How Can I Decline a Job Offer and Retrieve My Original Certificate? Seeking Advice on a Tough Decision

Dear Mentors/Seniors et al,

I have recently landed in a sticky situation. I am currently working for a leading international infrastructure and construction giant as a Manager (web & digital) - I primarily manage web & digital projects for the company.

I have never liked the environment here. There is no work-life balance (working on 1st and 3rd Saturdays with 2nd and 4th Saturdays off - just like PSUs). People are narrow-minded with really old schools of thought. Our office does not have Wi-Fi but is filled with ego and politics. The role is good, but the people and environment make it very difficult to work. I have been seeking out opportunities fervently. The commute also takes over 2 hours every morning and 2 hours in the evening. They do not provide a shuttle, despite some women employees having long commutes.

I have recently completed a year here and secured an offer from a European IT company that specializes in ERP, BI, and cloud IT solutions. I have already submitted my resignation, and May 1st will be my last day.

Of course, this is a smaller company compared to my current one, but it is a key player with over 25 years in the market. They offered me a nearly 30% salary increase but with a lower title (Global Web Master). Initially, I expressed my concerns to HR before accepting the offer regarding the title, as I currently hold the position of a manager. The HR explained that this is a European company and their standards differ, hence the title variation. He mentioned that my role is managerial with a few direct reports. I report to the Director of Digital Marketing. I pointed out that my career is based in India, but I eventually accepted the offer out of a strong desire to re-enter the IT field (having previously worked in IT and media companies).

After signing the offer letter, HR requested my original SSC certificate as a joining security measure (this was the first time I had been asked to submit my originals). A few days later, I revisited my concern about the title change with HR. Following discussions with management in Europe, they offered me the title of Associate Manager - Web. They justified this decision by emphasizing my previous experience, particularly my role as an Associate Process Manager in a leading IT company, which they found impressive. They indicated that they did not consider my experience at the current company.

In my current role, I managed three projects simultaneously with tight deadlines, one of which is highly prestigious for the entire state. I am solely responsible for the design, which has been well-received by many stakeholders in my current company. Shouldn't I be able to apply my skills and expertise to the new role at the European company regardless of their valuation?

I requested two days from HR to consider their offer, hoping for updates from another prominent IT company that has been interviewing me concurrently, albeit at a slower pace common in the IT industry. Unfortunately, as the deadline approached, I accepted the offer from the European company, and the HR of the IT giant contacted me later to inform me of my progression to the next round.

With the IT giant, I still have two more rounds and a final HR round pending. If I receive an offer from this company for a Manager position, I intend to accept it.

Now, I am in a dilemma. How can I decline the offer from the European company and retrieve my original certificate? Their policy states that candidates sign and submit their original certificates only if they are interested in joining, as a security measure to prevent candidates from pursuing other opportunities.

Please advise me on how to proceed.

Thank you in advance for your guidance.

Rishi

Occasionally in one's personal or professional life, one has to make the right choice. Over time, we come to realize the correctness of the option we have chosen.

Choosing an option cannot be described as "sticky" per se. In your case, if it is sticky, then the stickiness is due to your unstable mind. Shortly after you joined the "leading international infra & construction giant," you found that you were not suitable for the culture of that company. Why did you not find out beforehand what type of culture prevails in such a giant company? Why was it so difficult for you? After all, it was not some obscure company. Furthermore, you find it difficult to commute for two hours. But this was your conscious decision, notwithstanding the distance between home and office. So why grumble now?

When a new company that has been in the market for 25 years offered you the job, you deposited your SSC Certificate but later had issues with the designation offered. After accepting the offer letter, and after giving the SSC certificate as collateral, you discovered, "Am I not supposed to apply my skills and expertise in the new role in a European company—just because it is not considered worthwhile by them?" Why did this thought not cross your mind before accepting the offer letter?

Now you have another offer from an IT giant, but a few interview rounds are pending. What is the guarantee that you will get selected? If you get selected, what is the guarantee that you will not find some flaw in the offer? After all, you always discover flaws in the offers at a later stage!

Well, rather than taking my post as stinging criticism, I recommend you take it as constructive criticism. A person aspiring to be a manager is not expected to have a dilemma like a junior. After taking the offer letter from the small company, you should have stopped attending any interview rounds thereafter. The cause of the dilemma is always something you find attractive.

As a policy, you should have applied for jobs only in the IT MNCs and not small companies. If you had stuck to this policy, you would not have applied for the job in a small company at all. When we do not decide on the proper direction for job selection, we end up with dilemmas like this.

"Managership does not lie in merely acquiring that designation but in exercising decisiveness." It is time for you to demonstrate this decisiveness!

