What to do if you have a job offer while still interviewing?

[butterfly 17]

Hello everyone,
I have not been on here in a while, but I am stuck in a dilemma that I need advice with.

We are in the process of relocating to southern NJ. I am a registered nurse and currently work in NICU in Brooklyn, NY. The commute would be two hours back and forth, so I have begun looking for another job closer to the new house.
I went on three job interviews (in the past four weeks) all in the NICU as well and all full time. Two in NJ and one in Philadelphia.

My dream job has always been to work in the NICU in Philly, it is the number one NICU in the US and the number one Pediatric Hospital in the US and a Level 4 (I am working in a Level 3).

The two NJ hospitals have offered me jobs and I did decline one because it was an hour from the new house(I interviewed for it prior to realizing that there was an opening at Philly), but I told the other one that I was still interviewing and I would get back to them by next week.

So, I am still waiting to see what will happen with the Philly hospital. When I interviewed at Philly, I was told by the Nurse Manager that they actually had no current positions available, but that they would be eventually opening some up. I was rather disappointed because I felt I wasted my time. But then the next day they emailed me and asked me to come in for a shadow day. A shadow day is a good sign because almost everyone I know who had a shadow day, received a job offer in a week or two.

The problem is that the shadow day is not scheduled until 12/5 and I told the NJ hospital I would give them an answer by next week. The NJ hospital has been very generous and has offered to hold my position until Feb., but I don't want to delay accepting it, especially if I never get the job at Philly.

Lastly, I am in a dilemma of which job I should take if offered one at both the NJ and Philly hospitals.

Both jobs are exactly 26 minutes away from the new house and both are Magnet hospitals-

Philly-
my dream job (my son was here and it's the reason I wanted to pursue a career in nursing)
75 bed unit, level 4
Staff of over 300+
No union
pay for toll over bridge ($5)
pay for parking bi-weekly ($36)
3.5 or 3.9% additional PA wage tax due to being a resident of NJ
Located in a metropolitan city (lots to see and do), but also a lot more traffic, so my commute may be longer
Best NICU in the country

NJ-
Very similar to where I work now and the nicest Nurse Manager I have ever met
22 bed unit, Level 2, becoming level 3 by the end of the year
small staff and a lot of newer, but experienced NICU staff
Unionized
No tolls
free parking
no extra wage tax
minimal traffic and a more direct route (half a mile from the new house, hop on the highway and get off the highway and the hospital is three blocks away)
Is a magnet hospital (which is impressive, but so is Philly), but is also a brand new unit (will open on Dec. 1st), so no real reputation as a NICU, although the hospital itself has a great reputation.

Last but not least, the NJ hospital offered me a $10K signing bonus but I have to work there three years to get it.

So, I can't decide what to do bc both jobs have things that appeal to me.
Of course, I may not have any choice if the Philly job never offers me a job, but I also don't want to miss my opportunity in NJ because I delayed my acceptance

 

[Pandora II]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

First of all congratulations - you are obviously a great candidate to have the offers and this possibility.

You are in a very tricky situation and there are pros and cons on both sides.

My husband was in a very similar situation recently - what he did was to be brutally honest with the second company, and I would suggest doing the same.

If I were you, I would ring the Philly unit. Tell them that you are currently holding an offer, that they are your first choice but that in this economy you don't want to be without a job. That you need to know if there is a solid possibility of a job on the table or whether it is very much an 'in the future' situation.

Obviously, I'm in the UK and thinking about what would work here - it may be different in the USA - but it's not like you are playing 'give me a bigger salary or I'll take the other job' or anything. You genuinely want to work for Philly more than NJ. They want good staff to work for them - you are good enough that not one, but two other hospitals want to employ you, so they need to tell you what the chances are... and if they really want you, they should do what they can to win you over.

Job hunting is a two way street after all!

Good luck - the NJ job seems to have lots of plus points, you like the manager (always important) and it being a new unit at least means you won't be fighting some dinosaur of a 'we've always done things this way' system.

 

[yennyfire]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

I live in the US and I agree with Pandora completely. Honesty is the best policy. Perhaps it will push the process faster at the hospital in Philly....

