How Do You Know When You Have The Job?

Xyro

This sounds like a dumb question, but I'm somewhat in the dark as to whether or not I have the job or not after a recent interview. In the past, after an interview, I have been given a "report here on this date" statement. This time I receieved "When can you start?" & "You should be hearing from us next week."

Do I have this or did I receive a brush-off? I am perplexed.

scaredoftests

Send them a 'just touching base' email...

Polynomial

Except don't ever say touch base.

Everyone hates the phrase touch base. =P

cyberguypr

One time I accepted an offer with an MSP, filled up a bunch of paperwork, and even had start date. It ended up being rescinded last minute because some crap happened and their contract didn't get renewed. So to answer your question, I'm sure I have the job when I show up and they don't send me back home.

Definitely get back to them and ask them what are the next steps and when do they expect to make a final decision.

goldenlight

when your ask to take the drug test

scaredoftests

I love saying 'touch base..' LOL..

Essendon

I dislike the term too, with a passion! Even worse is when the other person says - I thought I'd ping you about a job I have... Ping, WTF? Am I a router or a server?

scaredoftests

Wow, I am sorry to have touched a nerve. I will never say that again.LOL...Mine is 'it's the wave of the future'..

dpsmooth15

I noticed a few good answers, but….. the best answer is, hold on let me give it to you…You know when you have a job, The FIRST day of work. I have sent several documents back that i filled out signed, scanned, and sent back and resulted in a dead end. Anyone can type a date in, it is just a false sense of hope. My best advice, is to NOT stop applying for jobs until you actually start one…IF they reply, they could still feed you some bull.. just to keep you around for a #. But I wish you the best!

Xyro

Thank you for all of your responses.

When I left the interview, I believed I would get the job yet something did not feel 100%. As I analyzed it further, it seemed debateable; however, I just assumed it was likely the lack of trust I have acquired from people telling me exactly what I want to hear just to get me out of their hair. I now see, by all of your answers, that this is not secured yet.

I did stop looking & applying for other jobs because of this. I didn't want to send out any bad vibes. I have never "not" gotten a job once I have interviewed, so I saw no reason to continue. I will rethink this.

SweenMachine

Essendon wrote: »

I dislike the term too, with a passion! Even worse is when the other person says - I thought I'd ping you about a job I have... Ping, WTF? Am I a router or a server?

I thought ping was sonar related before server/network anyway... lol

I think people in my office use the word PING 800 times a day haha

"hey scott, check your lync, I just pinged you"
"hey scott, I am going to ping you after lunch"
"hey dude, after work want to play ping-pong?" ha

-scott

ratbuddy

Xyro wrote: »

"You should be hearing from us next week."

How long ago did they say this?

dbrink

I start a new job next week and really for me it was when I received the official offer letter from the organization. I guess it is possible that they can contact me before I start and pull the rug out from under me, not sure how that works from a legal perspective.

kohr-ah

scaredoftests wrote: »

Wow, I am sorry to have touched a nerve. I will never say that again.LOL...Mine is 'it's the wave of the future'..

Mine is "synergy". I hate when managers tell me about our "synergy"

TomkoTech

dbrink wrote: »

I start a new job next week and really for me it was when I received the official offer letter from the organization. I guess it is possible that they can contact me before I start and pull the rug out from under me, not sure how that works from a legal perspective.

I had a co-op position offered to me by a fortune 500 company. Start date, hours, salary was all in the official offer package. I even received a "Welcome aboard!" package that had a lunch bag, water bottle, pen, and some other useful items in. I was scheduled to start 2 weeks out. They called me the Friday before my Monday start date to rescind the offer.

Gorby

I'm in agreement with those that say "the first day of work"...I had a new job offer a few years ago with a signed offer letter and benefits package. The day before I was supposed to start they called back to cancel the job due to contract issues with the client site on funding.

Xyro

ratbuddy wrote: »

How long ago did they say this?

It was last Thursday. No word from them today. I did not believe there would be. I will hold out hope for Tuesday/Wednesdsay/Thursday; however, if I do not hear from them by Thursday, then it's highly unlikely I have the position as the start date is 3/3/2014.

mokaiba

Xyro wrote: »

This sounds like a dumb question, but I'm somewhat in the dark as to whether or not I have the job or not after a recent interview. In the past, after an interview, I have been given a "report here on this date" statement. This time I receieved "When can you start?" & "You should be hearing from us next week."

Do I have this or did I receive a brush-off? I am perplexed.

Honestly, I could always tell from the interview if someone else was picked for the job (including promotions), especially, if they had been interviewing for the past week. They just have this persona about them that they really don't care about you, whether or not you would bring more to the table, since they have already picked who they wanted. Sometimes, this even counts when you are the first to be interviewed...they already picked a person, told them, and are only interviewing for show, basically, for legal requirements, to make it show like they are being fair.

I guess, you could say I am really good at reading a persons body language and I guess you are too but haven't realized it yet.

When I left the interview, I believed I would get the job yet something did not feel 100%. As I analyzed it further, it seemed debateable

What they were saying and what they were doing are not matching and you noticed it.

RouteMyPacket

When I sign the offer letter and send it back to them.

Cert Poor

Essendon wrote: »

I dislike the term too, with a passion! Even worse is when the other person says - I thought I'd ping you about a job I have... Ping, WTF? Am I a router or a server?

"Sorry, but I'm configured to not respond to pings."

Cert Poor

Gorby wrote: »

I'm in agreement with those that say "the first day of work"...I had a new job offer a few years ago with a signed offer letter and benefits package. The day before I was supposed to start they called back to cancel the job due to contract issues with the client site on funding.

This seems sketchy. I'm not a lawyer, but I know there's some legal weight to a job offer letter. I assume yours was OK because it wasn't a W-2 job but contract work 1099 stuff?

Xyro

I wish the hiring process was more transparent. I can think of a centralized database that lists each job & its specific applicants, then stating who actually got the job.

It's 2014. Why are we not to this point yet? We have the technology.

There may be negatives to this I'm not seeing but on face-value it seems like a good idea to me.

Tremie24

For my current job, I interviewed, asked when I would be hearing from them. They told me next week, and then that's when I got the call saying they had chosen me for the position. But I agree the whole interviewing/hiring process can suck.

Xyro

Yes, it can be a challenge so it seems. As of yesterday morning I have resumed my job search and from now on I will not discontinue it until my first day of any applicable position.

It is unfortunate that you cannot trust peoples' word.

Fulcrum45

I know the problem you're having- even if in my case I shouldn't have been so paranoid. It wasn't until I signed the offer letter and sent it back to them did I feel better despite a great interview and verbal offer later that same day.