Extending a job offer - Help Please.

[AEKDBet]

I just got a job offer, but it expires in the standard 2 weeks. I've still got some interviews, and I'd like to see how they pan out before i accept this first offer.

So the question is, how much longer can i ask for to think about it, and what is the best way to do it? I've already told them I've got a couple other avenues that I'm exploring, but what's the best way to ask for an extension?

(I'm a new college grad engineer, and it's for a large defense contractor.)

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

Just call them up and ask for a little more time. If they want you and they've got time, they'll give you more time. If they don't, then they won't. The worst thing that happens is you end up with the same 2 weeks.

Apparently, you don't want to say what company it is, but where is the job? I'm just curious. Oh and congrats, by the way. Getting that first job out of school is pretty cool.

[Leo99]

Yeah, what El Grande said. Companies are very strange when it comes to hiring people. Sometimes they take forever to bring someone in and other times they want you to start ASAP. The surely don't want to hire you and then have you quit in a month to go take another job. Be upfront with them, it's more professional that way.

[[censored]]

Well the way it worked in the accounting industry during recruiting time was you told them you want to make sure you have all of your options in front of you so you can make the best decision and that you need x amount of time. For the accounting firms they had been through it every year and are used to it. I would consult one of your profs who is involved in recruiting as your situation is not a new one.

[Sarge85]

I work in HR. FWIW

If you ask for more time, your just asking to lose this job.

Sarge/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
I work in HR. FWIW

If you ask for more time, your just asking to lose this job.

Sarge/images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
This is not necessarily true. While I would tread a bit lightly with a major defense contractor who is a bit more likely to see you almost as just another guy in the line, you're not asking to lose the job. The worst thing is that they'll say no you have two weeks. A place like this isn't unlikely to have a list of guys they're ready to offer a job to when they don't get their first choice, so they very well might be less inclined to give you a ton of time, but it doesn't hurt to ask for a bit of time.

To the OP:
One thing I think you should be made well aware of, though, is the nature of employment at a large defense contractor. Depending on what group you get hired into, your job may not be very secure. You might be getting hired into a program that's running at full blast right now, but they've got PDR or a CDR (design reviews) coming up in 6 months, at which point the customer (NASA, DARPA, Air Force, Navy, Army, etc) may downselect and decide which company gets the contract for the next phase of the program. If your company doesn't get it, your job is not safe and you may be looking for work in 6-8 months. Until you've worked your way up high enough to so that they've invested a lot in you and you're too valuable to let go, you better be someone who shows good potential and works hard so you get put on another program. If not, you'll be laid off. This is how the big defense companies work. Two or three of them get a big contract to start working on some new weapon system or a launch vehicle and they all hire a ton of engineers. Then, when the government downselects to one or two companies or just decides they don't want to go any further with the project, there's all of a sudden a whole bunch of engineers with nothing to do in at least one company. If there's not a need for them on another program that's ramping up at the same time, then there are going to be a whole lot of engineers out of a job.

I'm not trying to scare you out of going to any of these places, because there are great opportunities there for you to do some very cool stuff. You may have a great chance to feel some ownership of a piece of some very cool leading edge or otherwise important technology. I'm just making sure you know some things. Personally, I would never work for one of the big defense contractors if I had my choice (for this and other reasons), but that's just me and my preference. Everybody's different.

Good luck with this and with whatever other jobs you're looking at. If you want, feel free to PM me. I can't say I'm the world's most experienced engineer, but I am an aerospace engineer who has seen some of these companies from the inside and know how at least a few of the groups work.

[swolfe]

i accepted the jobs. then when i got a better offer i went back and told them that i had to rescind my acceptance. i did that twice...to the tune of an extra $5K sign-on bonus and $12K/yr additional starting salary.

hey, it's their own fault for trying to get a college grad to commit to a job 3 months in advance.

[B00T]

<fair warning> that the above post is by no means the norm, and do not assume something like this will happen in your method of attck.

In fact, this is the first time I've ever heard of something like this for a college grad. I just dont have the stones to call BS on this post. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

[swolfe]

i graduated with dual engineering degrees in 2000. can we say, "top of the tech bubble"?

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
i graduated with dual engineering degrees in 2000. can we say, "top of the tech bubble"?

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, that was a nice time to come out. I got my bachelor's in 2000 and all I heard about were all the ridiculous signing bonuses and crazy high starting salaries for everyone and how everybody got 93486793467 different job offers. Even MET's were getting signing bonuses! I went on to grad school and when I got out in 2002, the market had gone to hell. Luckily, I was already pretty much in with my current company through good performance as an intern and I landed a pretty good job anyway. Some of my friends who graduated at about the same time weren't so lucky.

[milliondollaz]

So is 2 weeks extra a reasonable extension to ask for? What is the industry norm?

[YourFoxyGrandma]

Don't listen to Patrick. It sounds like he doesn't know what he's talking about.

[RacersEdge]

I would definitely tell them the reason you want more time is you want finish the processes you started with the other companies because "you want to be fair with those companies". Don't just say "I need more time". The second way makes it sounds like your not that thrilled about working for the them. The first way kind of confirms the fact that you are in demand - and they made a good decision.

I agee a defense contractor can be tied into winning contracts - but all companies have some type economic reasons that make them layoff workers. Nothing is a gurantee. Check out this story:

GM Truck (http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/news/061805_NW_r2_gm_truck_layoffs.html)

Just try to find places where you can do interesting work and realize you probably won't be collecting your pension from them anyway.

The rescinding thing: I can see 2000 being a different world. The problem with that is now the company sees you as someone who just went back on their commitment - don't expect all companies to come back with a better offer. Handle with care.

[jakethebake]

Are you serious? Two weeks is pretty long. I don't think I've ever had two weeks to decide. But call and ask them, what's the worst they can say?