I know it's a tough decision to make, but it's clear that you're good at what you do and that you will be an asset to whichever team you join!

 

[missy]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Congratulations! You have 2 fantastic opportunities and that speaks volumes to your skill level (especially in this economy)!

Both jobs sound like you cannot go wrong. If it were me I might choose the NJ hospital since they have given you such a solid offer but if you prefer the Philly job I would call the person in charge of your interview/hire and express to them that you have another offer and while the Philly is your first choice you must have a decision by next week -before the shadow date (or have them move the shadow date up). I would not tell the NJ hospital what is going on. If you do end up working there they will always know they were second choice. I just don't see any reason to tell them.

I don't know anything about unionized jobs but if that is a good perk for you that is another plus for the NJ hospital side not to mention the signing bonus. Plus the fact that traffic would be less would be a huge factor for me in deciding as I hate hate hate traffic and the nurse manager being so nice (and approachable I assume) makes that aspect another huge advantage IMO.

However I do understand that you want to be at the most prestigious hospital and NICU unit and though the hospital in NJ has a great reputation the NICU is still being established so you have the unknown factor here.

All in all a difficult decision but a great one to have to make and all the best of luck! I don't think you can go wrong with either offer.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

If I were you, I would ring the Philly unit. Tell them that you are currently holding an offer, that they are your first choice but that in this economy you don't want to be without a job. That you need to know if there is a solid possibility of a job on the table or whether it is very much an 'in the future' situation.

Thanks Pandora!
I wish I could be honest with the Philly job and just speak to one person about it, but it's not one person who makes the decision, it's a team of nurses and nurse recruiters and I wouldn't even know who to put the "pressure" on, so to speak.

The interview process was very rigorous and consisted of a phone interview with a talent strategist, then she submitted my resume to the nurse manager, then I interviewed with three different people, the nurse recruiter for NICU, a level 4 NICU nurse and the NICU nurse manager. I also had to submit a minimum of 5 positive web references prior to my actual interview dates, within 24 hours of my receiving the request. I only know this because I didn't do it and I got the same email the next day (Saturday), urgently requesting it again.
It is a difficult process applying for this Philly job including a Child abuse clearance, an FBI clearance and fingerprinting, they also do a background check on my driving record, credit history and criminal history.
I have done everything in the process except the FBI clearance and the fingerprinting (why pay for it only to find out I don't have a job with them).

I wish I could pick up the phone and say, hey, I got another job offer, do you want me or not? LOL!

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

I live in the US and I agree with Pandora completely. Honesty is the best policy. Perhaps it will push the process faster at the hospital in Philly....

I know it's a tough decision to make, but it's clear that you're good at what you do and that you will be an asset to whichever team you join!

Thanks for the support. I feel fortunate to be in such a position, but I honestly would love to work at either....

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Congratulations! You have 2 fantastic opportunities and that speaks volumes to your skill level (especially in this economy)!

Both jobs sound like you cannot go wrong. If it were me I might choose the NJ hospital since they have given you such a solid offer but if you prefer the Philly job I would call the person in charge of your interview/hire and express to them that you have another offer and while the Philly is your first choice you must have a decision by next week -before the shadow date (or have them move the shadow date up). I would not tell the NJ hospital what is going on. If you do end up working there they will always know they were second choice. I just don't see any reason to tell them.

I don't know anything about unionized jobs but if that is a good perk for you that is another plus for the NJ hospital side not to mention the signing bonus. Plus the fact that traffic would be less would be a huge factor for me in deciding as I hate hate hate traffic and the nurse manager being so nice (and approachable I assume) makes that aspect another huge advantage IMO.

However I do understand that you want to be at the most prestigious hospital and NICU unit and though the hospital in NJ has a great reputation the NICU is still being established so you have the unknown factor here.

All in all a difficult decision but a great one to have to make and all the best of luck! I don't think you can go wrong with either offer.

HI missy,
I don't think they will make a decision without me doing the shadow day. I think that is part of their process, which I mentioned about above.

