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I live in Europe and have had some interviews with a very big MNC based in Belgium. They said they will give me an offer letter in a few days, however I am still waiting for it. The date that they said was about 3 weeks ago.

The last I've heard from them was they said they are managing the administration of the offer from their side and it is pending at the moment. This was about 2 weeks ago.

I also have another job offer from a small company based in France which I had planned on taking if I didn't get the job with the MNC, and they have been waiting for my answer.

What should I do to try and get a definitive response from the MNC company?

I am a fresher and into this situation first time.

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    If you understand french, you should understand the following proverb: "Un tiens vaut mieux que 2 tu l'auras."
    – Djaian
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 10:51
  • Hehe.. i understand it, but I really wanna work with MNC as It serves as a better prospectus for my career.
    – NJU
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 10:55
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    Work experience is an even better prospective for your career, if it takes them over a month to sort their admin out dont expect it to be any different once you work for them. Personally i would go with the small one in France, as youre more likely to be noted for your successes in a smaller company (in my experience)
    – user5305
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 12:30
  • Definitely pick the job in France! 3 weeks is far too long wait.
    – Juha Untinen
    Commented Apr 4, 2013 at 10:14
  • Ask the small company for additional time to consider your options. Decide how long your willing to wait until you MIGHT get the job offer from the MNC. After that date promise yourself you will accept the other offer no matter what.
    – Donald
    Commented Apr 8, 2013 at 13:27

3 Answers 3

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When a company (especially a multi-national) takes more than three weeks to get in touch with you, there is a very good chance they've lost interest. It's annoying, but they very rarely get in touch to tell you they've lost interest. All I can say is that you become desensitised to this over the length of your career, but it's horrible the first time.

That said, there is a possibility that you've got lost in the bureaucracy there, so maybe it's worth giving them a call. I can't think of anything you have to lose.

You have a secure offer, you can't keep them holding on forever, so put a bit of pressure on the multi-national. Give them a call, be honest about the situation, tell them that you really want to choose them but, if they don't make an offer soon, you have to take another job before you lose the opportunity.

If they don't get back to you within a day or two then there are only really three possibilities.

  1. They really have lost interest.
  2. They are arrogant enough to think they can pull you away from any job when it suits them.
  3. Their bureaucracy is dangerously destructive to their business and without regard for people.

Regardless, by that point, you should probably take the other job and reject any further offer from the multi-national.

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  • Ok, Thanks for the reply, So do I push MNC for job offer, i waited so long because I read on many blogs that MNC's often take time more than 3 weeks to send a offer letter.
    – NJU
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 11:15
  • Ignoring any further contact may be a bit much. If they do come back with an offer, a simple response of "I appreciate your interest, but since our conversations I have received and accepted an offer for a position with another firm" should be sent - do not just ignore it.
    – alroc
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 11:29
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    @Dunk: Personally, I've never waited that long for a positive response. And I've worked for companies of all sizes. But, fair enough, I'll believe it happens. I wouldn't jeopardise another job offer for a company who didn't want me badly enough to get moving on securing my signature though.
    – pdr
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 14:52
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    @Dunk: I disagree, from my own personal experiences. Big companies are composed of a lot of people, and typically, the best people end up leaving and the mediocre, who cannot get a better job, stagnate and remain (the dead sea effect). They are so big and slow to move that things are done inefficiently, which cripples both individual developers in their productivity, and those same individuals in changing projects/areas of work. I found I got much better experience in small companies because I had the visibility into more areas and the freedom to try new responsibilities without bureaucracy
    – huntmaster
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 15:20
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    @huntmaster, we are all different and have differnt experiences, but I have run into far more incompetence at small companies who like to hire their friends and relatives. I have also found it much easier to get rid of teh dead wood at large companies because they aren't related to the CEO. But yes there are large companies that are bad to work for and large companies where some divisions are great to work for and others not so much. Atleast you have more opportunity to grow your career. Of course I'm a specialist, so the jobs I prefer these days tend to only be in medium to large companies.
    – HLGEM
    Commented Apr 3, 2013 at 18:15
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The only answer that comes to my mind is "Move on". You will again be able to crack interviews. Don't waste your time thinking what has happened before three weeks and why they didn't provide the offer letter till date.

The only thing you should feel happy is you attended the interview and you know the questions that were asked and you cracked it. Prepare well and who know you might get a better offer from a more well known company in a few days.

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I'd likely take the first offer if it is still available. Something to consider is that if you wait too long a company may change their mind as most offers will have a time limit to them.

While there is a chance that the MNC sent the paperwork to someone that was on vacation or sick for a week, this is long enough that I'd probably have had a few calls with the manager to inquire about their ability to get things done. Consider that if the offer letter took about a month, would you be OK with waiting a few months to get paid initially if their payroll had some similar glitches? In other words, how sure are you of the reputation of the MNC?

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  • Hi, sorry it took me a while to get back... the reputation is well known, big brand in IT
    – NJU
    Commented Apr 9, 2013 at 15:37

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