Yep, that does sound like a really bad red flag. Can see why he would just want to use his energy and time to keep trying for something else rather than waste energy trying to keep a probably impossible to keep job.

If he was just unenthusiastic about the job but didn't have other prospects I would say take it. However, an employer that demands you cancel vacation before you are even hired is not one that I would want to get mixed up with. Not worth it.

How many interviews/job leads has this person had? If they've had some interviews/interest, it honestly would be worth waiting for the right job - or at least a better position than this one. If there are red flags, it's not a bad thing to say "thanks but no thanks" especially if your money situation is fine for the time being without two incomes.

Anonymous wrote:

It's on a case-by-case basis. It's usually a bad idea to accept a position if there are red flags from the start!

+1

This is a MYOB situation. You don't know the "real" situation.. severance/unemployment benefits.

Most my friends that got laid off during the recession took 6-18 months to find a job. They turned down jobs they did not want.

Since it's easier to get a job while employed, I would take the job and keep my eye out for another one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Question is - the candidate currently has no income and has a family, yet does have savings. Does he take the job (also a step down pay-wise) so that he has a job and an income, or turn it down because of the red flags and hold out for something better? Thanks for considering.

His wife should also look for a job.

She has a pretty good one

Then they do have income.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Question is - the candidate currently has no income and has a family, yet does have savings. Does he take the job (also a step down pay-wise) so that he has a job and an income, or turn it down because of the red flags and hold out for something better? Thanks for considering.

His wife should also look for a job.

She has a pretty good one

Anonymous wrote: Question is - the candidate currently has no income and has a family, yet does have savings. Does he take the job (also a step down pay-wise) so that he has a job and an income, or turn it down because of the red flags and hold out for something better? Thanks for considering.

His wife should also look for a job.

It's on a case-by-case basis. It's usually a bad idea to accept a position if there are red flags from the start!

If he has the savings to continue carrying himself for a while, there are enough red flags and his field isn't so limited that opportunities are rare, I can see turning it down. Having a full-time job will limit your availability to search for another job (not to mention raise questions as to why you're looking to jump ship so soon), so if he knows there's likely to long-term potential here, it may be worth passing to increase his odds being able to get a better job soon. It's definitely a risk, though.

Depends how big that savings is. Someone at a very senior level who has a big financial cushion very well may be better off turning down an offer instead of taking it and continuing to look/jumping quickly and burning bridges or not having the time to keep looking.

Uh, of course not.

I know someone at a senior level who has been out of work for almost 6 months. He came in as the runner-up for a big job but it went to someone else. He is close to an offer with another company, yet he is getting a very bad feeling about that place. The hiring manager has been very aggressive, required that he cancelled vacation to come in for interview and said she knows what she wants and if she doesn't get it out of the person she hires by the end of the year, she'll walk him/her to the door herself. Question is - the candidate currently has no income and has a family, yet does have savings. Does he take the job (also a step down pay-wise) so that he has a job and an income, or turn it down because of the red flags and hold out for something better? Thanks for considering.