Another thing I forgot to point out is the actual salary. I know what the salary is in the NJ one. but I am not certain what it is in the Philly hospital. I was told over the phone what the range would be, but it was just a range. In general, the one in Philly would pay me a little bit more (based on the range I was given) than what I would make in NJ, but with the extra taxes, toll and parking, I would probably make a little less.

Of course, it's not just about the money.

I also forgot to mention that the NJ one I would have to work every other weekend, while the Philly one is every third weekend.

I am leaning more toward the NJ one only because I know it's a certainty that they want me, but I would hate to miss the opportunity to work at my dream hospital.
I do feel very fortunate to be able to find job opportunities without compromising on the area I specialize in. I think the one thing that I regretted about finding a home where we are moving to, is the uncertainty of having to find a job in this market, let alone in the exact area I already work in, so I am happy to have found a few. My friend moved to NJ last February and has been unsuccessful finding a job and she works in the NICU as well.

Lastly, I am actually not licensed in either NJ or PA, so I am still waiting for my licenses to be processed, so the NJ hospital would have to wait regardless. But once I accept it and agree to take the sign on bonus, i am stuck for a few years.

 

[Tuckins1]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

I'm sorry, I don't have a suggestion for you, but as a parent of a NICU graduate I just want to say THANK YOU to you and your co-workers!!! Without the skilled doctors and nurses in the NICU, so many babies would not make it!

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Your Welcome Tuckins1!
Having had a sick child myself, I can completely empathize with parents that have to go through it.
It makes me treasure what I do and gives me personal satisfaction when I see how happy the parents are.
I wouldn't trade my job for any other job in the world and even if I won millions of dollars, I would still work at least part time because I really love what I do.
I only wish the outcomes were 100% for all the infants in the NICU....

 

[Skippy123]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

I'm sorry, I don't have a suggestion for you, but as a parent of a NICU graduate I just want to say THANK YOU !! Without the skilled doctors and nurses in the NICU, so many babies would not make it!

Ditto the above!!! eta: Butterfly we had some nurses who themselves were NICU moms and it soooo helps to have one of those moms/nurses on your team because they really care. Nurses do care but there is something extra special having a previous NICU/PEDS mom/nurse.

I think I know what NICU you are talking about and sending heaps of dust that you get the job!!! You sound like an amazing nurse! I ditto what Pandora says and speak to the Nurse Managar. I am sorry, that is a tough one.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Thanks for the support Skippy. I almost wish they would not offer me a job, almost that is, lol!

Since we were there with my son and I went back to school for nursing, I have always talked about working there. I always told my husband that I would love to move close enough to Philly that I could work there.

It just so happened that the house we were planning on purchasing (close enough to my current job) didn't pan out and we started looking again and got lucky finding another home closer to Philly.

I guess I will give a brief synopsis of what occurred-

Found a house I loved in southern NJ, close to Philly. Made an offer and was told the owner wouldn't counteroffer without a solid contract on my current home.
I put my house up for sale that Tues, had a few showings the same day and accepted an offer from the first people who saw it.

I called the agent of the house I loved and told them I had a solid offer and would like to make my offer again. I was told that the owner had accepted another offer two day before.

Started looking again and found another home in NJ and went into contract. Was never completely in love with this house because I wanted certain things in the home that there missing, mainly a walk out basement and a second back stairs to get to the second floor. This home was close enough to Brooklyn though, that I could still work at my current job.
This home had too many title and mortgage lien problems that my lawyer advised me it was not a good idea to go through with it. He estimated it would take 6 months to a year to sort out all the legal issues.

Didn't know what to do, so I figured I would just wait for the second home to clear out all it's issues bc what else could I do.

Then about five weeks ago, I got an email for new listings in the area where the first house was located. I saw one that really interested me because it looked exactly like the first home, but bigger with bay windows and a sunroom addition, but listed for $70K less than the first home.
Went to look at it the next day and fell in love (even more than the first house, which we waited 2 weeks to make an offer on and even more than the second house, which we also waited two weeks to make an offer on). We told our agent we wanted to make an offer as soon as we left the house, while sitting in the driveway of the house.