I have studied this case dispassionately and given my comments. My objective was not to ruffle your feathers.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Thank you, Dinesh, for your advice. I totally agree with you about decisiveness. Well, time does turn bad for both the best and not-so-best people equally. I also accept my mistake of being desperate, but I couldn't help it.

Commuting Issues

Coming to your point, "Going further you find it difficult to commute for two hours" — the construction company had a location reasonably close to my home, which happens to be the IT hub. All my rounds were conducted there. I also asked the HR guys if it was going to be my office location. They said yes. I put down my papers in my previous company and completely served the notice period. On the day before the joining day, the appointment letter and the joining mail both featured a different location of the company, which happens to be over 30 km from my home. When I asked, they said, "Sorry, we can't help it." What do you expect me to do? I already put down my papers in the previous company and came out. That position was already filled by someone else.

Accepting the Offer at a Small Company

About why I accepted the offer at a small company, I say do not judge me by what I wrote here. You don't know what I have gone through. There's no point in saying step into my shoes and you will know. The only way out for me is moving out of the company. If I don't like it, why continue there and crib? I better move out.

Clarification on My Situation

I wonder if you really read my issue completely. Otherwise, you would not have written the below comments. Please read it again if you want to.

"When a new company, that is 25 years in the market, offered you the job, you deposited your SSC Certificate but later had issues about the designation offered. After accepting the offer letter, that too after giving the SSC certificate as collateral, you discovered that 'Am I not supposed to apply my skills and expertise into the new role in a European company - just because it is not considered by them as worthwhile?' Why did this thought not cross your mind before accepting the offer letter?"

Health and Mental Well-being

If a job taxes your health and mental condition so much that you would not want to continue, you want me to wait until I get into an IT giant? None of us can tell how long it will take.

I have stopped applying to jobs since I got that offer. The third company called me on its own. However, since the brand is good, I had to proceed with interviews.

I see no solution from your end, though?

Thanks again,

Rishi.

Options for Career Decisions

You have three options at this stage.

The first one is to continue in the same employment. However, you are so frustrated, and because of this frustration, you started looking for a change. You have an alternate employment at hand. Therefore, whether you will opt for this choice is questionable. Nevertheless, continuation in the existing job has benefits too. Leaving a job just after a year and leaving a job after 2-3 years is different. If you leave the current job now, in the next round of job search, questions will be raised about your short stay, and you will have to search hard for a credible answer!

The second one is to join a small company. The merits of this option are that you will get a 30% raise. On the demerit side, the challenges are about designation, under-utilization of your skill set, and your locked-in SSC Certificate. Nevertheless, if you apply the famous adage, "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush," this option is the best. The other side is about ethical conduct. Not joining even after taking the offer letter is leaving them in a lurch. This is plain betrayal. If you betray them, then be mentally prepared to get betrayed by someone also. At that time, you should not grumble. In case you lay them off at the last moment, then they may not return your SSC certificate, and you will have to acquire a duplicate one.

The last option is joining an IT major. However, it has its own risks also as the complete recruitment process is not over. Waiting for them to complete the recruitment process or even till you get the offer letter at hand would demand buying out time from the company that has given you the offer letter. What is the guarantee that you will be through in the remaining rounds? What is the guarantee that they will give you a reasonable raise? You know the replies to these questions.

Common Risk

A common risk that runs through all the three options arises from the churning that is happening in the IT industry. Because of automation, robotization, and cloud computing, etc., a large number of senior employees are being removed. Whatever option you choose, you should not be a victim of the technological disruptions that are happening in this industry. Therefore, how to secure your position, you would know best!

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Thank you, Dinesh. Nice analysis. Well, I have no option but to continue with the second one. The role is very good, but for the designation. Well, as you advised, there is no guarantee that the third option will work out. So, I will wait and see; else, continue with the second one. If I am to continue with the second one, then I need to explain to the future employer why I had to step down in terms of designation. :-(

While taking a new job in MNCs, one might have to work with a lower designation. However, this need not be construed as a demotion per se. You may explain that you accepted this offer because there was job enlargement, increased remuneration, and new learning opportunities. You may further explain that every company has its way of working and deemed you suitable for the position. MNCs are typically conservative when allotting designations to their employees. In fact, the IT industry itself is known for its conservative approach to designations. In other industries, one can become a manager within 7-8 years of service, whereas in the IT industry, one may remain a team leader even after a decade of service.

However, during the next job search, when you indicate on your CV that you left your present employment within a year and joined an MNC with a lower designation, some astute individuals may read between the lines and doubt whether you were asked to leave your previous job. While you may disagree with this misinterpretation, you cannot control how others perceive it. Therefore, be prepared with a credible response. Take the time to search for a convincing answer.

All the best!

Dinesh Divekar