Whether to Pursue a Job (where once burned)

[Mrs. MD, Esq.]

So I have a dilemma.

I interviewed for and accepted a job that is an hour to an hour and 15 minutes from me back in October. I then went on vacation out of the country the week before I was set to start. While on vacation, I got an email withdrawing the offer because they said they hadn't properly evaluated their financial ability to take on another associate but that they would keep in touch in case their position changed. I was, obviously, pissed/humiliated/upset and maybe a teeny bit relieved that I wouldn't have to deal with taking on a new job with a crappy commute and even crappier pay (under market, but it's not uncommon right now). I did respond to their email with a short but cordial email.

So, Friday I see that they have posted another ad to hire someone. I am understandably peeved, but since I had ignored a LinkedIn request a couple months, I was unsurprised not to have heard from them. Today, I received and email from them which said they were emailing as they said they would let me know if there was a position with their firm since they liked me when they interviewed me. They said they're again looking for an attorney if I have any interest. It's unclear if I respond whether they will just make an offer or make me interview again (which would NOT please me).

Previously, I swore to myself that if this happened I would never accept it. However, I am coming up on my 2 year anniversary of being effectively unemployed (in that I have been doing doc review/contract work off and on for the last fifteen months -- which I can't put on a resume for a "real" job). So, when applying to jobs, I have a gaping two year gap (and there seems to be little opportunity to explain that I moved for DH's job twice in the last two years without making it to the interview).

My dilemma is...do I suck up my pride/risk being screwed again just to get the experience in this state and have something to put on my resume that's not two years old or do I say forget it and continue to look for something that provides a better fit/pay/commute?

I do realize that I can accept the job and continue to look for work (but as my industry is tiny, there is a risk that they would hear about it and I would cause myself a nightmare)...

[diggitydot]

Maybe I'm an anomaly, but is rather be unemployed than work somewhere that dysfunctional.

[Curegirl]

I'm with DD...I've been at too many places where it was toxic in different ways and I would've rather just not have dealt with them.

[OrionGrad]

Same here. I overlooked a major red flag on the first day of a job once, and then spent the next two years regretting that I didn't get out then.

[Cinderella]

Trust your instincts. I wouldn't go back to them either. You'll know when it's the right time and the right place.

[MrsK]

I might be a sucker but I'd hear what they have to say. Maybe they can sweeten the deal for you. And two years ago, letting you go before you started was not "disfunctional" in this field. Actually, it was good business practice as a lot of firms continued with hires, didn't let people go, and continued to ignore dips in revenue while their firms marched right on into bankruptcy. The fact that they are still solvent and are hiring again, is a sign of stability. And, the fact that they held on to your resume for two years is very flattering not to mention that it says something about their honesty to follow up with you since they said they would. I wouldn't even shy away from interviewing again as a lot could have changed there in the last two years. Some of the people you met before could be gone and replaced with others. It will give you a chance to evaluate the firm again and decide whether you are interested in working there. It's been a crazy two years in the legal field and, as indicated by your current experience, jobs are still hard to find -- even more so if you have a spotty resume. Hear them out. You can always say no later.

[HouseofWool]

I have to agree with MrsK. In this economy, being unemployed is really a huge burden...

[GrayMatterWife]

Agree with MrsK. Legal market is weird that way.

[MrsK]

BTW, when I saw your caption about whether to consider working someplace "where you'd been burned before", I thought you were talking about returning to a workplace where you were mistreated over the course of employment. I know many lawyers who have mended fences with former employers after very very ugly workplace disputes. I mean people who have gossiped, back-stabbed, yelled profanities at one another in hallways, even sued each other. Personally, I got "burned" when I lost a large financial investment in a law firm partnership. Sure, I learned from that experience and I wouldn't ever invest in a law firm or any other business where I didn't have 100% understanding of ALL the financial dealings of the business AND a substantial ability to influence such dealings. Also, there are several former partners who were dishonest that I would not work with, others who were unpleasant that I may work with, and still others that I'd love to work with again. Law is a very strange field with many opportunities for workplace controversy and political alliances/enemies. If your specialty is as small as you say, I'd develop a thick skin. You'll find yourself having to play with everyone eventually.

[Mrs. MD, Esq.]

I might be a sucker but I'd hear what they have to say. Maybe they can sweeten the deal for you. And two years ago, letting you go before you started was not "disfunctional" in this field. Actually, it was good business practice as a lot of firms continued with hires, didn't let people go, and continued to ignore dips in revenue while their firms marched right on into bankruptcy. The fact that they are still solvent and are hiring again, is a sign of stability. And, the fact that they held on to your resume for two years is very flattering not to mention that it says something about their honesty to follow up with you since they said they would. I wouldn't even shy away from interviewing again as a lot could have changed there in the last two years. Some of the people you met before could be gone and replaced with others. It will give you a chance to evaluate the firm again and decide whether you are interested in working there. It's been a crazy two years in the legal field and, as indicated by your current experience, jobs are still hard to find -- even more so if you have a spotty resume. Hear them out. You can always say no later.

It wasn't two years ago...it was last October that they offered me the job and then less than a week after making the offer, they emailed me withdrawing the offer while I was abroad. The two years I was referring to was the job that I left when I moved for DH's residency (though, that was a dysfunctional environment).

But I am going to go meet with them and see what they have to say. At worst, it's a waste of my time when I wasn't doing much anyway...

[diggitydot]

I'm sorry -- regardless of the industry, offering a job and then rescinding it a week later is evidence of some significant disconnect or dysfunction between HR and TPTB.

Smart to hold off hiring in a shitty economy? Absolutely. Not knowing that you can't hire the person whom you've just extended an employment offer? That's dysfunctional, at best.

[Meenah]

You have nothing to lose by hearing what they have to offer.

[reciprocity]

I would go for it, for no other reason than it would help to rehabilitate your resume.

[diggitydot]

I would go for it, for no other reason than it would help to rehabilitate your resume.

That's a good point. If it won't burn you if they are completely insane and you end up leaving on poor terms, maybe explore the opportunity.

Truthfully, I've ignored red flags and lived to regret the oversight. At this point in my life, the aggro isn't worth the trouble. However, at a different point in my life, I may have been more accepting of bullshit to get that paycheck.

Do whatever works for you.

[Bittersweet]

I would go for it, for no other reason than it would help to rehabilitate your resume.

Yep. This may not be your forever job but, in my experience, you'll have a better chance of finding a good one if you're currently employed. Work begets work.