This home was in the same subdivision as the first home, which I loved because it wasn't a huge subdivision, right on the next street, same exact floor plan but had the additional sunroom, was totally upgraded by the owners (wood floors, high end appliances, extra large master shower, etc. bay windows), had the same finished walk out basement, number of bathrooms, acreage and inground pool and wrought iron fencing, just like the first home, but cheaper than both the first and second homes.
We wound up going into a bidding war on the house and even though they received a higher offer than ours (ours was very close to asking as is), they went with us as long as they could take the washer and dryer. The other offer was full asking price with no w&d, so they said they would sell to us for the lower price, but no w&d.

I am in contract with that home now and as I said, the only thing I was really worried about was the job opportunities, but luckily, I have found a few of them.

So, I feel lucky and thankful that everything seems to be going so smoothly and well. I may get the home of my dreams, in the location of my dreams (close enough to a metropolitan city without all the hustle and bustle, and also a blue ribbon school district), and the job of my dreams as well.
And even though I will be making less money, my mortgage will also be considerable less than what I am paying now, so it's all good. Plus, I locked into a rate of 3.95%.

Sorry about that long winded post, just very excited how things are working for us.

 

[missy]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Thanks for the support Skippy. I almost wish they would not offer me a job, almost that is, lol!

Since we were there with my son and I went back to school for nursing, I have always talked about working there. I always told my husband that I would love to move close enough to Philly that I could work there.

It just so happened that the house we were planning on purchasing (close enough to my current job) didn't pan out and we started looking again and got lucky finding another home closer to Philly.

I guess I will give a brief synopsis of what occurred-

Found a house I loved in southern NJ, close to Philly. Made an offer and was told the owner wouldn't counteroffer without a solid contract on my current home.
I put my house up for sale that Tues, had a few showings the same day and accepted an offer from the first people who saw it.

I called the agent of the house I loved and told them I had a solid offer and would like to make my offer again. I was told that the owner had accepted another offer two day before.

Started looking again and found another home in NJ and went into contract. Was never completely in love with this house because I wanted certain things in the home that there missing, mainly a walk out basement and a second back stairs to get to the second floor. This home was close enough to Brooklyn though, that I could still work at my current job.
This home had too many title and mortgage lien problems that my lawyer advised me it was not a good idea to go through with it. He estimated it would take 6 months to a year to sort out all the legal issues.

Didn't know what to do, so I figured I would just wait for the second home to clear out all it's issues bc what else could I do.

Then about five weeks ago, I got an email for new listings in the area where the first house was located. I saw one that really interested me because it looked exactly like the first home, but bigger with bay windows and a sunroom addition, but listed for $70K less than the first home.
Went to look at it the next day and fell in love (even more than the first house, which we waited 2 weeks to make an offer on and even more than the second house, which we also waited two weeks to make an offer on). We told our agent we wanted to make an offer as soon as we left the house, while sitting in the driveway of the house.

This home was in the same subdivision as the first home, which I loved because it wasn't a huge subdivision, right on the next street, same exact floor plan but had the additional sunroom, was totally upgraded by the owners (wood floors, high end appliances, extra large master shower, etc. bay windows), had the same finished walk out basement, number of bathrooms, acreage and inground pool and wrought iron fencing, just like the first home, but cheaper than both the first and second homes.
We wound up going into a bidding war on the house and even though they received a higher offer than ours (ours was very close to asking as is), they went with us as long as they could take the washer and dryer. The other offer was full asking price with no w&d, so they said they would sell to us for the lower price, but no w&d.

I am in contract with that home now and as I said, the only thing I was really worried about was the job opportunities, but luckily, I have found a few of them.

So, I feel lucky and thankful that everything seems to be going so smoothly and well. I may get the home of my dreams, in the location of my dreams (close enough to a metropolitan city without all the hustle and bustle, and also a blue ribbon school district), and the job of my dreams as well.
And even though I will be making less money, my mortgage will also be considerable less than what I am paying now, so it's all good. Plus, I locked into a rate of 3.95%.

Sorry about that long winded post, just very excited how things are working for us.

