In previous blog entries, I've covered several aspects of a job search to include pro-active tactics in this type of market, the various arrows needed in your quiver, and how to handle scenarios encountered in the interview process.What we have yet to touch upon is how to wrap things up at the end of the search. In order to bring and end to your search neatly and professionally, you may have to notify someone that you're declining their offer of employment in favor of pursuing another opportunity that's better suited to your needs. At minimum, you need to inform companies you've interviewed with that you are no longer on the market actively seeking employment. This is often a stressful but necessary set of tasks to undertake, and the means by which you conduct yourself at the end of the search will have long lasting implications and ramifications in a world where people are long on memory,
 
The first thing you need to do is formally accept the offer from the company you intend to go to work for, and establish a start date. This means that you need to send back your signed offer letter and receive confirmation from the company that any pre-employment contingencies such as reference and background checks have been successfully completed, and that the offer is now clear of these obstacles. In short, verify that the offer is now official. Once you've confirmed this and ONLY after you've confirmed this, is it the appropriate time to contact other employers and individuals with whom you have interviewed, or have been involved in your job search, and notify them that you are officially off the market.
 
In instances where you have been blessed with multiple offers, you need to contact those companies who have extended you an offer of employment first. I recommend strongly that you do this by telephone, then follow up with hard copy by US mail AFTER you start your new job. The phone call is necessary because it is the most professional way to let inform them, and adds a personal touch that will be remembered long after the sting of your rejection of their employment offer subsides. I would start by phoning the recruiter or HR rep who was your main point of contact throughout the process, followed by the hiring manager to whom you would have reported. (If an agency was involved, you want to contact that recruiter, too) You want to be courteous, but firm. Thank them for the opportunity to have met them and for their consideration of your candidacy. Reiterate that while you feel their opportunity was a very good one, that there was another opportunity better suited to your overall needs. Don't say you found a better job. Don't say the opportunity was closer to home. Don't say the other company offered more money or better benefits. Also, now is not the time to disclose the name of the employer for whom you have chosen to go to work. If asked, politely decline to name the company under the premise that it is your intention to follow up by mail upon starting your new job with all of the relevant information regarding where you landed. You offer them one thing and one thing only. "I have accepted another opportunity was better suited to my overall professional and personal needs at this point in my career".  Also let them know that you would like to keep the lines of communication open for future opportunities, as nobody knows what the future may hold.
 
Upon starting your new job, send individual letters to HR reps, hiring managers, agency recruiters and others who had a role in your job search informing them that you have landed at "XYZ Company" working as "Whatever your new title is" and that you wanted to thank them for their assistance in your job search. Include all pertinent contact information for your new job to include your email address, street address of the location where you will be working, and your new work phone number. You also want them to know that if there is a possibility of a continued business relationship in your new capacity, that you would welcome a call or email from them. By waiting until you've started your new job to give everyone the details, you give each person involved in your search equal respect in the timing of your announcement. You also eliminate the risk of any missteps by others that might effect your relationship with your new employer (yes, there are unscrupulous, vengeful people who go out of their way tank your candidacy). Lastly, it affords everyone the opportunity for the time needed to let the dust settle a bit, and allow people to adjust to the fact that you are no longer "their candidate'. Your chances of maintaining positive relationships in the long term are greatly increased when using this tact.
 
In summary, be professional and dignified when delivering disappointing news, and closing out your job search. Offer enough information to make it clear that you've made a final decision regarding your candidacy, and follow up at the appropriate time with the details of where you have landed.