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I have a contingent offer for a position with a government contractor. If they win the contract the job would start 1 November. I have also been notified by a government organization that they are moving forward with the hiring me. I plan on taking the government position for a multitude of reasons. Should I notify the other company now that I plan on taking a different position or wait to see if they win the contract and then let them know? I'm leaning towards letting them know now. I was listed as a key person in their proposal and my name and resume were submitted with their proposal to the government.

Any advice on timing? I probably won't have an official offer from the government for another 3 to 5 weeks.

Thanks.

Kevin1's picture

Until you atually have the offer for the Government position, you don't have anything.  

Seems you are choosing between 2 jobs, neither of which you have an offer for.

There is a cast for this.  Don't say 'no' until after you have said 'yes' TO AN OFFER. 

Just wait for now.  Don't end the process on the second role until after you have an offer for the preferred one or you decide you no longer want it.

If the wrong job offer comes first, do your best to stall an answer - there is a cast for that too.

Good luck.

Kev

BZOpportunityManagement's picture

The one thing I would warn about this advice would be the space you're working in. As someone who also works in the Government contracting space, it is important to remember that part of what might win this company the job is the key personnel selection and the resume. There are also contractual requirements around replacing key personnel, especially after a contract starts. Finally, stalling may not be possible - if he has been bid as key then they will probably have to deliver a person in that role on Day 1.

I am not saying you should say "no" right now to the contigent offer. However, if that comes through before the Government position you will need to make a choice. I dp not believe it is fair to the company that submitted your resume or a good professional move for yourself (given that your field is probably not that big comparatively) to string along an offer for a position that could put the contract at risk.