Wow-sounds like it really was meant to be! It is so stressful buying and selling homes and just when you think there is no way things will work out they do! Fingers crossed you do get the job of your dreams! They both sound great in any case.

 

[Upgradable]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Butterfly, this same thing happened to me recently. But it wasn't a hard decision because the offer I received was with the hospital that was my first choice. I just called the other hospital and thanked them for the opportunity to interview, and then told them I took another offer. I wished them the best in their search. They seemed quite pleasant about it, and wished me well.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Butterfly, this same thing happened to me recently. But it wasn't a hard decision because the offer I received was with the hospital that was my first choice. I just called the other hospital and thanked them for the opportunity to interview, and then told them I took another offer. I wished them the best in their search. They seemed quite pleasant about it, and wished me well.

Thanks Uppy,

If I had interviewed with the Philly hospital first and gotten an offer, I wouldn't have bothered to interview anywhere else.

But, as it happened, I wasn't available to interview any of the days that the Philly hospital gave me and since we are closing on Dec. 19th, I figured I would go ahead and interview at the NJ hospital because it's better to have a job than not have one.

But, now that I know what both hospitals are offering, both seem like great choices, I am just not sure which one is better. If I got the job at the NJ one, I wouldn't consider myself settling at all, because it seems like the better choice anyway, it really has more pros than cons compared to the Philly hospital.

The only thing is, once I accept the sign on bonus, I am obligated to work for them for three years.

 

[Pandora II]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

If a talent strategist is similar to a recruitment consultant/head hunter here, they they are the person that you would call and they should sort it for you...

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Wow, congratulations on the new house and quick job offer! You are certainly in a great position! I think it is a tough call. The Philly hospital might involve a lot more traffic, and being sooo big, maybe it won't have the feel of a smaller hospital? You may be way down on the list of senority at the Philly hospital whereas with your experience, you might be a little higher up at least in regard to experience? I get your desires to work at the one in Philly and every third weekend would be a factor for me. But if the commute took twice as long, for example, it might not be worth it to me. But I like smaller hospitals in general. My daughter just delivered at one and I think the care just seems more personal. My daughter's best friend is a NICU nurse and she loves it, too!

 

[LittleRiver]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Congratulations on the many wonderful changes in your life!

The only thing is, once I accept the sign on bonus, I am obligated to work for them for three years.

Just wanted to encourage you to follow up on this. Would you really be obligated to work for them for 3 years, or could you leave sooner with an obligation to repay the bonus (or some portion of it)? You might feel freer to accept the NJ job knowing that you could leave in 1-2 years if a position opened up in Philly.

I ask because I previously accepted a job with a signing bonus which obligated me to work for the company for 12 months. However, if I left sooner than that, I simply had to repay a prorated portion of the bonus. I ended up staying the full year, but it made a huge difference to me knowing I wasn't stuck there. If the bonus itself is important to you, you could always negotiate with a new employer to pay back any amount owed to the old employer.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

If a talent strategist is similar to a recruitment consultant/head hunter here, they they are the person that you would call and they should sort it for you...

Hi Pandora,
I think a talent strategist is the same thing.

I think I have decided to just call the NJ hospital, tell them that I don't want to accept the job offer until I actually sell my current house and purchase the new house, that way it's a definite that I will be moving to NJ and it buys me some time to see if I get the job at CHOP, while giving me an excuse why I can't accept the job yet.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Wow, congratulations on the new house and quick job offer! You are certainly in a great position! I think it is a tough call. The Philly hospital might involve a lot more traffic, and being sooo big, maybe it won't have the feel of a smaller hospital? You may be way down on the list of senority at the Philly hospital whereas with your experience, you might be a little higher up at least in regard to experience? I get your desires to work at the one in Philly and every third weekend would be a factor for me. But if the commute took twice as long, for example, it might not be worth it to me. But I like smaller hospitals in general. My daughter just delivered at one and I think the care just seems more personal. My daughter's best friend is a NICU nurse and she loves it, too!

thanks Diamondseeker2006!

Congrats on your new home too. I am very excited about moving actually, I can't wait.

