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A few months ago, I applied to firm X. Last month, a recruiter asked me if I wanted to apply to firm X in another location and I said I wasn’t interested at the time. Then I spoke with the recruiter I’ve been working with extensively and s/he said that the offices function separately so I could apply to the other office. So I applied through him/her.

Fast forward and I’ve received an offer than I’m most likely going to accept. Is the recruiter I said no to somehow going to try to sabotage me? In all honesty, I had no idea I could apply to the firm again. I probably should have relayed the information that I had applied to a different office when the recruiter first asked but it didn’t seem important at the time.

Or is the recruiter going to be professional about it and just forget it? I know the referral fees are pretty high, so I’m just concerned s/he may try to screw me over.

I'm a bit confused by your post. Is my summary below accurate?

• You apply to firm X, office 1 by yourself.
• Recruiter A, whom you've never had any relationship with, "cold solicits" you to apply to firm X, office 2. You turn down Recruiter A.
• Recruiter B, whom you've worked with on an ongoing basis, solicits you to apply to firm X, office 2. You tell Recruiter B that you've already applied to firm X, office 1, but she explains that you can still apply to office 2 because they function separately.
• You then apply to firm X, office 2 through Recruiter B.
• You receive and desire to accept an offer from firm X, office 1.

So is your worry that Recruiter A will try to screw you over? That Recruiter B will do so? I can't really see a basis for either, assuming my summary list above is accurate. Recruiter A has no reason to be upset. Cold soliciting jobseekers is part and parcel of the game and every recruiter is going to strike out 9 times out of 10 when it comes to cold-calling folks. Recruiter B already knew you'd applied to office 1 by yourself. She also has no reason to be upset.

QContinuum wrote:I'm a bit confused by your post. Is my summary below accurate?

• You apply to firm X, office 1 by yourself.
• Recruiter A, whom you've never had any relationship with, "cold solicits" you to apply to firm X, office 2. You turn down Recruiter A.
• Recruiter B, whom you've worked with on an ongoing basis, solicits you to apply to firm X, office 2. You tell Recruiter B that you've already applied to firm X, office 1, but she explains that you can still apply to office 2 because they function separately.
• You then apply to firm X, office 2 through Recruiter B.
• You receive and desire to accept an offer from firm X, office 1.

So is your worry that Recruiter A will try to screw you over? That Recruiter B will do so? I can't really see a basis for either, assuming my summary list above is accurate. Recruiter A has no reason to be upset. Cold soliciting jobseekers is part and parcel of the game and every recruiter is going to strike out 9 times out of 10 when it comes to cold-calling folks. Recruiter B already knew you'd applied to office 1 by yourself. She also has no reason to be upset.

Your summary is mostly correct. I should clarify that I have worked with recruiter A before, for another city (his/her recruiting firm is well regarded in that city, so I used that firm). Recruiter A reached out about a different city, a city where I already have a different recruiter I work with. I’m worried that recruiter A will think I lied to him/her and cheated him/her out of a commission if/when s/he finds out I ended up applying to that firm.

I guess it’s less of a worry because it was a job posting that had been up for a while and it wasn’t some “unposted” job. But still slightly concerned.

Anonymous User wrote:

QContinuum wrote:I'm a bit confused by your post. Is my summary below accurate?

• You apply to firm X, office 1 by yourself.
• Recruiter A, whom you've never had any relationship with, "cold solicits" you to apply to firm X, office 2. You turn down Recruiter A.
• Recruiter B, whom you've worked with on an ongoing basis, solicits you to apply to firm X, office 2. You tell Recruiter B that you've already applied to firm X, office 1, but she explains that you can still apply to office 2 because they function separately.
• You then apply to firm X, office 2 through Recruiter B.
• You receive and desire to accept an offer from firm X, office 1.

So is your worry that Recruiter A will try to screw you over? That Recruiter B will do so? I can't really see a basis for either, assuming my summary list above is accurate. Recruiter A has no reason to be upset. Cold soliciting jobseekers is part and parcel of the game and every recruiter is going to strike out 9 times out of 10 when it comes to cold-calling folks. Recruiter B already knew you'd applied to office 1 by yourself. She also has no reason to be upset.

Your summary is mostly correct. I should clarify that I have worked with recruiter A before, for another city (his/her recruiting firm is well regarded in that city, so I used that firm). Recruiter A reached out about a different city, a city where I already have a different recruiter I work with. I’m worried that recruiter A will think I lied to him/her and cheated him/her out of a commission if/when s/he finds out I ended up applying to that firm.

I guess it’s less of a worry because it was a job posting that had been up for a while and it wasn’t some “unposted” job. But still slightly concerned.

Your type-A concerns do resonate with me. You ended up where you are because of your proclivity to do the above. But you’re ultimately fine. Recruiters have literally no power with the exception of a situation where you 100% fit the mold they seek for a given position. You are in a good spot. GL, OP.

Anonymous User wrote:

QContinuum wrote:I'm a bit confused by your post. Is my summary below accurate?

• You apply to firm X, office 1 by yourself.
• Recruiter A, whom you've never had any relationship with, "cold solicits" you to apply to firm X, office 2. You turn down Recruiter A.
• Recruiter B, whom you've worked with on an ongoing basis, solicits you to apply to firm X, office 2. You tell Recruiter B that you've already applied to firm X, office 1, but she explains that you can still apply to office 2 because they function separately.
• You then apply to firm X, office 2 through Recruiter B.
• You receive and desire to accept an offer from firm X, office 1.

So is your worry that Recruiter A will try to screw you over? That Recruiter B will do so? I can't really see a basis for either, assuming my summary list above is accurate. Recruiter A has no reason to be upset. Cold soliciting jobseekers is part and parcel of the game and every recruiter is going to strike out 9 times out of 10 when it comes to cold-calling folks. Recruiter B already knew you'd applied to office 1 by yourself. She also has no reason to be upset.

Your summary is mostly correct. I should clarify that I have worked with recruiter A before, for another city (his/her recruiting firm is well regarded in that city, so I used that firm). Recruiter A reached out about a different city, a city where I already have a different recruiter I work with. I’m worried that recruiter A will think I lied to him/her and cheated him/her out of a commission if/when s/he finds out I ended up applying to that firm.

I guess it’s less of a worry because it was a job posting that had been up for a while and it wasn’t some “unposted” job. But still slightly concerned.

You might have some reason to be concerned about what Recruiter A might think if you were going to office 2. But you're going to office 1 - i.e., a position you never even discussed with Recruiter A. As Recruiter B explained, each office at this firm hires separately, so "same firm" really means nothing - completely independent application & hiring process. You'll be fine.