OCD--Tips for Prioritizing Academics and Decision Making

As we near the end of the 1st 7-week term for the graduate students and head into the Fall Break for the undergraduates, I would like to reinforce the priority of placing academics ahead of the jobw search. I would also like to address the offer/decision deadline dilemma that many of you will experience once you head into the 2nd round interviewing process. Prioritize Academics

During economic times like the one we are currently faced with, it is tempting to put career pursuits ahead of academic pursuits. It is very rare for OCD to find that a company desires a student to do this. When companies schedule office visits and second round interviews, they understand that students have very busy schedules. In virtually all instances where OCD has spoken with a company about academic conflicts, the company is extremely anxious to be clear that they do not want the recruitment process to supersede classes. Scheduling competing priorities is going to be part of your career. Handling these well is part of the recruitment process. In fact, your professional management of the time conflict can be a positive component of your overall evaluation.

Acceptance Timing Dilemma

It is wonderful when a student reaches out to inquire about the "dilemma" of which offer to accept and how to negotiate for more time in the acceptance decision to pursue other opportunities. Here's some of our standard advice for students who may find themselves with this "good problem".

Over the years, companies have become more aggressive in their desire to have quick decisions from students. A common question that we receive in OCD relates to the timing of this decision. Unfortunately, the decision date is occasionally such that it does not permit a student to complete the office visit process with other companies. In a more extreme situation, a student may desire to conduct an off-campus search where opportunities typically don't ramp up until the spring or even the summer after graduation. OCD supports students with the off-campus search and more detailed information on job search strategies for the off-campus search will be communicated over the next few weeks.

Below is a framework to help students work through the challenges they'll face in the timing situations.
Be Sure the Deadline Exists

In many instances, students have perceived a deadline based on casual comments of expectations from companies when the deadline is not a firm one. Most recruiters desire to have some sense of a student's decision timeframe. They utilize this information to help them schedule their follow-up with the student. Regularly, students presume that the decision date that they discussed has become a hard deadline. Often it has not.

Use the Conflict to Your Advantage

If you do find that you have a deadline that is earlier than you would like it to be, first contact the other (non-deadline) companies that you are pursuing. In a non-threatening way, let them know that you have an offer with a deadline and that you would like to investigate accelerating your candidacy. Even if the company is unable to accelerate their process you've been able to let them know that you have other offers, which can elevate your desirability in their view.

When the company is unable to accelerate their process, contact the company with which you already have the offer. Inquire as to whether you can extend the time frame of your decision. It is important to be careful. If the impression is created that you have another position that you prefer and that is the reason you are asking for the extension, the company is not likely to grant the extension. If, on the other hand, you are able to establish that you need to secure additional facts about the alternate company, they may be willing to grant an extension. In this case, simply make it clear that you have been unable to learn all that you would like to learn about this company and want to do so before making a final decision.

The Soft Decline

If you are unsuccessful in securing the decision extension, you may face the dilemma of whether to decline or to accept the offer. Obviously, an individual should NEVER accept an offer and continue to interview. If you decide, however, to continue to interview after the established decision deadline, then OCD advises what we call a "soft decline" of the first offer.

A soft decline involves letting the company know that you are very interested in the position they have to offer, but that you will not be able to make a decision by the established deadline. Accordingly, you want to be clear that while you are not "accepting" their offer, you are not "declining" it either. Make it understood that you realize that the offer may not still be valid in a few weeks but that there is every possibility that you will reach out to them after you've explored other opportunities to see if the position might still be available. In this way, you are again telling the company that you have interest in them but that you are not ready to accept, and, accordingly, will let the deadline pass.

Occasionally, the companies have other candidates that they may make offers to after your deadline, but is rare for them to immediately have acceptances for these positions. It happens regularly that positions are still available after what was thought to be a hard deadline has passed. As a final note, when you do pass a deadline set by a company, be sure to let the alternate company that you desire to pursue know that you have done this. The fact that you were willing to let a deadline with another company pass in order to pursue them should also weigh in your favor.

In summary, it is true in the recruitment process, as in other aspects of the business world, opportunities arise and depart on their own time frame and that time frame is rarely in synchronization with your own. Hopefully, the above tips will help you through some of these situations.

As always, if you desire more information or would like to speak directly with a career counselor, feel free to schedule a career counseling appointment or email us at rosscareercounseling@umich.edu.