Quitting fed job immediately after starting: How bad?

[Anonymous]

She screwed up. When I applied to multiple Fed jobs, my first offer came in from my second choice. I picked up the phone and called my first choice, let them know I had to make a decision and sure enough my first choice extended an offer. This happens all the time. She should not have accepted the first offer without touching base with her first choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks bad. It looks really really bad. They went through a long hiring process and at this point have already let the other good candidates know they were not selected, so they can’t just move to a second choice. (At least not without that being extremely awkward.). They’ll be pissed and you will have burned bridges.

That being said, you do you. Make the choice that works best for you. But know that others will be very upset.

Original poster here. I get they’d be unhappy but what I’m trying to figure out is whether *I* am doing something wrong. I applied to a bunch of announcements on usajobs. Interviewed at a few and accepted the first offer I got. Then I got another better offer. It’s not like they conditioned the offer on me withdrawing myself for consideration elsewhere.

So of course I understand why they would be upset at having to go through the whole process again and being short a person in the meantime. I’d be upset if they called me tomorrow and told me based on budgetary constraints they had to rescind my offer. But I wouldn’t be personally mad at the hiring authority. It’s the nature of the process. Likewise I don’t see how they could be upset *with me* for accepting an objectively better offer from a position I applied to before accepting my current position.

They will be upset with you. You will have made their life extremely difficult and they will view you as flaky and unreliable and tell stories about how you lack commitment and didn’t think things through and will generally be a hire that future employers should not make. And they will not be entirely wrong.

But you are focusing on the wrong thing. You want to know what they will think and be able to tell yourself that what they think is incorrect/illogical. Stop doing that.

Accept that people will be mad at you and say negative things about you. And then STILL make the best decision for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re going to burn a bridge at your current job, but for higher pay and better commute I’d do it too

+1. The current job won't have you back. But if the new job is better, then you don't care. I'm a Fed and I would take the new job (even knowing I'm screwing the current folks) because Fed jobs are long term and good fits don't come open all that often.

However, you will have to tell the new agency's HR about your current job, and there will be a lag while they process you from one to the other. Expect an uncomfortable 30 days. If possible I would try to not tell the new boss you're ditching another agency, as it will color their view of you.

[Anonymous]

The workforce is shrinking. The first job can suck it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks bad. It looks really really bad. They went through a long hiring process and at this point have already let the other good candidates know they were not selected, so they can’t just move to a second choice. (At least not without that being extremely awkward.). They’ll be pissed and you will have burned bridges.

That being said, you do you. Make the choice that works best for you. But know that others will be very upset.

Original poster here. I get they’d be unhappy but what I’m trying to figure out is whether *I* am doing something wrong. I applied to a bunch of announcements on usajobs. Interviewed at a few and accepted the first offer I got. Then I got another better offer. It’s not like they conditioned the offer on me withdrawing myself for consideration elsewhere.

So of course I understand why they would be upset at having to go through the whole process again and being short a person in the meantime. I’d be upset if they called me tomorrow and told me based on budgetary constraints they had to rescind my offer. But I wouldn’t be personally mad at the hiring authority. It’s the nature of the process. Likewise I don’t see how they could be upset *with me* for accepting an objectively better offer from a position I applied to before accepting my current position.

I think whether you’re doing something wrong or not is debatable. It’s unprofessional. The agency where you are currently working will never hire you again.

But you have to ask whether you care? If you will never work with them again and you don’t care what they think of you and the new job is better, then do it.

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't know if it's one person or multiple posting, but good Lord. You've barely started and it's not your fault federal hiring is so screwed up. Take the other job.

I'm a Fed and in our agency we are well aware that our too lengthy hiring process ends up depriving us of candidates we would like to hire.

All these histrionics that people are going to think you are terrible and a flake. These people need to get a grip. It's a job. This is the reality.

[Anonymous]

Just take the new job. I’ve been a fed for a long time and have seen multiple people do this. Usually for the same reason as you- they were applying to multiple jobs and didn’t hear back from their preferred choice quick enough.

As a hiring manager, yeah it would hurt, but I’d just readvertise and start over. You might not have been their first choice either but they felt pressure to take you.

[Anonymous]

We have had people do this at my agency. I dont even remember their names. Assuming you’re not like the director and just a regular gs you’re fine

[Anonymous]

Take the new job, always do what is best for your career.

[Anonymous]

BAD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks bad. It looks really really bad. They went through a long hiring process and at this point have already let the other good candidates know they were not selected, so they can’t just move to a second choice. (At least not without that being extremely awkward.). They’ll be pissed and you will have burned bridges.

That being said, you do you. Make the choice that works best for you. But know that others will be very upset.

Original poster here. I get they’d be unhappy but what I’m trying to figure out is whether *I* am doing something wrong. I applied to a bunch of announcements on usajobs. Interviewed at a few and accepted the first offer I got. Then I got another better offer. It’s not like they conditioned the offer on me withdrawing myself for consideration elsewhere.

So of course I understand why they would be upset at having to go through the whole process again and being short a person in the meantime. I’d be upset if they called me tomorrow and told me based on budgetary constraints they had to rescind my offer. But I wouldn’t be personally mad at the hiring authority. It’s the nature of the process. Likewise I don’t see how they could be upset *with me* for accepting an objectively better offer from a position I applied to before accepting my current position.

This kind of happened to me. I interviewed for two jobs at the same agency, got one offer and accepted it, and then got an offer at the second place and rescinded my offer at the first place. Now, I hadn’t yet started working, but I think feds recognize that hiring takes forever which means that kind of stuff happens. There were no hard feelings.

[Anonymous]

It's only going to be awkward if you're going from say CIA to DIA. If you're going from Agriculture to State, not so much.

[Anonymous]

Take the other job. You need to do what is right for you. better to leave right away than after they spend time training you.