Time to accept gov't attorney offer

[Anonymous]

If lucky enough to get offer from DOJ, SEC, etc., how long do they give you to accept? How long till start date? Assume standard position, nothing special or super urgent.

[Anonymous]

I once asked for a week (after a six month hiring process) and after three days they called me and said they were withdrawing the offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I once asked for a week (after a six month hiring process) and after three days they called me and said they were withdrawing the offer.

You asked for a week to decide and they withdrew the offer after three days? I'm surprised on the third day they didn't just say they needed an answer that day.

[Anonymous]

Why would you give them a window to retract it? Once you've bagged the unicorn, don't let it go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If lucky enough to get offer from DOJ, SEC, etc., how long do they give you to accept? How long till start date? Assume standard position, nothing special or super urgent.

Until they withdraw it. And I didn't even have to law school to figure that out.

[Anonymous]

Most agencies have a very small window of hiring authority. So you will need to decide quickly, OP. I wouldn't take more than till the close of business that day (or the next if they call you at 4 or 5 pm.). If you don't want the job, they will need to get to the next person on the list quickly.

2:28, the fact that it has been a six month hiring process means that actually you will be given less time, not more. Asking for a week was really foolish.

[Anonymous]

I was once offered an SSA Attorney Adviser position, accepted it, then rejected it and tried to retract my rejection. Job had been filled within minutes of when I rejected it.**

I would urge you to accept it asap. I agree with the poster above about bagging the unicorn. Don't let it pass, if this is something that you want even a little bit.

**To those not familiar with this position, it's basically secretary work, you continually get appointed for two-year stints, and you top out, I believe, as a GS-12. Turns out that going another route was the best thing I ever did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most agencies have a very small window of hiring authority. So you will need to decide quickly, OP. I wouldn't take more than till the close of business that day (or the next if they call you at 4 or 5 pm.). If you don't want the job, they will need to get to the next person on the list quickly.

2:28, the fact that it has been a six month hiring process means that actually you will be given less time, not more. Asking for a week was really foolish.

Thanks for the info, all. But I need to give my current firm at least 2 weeks. So I assume I may need to ACCEPT the job relatively quickly, but do I have to START right away??

[Anonymous]

It's usual possible to accept and then put off the start date depending on the needs of the office of course.

[Anonymous]

You will need to go through a background check process after you accept that takes several weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most agencies have a very small window of hiring authority. So you will need to decide quickly, OP. I wouldn't take more than till the close of business that day (or the next if they call you at 4 or 5 pm.). If you don't want the job, they will need to get to the next person on the list quickly.

2:28, the fact that it has been a six month hiring process means that actually you will be given less time, not more. Asking for a week was really foolish.

Thanks for the info, all. But I need to give my current firm at least 2 weeks. So I assume I may need to ACCEPT the job relatively quickly, but do I have to START right away??

You have to complete a background. Thus it deprnds on what your offer states

[Anonymous]

I had a govt atty offer at a similar agency and asked for one week to accept -- got the offer Friday at 6 pm and wanted as long as possible bc I was in a 3rd round with an employer I liked better. They were pissed but begrudgingly said I had until next Friday. So next Friday, I'm ready to call them at 10 am and before I can do that I get a v/m with an HR person SCREAMING at me that I had enough time. So of course I call back, say yes, and let them do a background check only to re neg later. They encourage this kind of bad behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a govt atty offer at a similar agency and asked for one week to accept -- got the offer Friday at 6 pm and wanted as long as possible bc I was in a 3rd round with an employer I liked better. They were pissed but begrudgingly said I had until next Friday. So next Friday, I'm ready to call them at 10 am and before I can do that I get a v/m with an HR person SCREAMING at me that I had enough time. So of course I call back, say yes, and let them do a background check only to re neg later. They encourage this kind of bad behavior.

What? You had a bad experience with HR so you acted extremely unprofessionally in return?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most agencies have a very small window of hiring authority. So you will need to decide quickly, OP. I wouldn't take more than till the close of business that day (or the next if they call you at 4 or 5 pm.). If you don't want the job, they will need to get to the next person on the list quickly.

2:28, the fact that it has been a six month hiring process means that actually you will be given less time, not more. Asking for a week was really foolish.

Thanks for the info, all. But I need to give my current firm at least 2 weeks. So I assume I may need to ACCEPT the job relatively quickly, but do I have to START right away??

Expect your current firm to send you packing as soon as you give notice. It's very unlikely they'll want you to stick around for 2 weeks after that.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, given my experience having an offer revoked, if you think you want it, I'd take it, push the start date back as far as they are ok with, and renee if you change your mind.