By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
EP 3134 Getting a verbal job offer feels like a victory, but it’s not the finish line. This video explores why a verbal promise lacks legal protection and explains why you should continue your job search until a written contract is signed.
Timestamps
0:00 – The excitement of the verbal offer: Is it the finish line?
0:56 – Decoding the “14-day wait” and why it poses a risk to candidates.
1:47 – Verbal vs. Written: Comparing the lack of protection to a “career safety net.”
3:13 – The Golden Rule: Why you must keep interviewing despite the good news.
4:01 – A 4-step proactive strategy for handling a verbal offer professionally.
5:01 – Final takeaway: Being your own #1 advocate in your career.
How to Become an Irresistible Hire
Alright, let’s just jump right into it. Picture this, you’ve gone through what feels like a million interviews, you absolutely crushed the final one, and then your phone rings. It’s HR, and they’ve got amazing news.
But here’s the thing, is this really the finish line? Today we’re going to talk about that super intense moment when you get a verbal job offer and why what you do next is, well, it’s everything. And this is a real quote, you know, it sounds so familiar to so many of us, you get that rush of pure excitement, that feeling that all your hard work finally, finally paid off. You hear those magic words, you’ve been selected, and you think, yes, the job is mine, it’s a massive moment.
And that’s the big question, isn’t it? Your first instinct is to breathe a huge sigh of relief, maybe pop open something bubbly, and immediately shut down your job search. But hold on a second, is that actually the smartest play here? Let’s really dig into this. Oh, that phone call is pure adrenaline.
It’s total validation. It means they want you. But let’s be super clear about what you’ve actually received.
It’s a promise. It’s an expression of their intent. And that’s a fantastic, wonderful sign, but it is not the same thing as a locked-in, confirmed job.
Okay, so here’s where things get interesting. What often comes right after the good news is something like, we’ll get the official offer letter to you, but it’ll probably take about 14 days. And this? This is where that little seed of uncertainty starts to get planted.
14 days. Just think about that. That is two whole weeks.
They might just call it getting the paperwork together, but for you, it’s two weeks of being in total limbo. Two weeks where, let’s be honest, anything could happen. That waiting period, that’s a risk.
And this brings us to the absolute heart of the matter. The huge, enormous difference between a verbal offer and a written one. You gotta understand, one is basically just a conversation.
The other? That’s your career’s safety net. I mean, just look at this side-by-side. A verbal offer? It’s a conversation.
It’s almost never legally binding. But a written offer? That’s a formal document. That is a real commitment from them to you.
Networking Like a Leader
It’s why we say one gives you zero protection, while the other is your shield. This quote right here, it says everything you need to know. Until you are holding that official document, with the salary, the start date, all the benefits, everything confirmed in black and white, you have absolutely no security.
It’s a tough truth, but that’s the reality you have to operate in. So, knowing all this, what’s the game plan? Well, the best strategy is actually the exact opposite of what your gut is telling you to do. It feels totally counterintuitive, I get it, but it is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself in this situation.
Okay, so you’re in this waiting game, you’ve got a really promising verbal offer on the table, but nothing is guaranteed yet. So what is your next move? I mean, do you just wait, sit by the phone, refresh your email every five minutes, and basically put your entire career on pause? That’s the passive approach, and honestly, it’s a huge gamble. It puts all the power in their hands, not yours.
So here it is, the most direct, most powerful advice I can give you. You have to keep interviewing. Seriously.
Do not pause your job search. Do not cancel those other interviews you have lined up. You keep moving forward like nothing has changed, until you have a signed contract.
Now listen, this isn’t about being negative or disloyal to the company that just called you. Not at all. This is about being strategic.
Think of it as your job search shield. You are proactively making sure that no matter what happens, you are coming from a position of strength. This right here.
This is your new mindset. It’s the logic you need to live by. If another potential employer asks you if you’re still interviewing, your answer is yes.
And why? Because you’re right. A verbal promise is not an offer. This phrase should be your mantra.
So here’s the playbook, plain and simple. Step 1. Acknowledge their call. Thank them.
Tell them you’re excited. Step 2. Immediately get back to your job search. Step 3. Absolutely go to your other interviews.
And Step 4. You don’t stop any of this until you have secured that signed written contract. So why is this strategy so effective? Well because there’s simply no guarantee with a verbal offer. Things happen.
Budgets get cut. Priorities shift. Key people change their minds.
Heck, even written offers can get pulled back sometimes. By continuing to interview, you keep all your options on the table, and it puts you in the strongest possible position. You’re not desperate, you’re in demand.
If you take one thing away from all this, let it be this. This is the golden rule of job searching. An offer isn’t real until it is written down and signed by both of you.
Until you have that legally binding document, you do not have the job. So yeah, celebrate the good news from the phone call, but do not stop until the ink is dry. And that just leaves us with one last thing to think about.
At the end of the day, a company is always, always going to look out for its own best interests. So who is the number one person responsible for protecting your career, your finances, and your future? The answer is simple. It’s you.
Always.
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
People hire Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter to provide No BS Career Advice globally because he makes many things in peoples’ careers
easier. Those things can involve job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, career transition, as well as advice about resolving workplace issues.
He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 3100 episodes.
Strategic Interview Questions to Ask
You will find great info to help with your job search at my new site, JobSearch.Community Besides the video courses, books and guides, I answer questions from members daily about their job search. Leave job search questions and I will respond daily. Become an Insider+ member and you get everything you’d get as an Insider PLUS you can get me on Zoom calls to get questions answered. Become an Insider Premium member and we do individual and group coaching.
AI and the Future of Your Job
Also, subscribe to JobSearchTV.com on YouTube and No BS Job Search Advice Radio, the #1 podcast for job search with more than 2700 episodes over 12+ years.in Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music and almost anywhere you listen or watch podcasts.
You can also have your #jobsearchquestions answered Tuesdays at noon Eastern. Search for Career Coach Office Hours on LinkedIn and mark that you’re attending. You’ll have access to the recording if you miss it live.
The Cost of a Long Job Search
Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us to discuss one-on-one or group coaching with me
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter
Resume & LinkedIn Profile critiques www.TheBigGameHunter.us/critiques
When Following Up Backfires
We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included to www.TheBigGameHunter.us and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator. Not acknowledging his work or providing a backlink to www.TheBigGameHunter.us makes you subject to a $1000 penalty which you proactively agree to pay.