I guess I should really wait and see IF they actually offer me a job, but something tells me that I should take the NJ job because it really makes no sense to take a pay cut, pay more in tolls and parking, and drive to traffic to get to work.

I will see what happens though.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Congratulations on the many wonderful changes in your life!

The only thing is, once I accept the sign on bonus, I am obligated to work for them for three years.

Just wanted to encourage you to follow up on this. Would you really be obligated to work for them for 3 years, or could you leave sooner with an obligation to repay the bonus (or some portion of it)? You might feel freer to accept the NJ job knowing that you could leave in 1-2 years if a position opened up in Philly.

I ask because I previously accepted a job with a signing bonus which obligated me to work for the company for 12 months. However, if I left sooner than that, I simply had to repay a prorated portion of the bonus. I ended up staying the full year, but it made a huge difference to me knowing I wasn't stuck there. If the bonus itself is important to you, you could always negotiate with a new employer to pay back any amount owed to the old employer.

Hi LittleRiver,

I was told that the first $5K is after 100 days and the next $2.5k is after one year and the last $2.5k is after 2 years. If I left to work at another hospital, they would take legal action against me to pay the bonus back to them. If I decided to work per diem and not full time, I would also have to pay them back.

The bonus is great just because I will have extra "moving" money, but it isn't necessarily the dealer breaker for the other hospital.

 

[lliang_chi]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Butterfly, congratulations on your offer! How fortunate and you are very lucky indeed. I'd be honest with the Philly hospital and tell them you have an offer in hand. It's fair to ask them if your candidacy is serious or if they're "stringing you along" (not using those words of course). TBH, I was in the same situation, and I told my preferred company that I was already offered a position, they quickly moved the process along and I was able to get an offer from them quickly. Then again, my sister was in the same situation and the company she felt very strongly about at the time and told laid it out for them too. They called back a few days later and said they couldn't move quick enough and the hiring manager was very disappointed that he missed his chance with her. It turns out she really likes the 1st company so it worked out well for her.

I think either way you'll be happy. Best of luck to you!!!

~LC

 

[QueenB29]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

I would definitely call the Philly talent consultant and tell them that you had another job offer, and that you have to give them an answer by X date. Something similar happened to me...although I'm a writer, not a nurse I had an offer that I wasn't really excited about and a tentative offer where I work now. I told the place I where really wanted to work that I had another offer and I had to let the first place know by the next day. Let me tell you, my current employers jumped through MAJOR hoops to get me a firm offer the same day because they didn't want me to go anywhere else.

If you can't do that, what would happen if you accepted the job in NJ and then before you started you were offered the job in Philly? Is there any reason why you couldn't then tell the NJ hospital, "Thanks, but no thanks. I had a better offer"? It's perhaps not completely fair to them, but you have to do what's best for YOU.

 

[NovemberBride]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Butterfly,

I am from Philly, so I know the two hospitals you are talking about. It just so happens that one of my closest friends is a nurse in the NICU at CHOP. She absolutely loves her job. She went back to school after a few years out of college to become a nurse and working in the NICU at CHOP was her dream job. When she got out of school, she was offered nights at CHOP or day schedules at several other hospitals (she was young and single, so no real desire to work nights), but she chose nights at CHOP because it was her dream job. After a couple of years she is now working days. If that is your dream job, I say go for it. CHOP is an amazing hospital and the things that they are doing in the NICU there are nothing sort of a miracle. Yes, there are other NICUs in the area, but they don't compare to CHOP. It truly is a world class hospital.

 

[partgypsy]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

If the NJ offer said you had until Feb, I wouldn't be burning any bridges by making additional phone calls to them. Just do the shadow day (that's next week) and take it from there.

Good luck!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

This sounds like a good way to explain your holding off for a few weeks...plus you don't have your liscense yet, so you can add that to the reason for waiting. I would hurry though...if other nurses are having a difficult time finding NICU jobs, you may be missing your golden opportunity which is right there in the smaller NJ hospital. I don't know anything about either hospital, but by looking at the list of pros/cons, it looks like the NJ hospital is a great option! Regardless of what happens, good luck!

