Conditional Offers. Help.

[TheDesire]

I hope people read this thread/forum and can help a little.

A conditional offer is the interest to hire you (the applicant) and your intention on going to that place to work.

This is my first "time" looking for a job as I have a month left of the academy. I am a little confused on what to do. I have been told that if you sign a conditional offer at more than one place, you are burning bridges. Other people have told me it is the applicants job and they have a right to decide between two locations.

The over-all idea was this. If you sign more than one, you make places mad and you have the possibility of you number one choice to not hire you prior to the other department giving you a starting date, etc. So you are rolling the dice. Andalso, you are burning bridges of whomever you signed and did not follow through.

Then the other side says that you can sign as much as you want to make sure that I get a job. Maybe something falls through with the other department, etc. The main point being, I am seeking a department to hire me and I have to keep options open is something does not work.

The reason I am worried is I have one conditional, a place in which I tested prior to my first conditional is now looking at me more because of this other department and they are trying to play "catch up" to get me hired. I am unsure if I am supposed to sign two just in case one falls through or what. In my conditional it states "If no job opens in six months, this offer terminates." What of that is the case because I have no starting date and have not heard from them after I finished all the conditions other than POST?

I am not sure if that is rambles up to everyone else. But I hope it is clear. Please ask if I can make it more clear.

What are the non-written rules of a conditional offer?

Thanks for all the advise.

[PhilipCal]

Conditional Offers.

The simple solution would seem to be, to ask the concerned agency. I can read your post, and it's very valid questions all day, and still only offer you a guess. It's entirely possible that three different agencies will view your question in three different ways. The one caution I would offer you is that a "conditional offer" is not a final offer. It's a positive step in the process though.

[TheDesire]

Agreed. If I get this conditional from department number two, I was going to call the first. But I somewhat see it as a step, not a for sure starting date, and being hired on, etc. I just dont want to burn bridges either. I have heard both sides from guys who just graduated the academy and those still in the academy.

Thanks.

[memphis PO PO]

Don't blow your chance at one job because you feel like you might burn bridges at another. It is a CONDITONAL offer of employment from them. i.e. they are going to hire you under certain conditions. Well, you are going to accept under certain circumstances too, one of those conditions might be that you don't get a job at a different agency. It expires in 6 months that is one of their "outs" if they change their mind and don't want you. You better have backup plan too.

[kc12]

I look at it like this. If they write the conditional offer so they can back out of it, I do not have a job until I have a definite start date. Just like they are attempting to keep their options open, I will keep mine open. I had two agencies fighting over me at one time. Of course I told the one I wanted to work for that another agency was very close to hiring me. This made my #1 choice get on the ball and give an actual hire date without a way to back out.

[TheDesire]

Thanks. This is so nerve racking. Lots of updates transpired today. I apprectiate all the help. I will see what happens in the next day or so.