKE THE JOB! If your current job doesn’t pay you enough and you have mounting debts and your car might get repossessed, TAKE THE JOB! However, if you are currently employed and simply seeking better opportunities, you owe yourself the chance to see all of the possibilities that are out there. 

Remember, tech employees are in high demand! There are more tech jobs than there are suitable candidates. To use a Seinfeld reference, you - the tech job seeker - have all the hand! Don’t be pressured. Do your due diligence and don’t take the FIRST job offer, take the BEST one! Your dream job may be just one more interview away! 

And speaking of interviews, Cardinal Solutions is looking for a wide range of technology professionals - Developers, Scrum masters, Azure experts, DevOps engineers, Data scientists, UX designers, and more. Visit Cardinal Careers today to apply. See available jobs, employee interviews & more. We provide a great benefits package, cutting-edge projects, work/life balance, training and mentoring, and an amazing culture. And by the way, if you get an offer, I promise to give you at least a week to make your decision, although you won't need that long! ;)