Why did you guys decide to sell your NY house? (just curious!

 

[damons]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

First of all, congratulations! Getting an interview at CHOP is not easy, and getting a shadow day is a great sign. I work at UPENN, which is right next to CHOP, and I now several people that work there.

Personally, I agree that you should hold out and go for the job at CHOP. When it comes to pediatric hospitals, there is really no comparison. It's the best around.

I always like to think a step ahead, and think of my next job. Think about it...what would you rather put on your resume? CHOP or some hospital in NJ that no one has ever heard of? Just my opinion.

Also, as far as the commute goes, I highly recommend taking the train. It is so much cheaper than paying for tolls and parking. Also, CHOP offers commuter benefits, so you can get discounts on public transportation. Plus, depending on your schedule, traffic is a nightmare around here.

Good luck!!

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Thank you for all the responses.

I thought it over and asked my husband and he told met that I should just accept the job offer at the NJ hospital. He said that it would be less stressful on me (which is true) and being that we have 4 young kids (10 years old to 9 months old), I didn't need the extra stress of traffic and a being in such a stressful environment and then having to come home to our 4 kids.

He said that when the baby is 5 years old and in school, then perhaps I should look into working there, but right now he felt it would not be a good idea.

I still want to go on the shadow day at Philly, so that way it doesn't look like I just decided to stop, which I think would look bad since they already confirmed everything for me. But I was thinking of telling them the next day that after careful consideration, I would be withdrawing my application for the position until I was definitely positive that I was moving to NJ. It wouldn't be lying because I am still waiting to close on my current house and close on the new house, but it does give me an excuse to not accept a position.

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Butterfly,

I am from Philly, so I know the two hospitals you are talking about. It just so happens that one of my closest friends is a nurse in the NICU at CHOP. She absolutely loves her job. She went back to school after a few years out of college to become a nurse and working in the NICU at CHOP was her dream job. When she got out of school, she was offered nights at CHOP or day schedules at several other hospitals (she was young and single, so no real desire to work nights), but she chose nights at CHOP because it was her dream job. After a couple of years she is now working days. If that is your dream job, I say go for it. CHOP is an amazing hospital and the things that they are doing in the NICU there are nothing sort of a miracle. Yes, there are other NICUs in the area, but they don't compare to CHOP. It truly is a world class hospital.

I so envy your friend.
About the nights position, it will be a night position for both jobs. The thing is, CHOP told me that I have to work there for two years minimum nights before I can apply for a day position. The other hospital told me that they would be opening positions eventually, once all the nights are filled and there are only two positions left, so I may not have to wait too long for a day position.
I don't mind working nights for now, I just don't want to be stuck on nights for two years, but I also don't know how long at the other hospital it will take either.

 

[missy]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

Good luck on your new job and your move Butterfly!!

 

[butterfly 17]

Re: What to do if you have a job offer while still interview

This sounds like a good way to explain your holding off for a few weeks...plus you don't have your liscense yet, so you can add that to the reason for waiting. I would hurry though...if other nurses are having a difficult time finding NICU jobs, you may be missing your golden opportunity which is right there in the smaller NJ hospital. I don't know anything about either hospital, but by looking at the list of pros/cons, it looks like the NJ hospital is a great option! Regardless of what happens, good luck!

Why did you guys decide to sell your NY house? (just curious!

MC, we decided to sell because we always planned to do it when my husband retired. NY is expensive and for the amount that we paid for our house we really don't have much land (0.13 acre) and we always lose our parking spot in front of our house! In the wintertime, you can't even drive down our street and there have been times when I have come home to find my driveway partially blocked off by someone's car. Also, my kids are not very happy here. There are no kids on our block so they have no one to play with and I don't want them going to the next block because people drive too fast around here and no one cares about one another.

We weren't sure where we wanted to go, but we decided that it would be better to live closer to NY, than farther away. NJ seemed like the best option because we were always there on our days off and even though our taxes are higher in NJ, we also have 4 kids, so we know it is going towards their education anyway. Plus, the house is close enough to my family that I can still visit everyone during the holidays or for parties.