Turning down offers consensus Forum

[Anonymous User]

So what's the consensus on turning down offers? Is it better to call the recruiter, the person who extended you the offer or is an email enough? I've been told an email is fine.

Sry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find anything in the search.

[bobjr]

Why could this possibly matter? Do whatever you want; just don't sound like an ass. If you don't want to have to spend a lot of time justifying your decision, call the recruiting person.

[Anonymous User]

Etiquette? Not wanting to burn bridges?

If it's customary to call the firm and you're the only d-bag who wrote them an email, then maybe they'll remember it negatively in the future.

[bobjr]

If you don't want your communication forwarded around or stuck in a file somewhere, just call them.

[Anonymous User]

Right but to the recruiter? The person who gave you the offer? The person that interviewed you on campus? All of the above?

[Kohinoor]

So what's the consensus on turning down offers? Is it better to call the recruiter, the person who extended you the offer or is an email enough? I've been told an email is fine.

Sry if this has been asked before, I couldn't find anything in the search.

Depends on the age and sex of the person who extended you the offer. If the person is an attorney, their seniority is another factor.

[bobjr]

Doesn't matter. The recruiter will care the least, so if you don't want to get in to a prolonged conversation about why you called firm X, just call her. The partner that gave you the offer won't care that you didn't call him personally, unless you have a preexisting relationship w/ him or have developed some special relationship with him during the course of your interviewing. Firms make lots of offers and fully expect that many will be rejected.

[rayiner]

You're not special. They won't even care to remember you applied once they cross your name off the "pending offers" list unless you do something stupid.

Now, in the interest of efficiency, the recruiting director is almost always the right person to call. It's HR that's maintaining the list of offers, not individual interviewers.

[yellowjacket2012]

.

[rayiner]

^ what ray said, plus this:

Don't email them criticisms of THEIR FIRM and your SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE (a friend did this against my advice). And whatever you do - don't email them with reasons why you chose firm 1 over firm 2, unless its a merit-neutral reason, i.e. location or something. They didn't ask for a feedback survey, don't give them one. My friend also did this, very much against my advice.

I believe he told them, this other place is "where it's at"

[Kohinoor]

^ what ray said, plus this:

Don't email them criticisms of THEIR FIRM and your SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE (a friend did this against my advice). And whatever you do - don't email them with reasons why you chose firm 1 over firm 2, unless its a merit-neutral reason, i.e. location or something. They didn't ask for a feedback survey, don't give them one. My friend also did this, very much against my advice.

I believe he told them, this other place is "where it's at"

May the smoke from any bridges I burn today be seen far and wide.

[Cavalier]

Right but to the recruiter? The person who gave you the offer? The person that interviewed you on campus? All of the above?

Call the recruiter. If you call an attorney you'll be wasting his time, since he'll have to (a) talk to you, and (b) pass the information along to the recruiter.

[ToTransferOrNot]

^ what ray said, plus this:

Don't email them criticisms of THEIR FIRM and your SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE (a friend did this against my advice). And whatever you do - don't email them with reasons why you chose firm 1 over firm 2, unless its a merit-neutral reason, i.e. location or something. They didn't ask for a feedback survey, don't give them one. My friend also did this, very much against my advice.

I believe he told them, this other place is "where it's at"

Jesus Christ.

[jlockhart6]

^ what ray said, plus this:

Don't email them criticisms of THEIR FIRM and your SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW THEY CAN IMPROVE (a friend did this against my advice). And whatever you do - don't email them with reasons why you chose firm 1 over firm 2, unless its a merit-neutral reason, i.e. location or something. They didn't ask for a feedback survey, don't give them one. My friend also did this, very much against my advice.

I believe he told them, this other place is "where it's at"

Jesus Christ.

I would love to hear this story, or more pertinent, the firm's response. What an awful idea lol.

[Anonymous User]

is leaving voicemail alright? I almost never get a recruiter to pick up

[Kohinoor]

is leaving voicemail alright? I almost never get a recruiter to pick up

Completely unacceptable. Call a thousand times if you must.

[vanwinkle]

I turned down one by E-mail to the recruiting director I'd been in contact with. The exchange seemed to go fine. As long as you're polite and professional in your contact I don't see why a simple E-mail isn't enough, especially since the firms contact you so much by E-mail these days.