Verbal Job Offer

petitepois

Hello All, I'm just wondering does anyone know how secure a verbal job offer is? I've been unemployed for 4.5 months and thankfully after dozens of interviews and hundreds of applications I was offered a job last week, with a start date next week. I was offered the job over the phone and was told they would have a contract there for me on day 1.

So today I was chatting to someone else in the same industry who has an interview with the same company, same hiring manager this week. It is the same position I have been offered but the only difference is that they have told this person the position will possibly be opening up in the future. Now I'm in a panic that they are going to revoke the offer if this person is better than me.

I don't know exactly what I am asking here, I know that they are perfectly entitled to revoke the offer if they like but has anybody ever experienced this?

MagicMarker

Maybe there's more than one position available?

petitepois

Sorry I should have mentioned that they told me that there is only one position, and they took down the advert immediately after I was offered it. This person had actually applied for a position advertised in an office in another county as they are thinking of moving but her CV was obviously re-directed.

I feel a bit of a fool now because I sorted their CV for them and wrote a template cover letter for them.

gandalf

Until you have a contract, have signed it and returned it then a job offer is not secure.

Max Power1

deadtiger wrote: »

Until you have a contract, have signed it and returned it then a job offer is not secure.

but its also standard practice to sign a contract the day you start

Eoin

A verbal offer is absolutely not secure, but as you've not given up another job in favour of this one, it doesn't make much difference in the grand scheme of things. You'll be on probation for the first x months of your job, during which time they can get rid of you with very little reason, and at short notice. So really the only practical difference between having a signed contract and not having one is a week's notice or so.

helimachoptor

Max Power1 wrote: »

but its also standard practice to sign a contract the day you start

No its not, if that was the case once you had in your notice the new company have a month to change their minds! You do the interview they make offer, you accept they send you contract, your sign and return only then is the job yours.

MagicMarker

helimachoptor wrote: »

No its not, if that was the case once you had in your notice the new company have a month to change their minds! You do the interview they make offer, you accept they send you contract, your sign and return only then is the job yours.

Can safely say this has NEVER been the case in any job I've had.

shanehillview

Word of warning to you, mate of mine went through the interview process and got a job, was promised a certain wage and perks but wasnt sent a contract despite requesting it. Turned up on day one as arranged, and was handed the contract to sign but the salary was considerably less than what he was told when he accepted the job. When he asked the boss about it he was told the situation had changed and that was all they could now offer.

He was unemployed so it wasnt as major an issue. But he could easily have left a job only to accept the new job on the salary promised and would have been well screwed.

JDxtra

A verbal contract is not worth the paper its written on. With any new job I had, the contracts were sent out to me by courier for review and signing before the start date.

gandalf

Max Power1 wrote: »

but its also standard practice to sign a contract the day you start

I have never had that situation happen to me over the years I have been in the workforce.

I would never accept an offer of employment without a contract laying out the offer and the terms.

petitepois

Thanks for the replies. I'm not too worried about contract to honest, I've dealt with employment contracts in the past and I know that every company has different methods.

I'm more worried about the fact that the might revoke the offer, but suppose it would be bad form. It was quite a lengthy recruitment process, had to travel to other counties for 2nd & third interviews and put a lot of effort in. Would be heartbreaking for it to fall through at this stage.

Just have to wait & see I suppose.