Situation is that from the 9th Sept I am to be made redundant from my job. I have had two job offers and both are now waiting for my acceptance asap with a view to starting on the 10th.....now there is a potential 3rd and to me much better job opportunity which I am desperate to get a shot at but I have not as yet been invited to an interview however I believe this will happen (plus I know the employer) but when I dont know.....so I accept one of the jobs and then go to the interview if asked and potentially leave the new job if I was offered the better position and burn all bridges with the new employer having only served a few weeks under their employment or is there a better solution??
Get the starting dates put back FFS!
You need at least a month to [s]ride your bike[/s] gather your thoughts after [i]leaving[/i] a job. Should give you enough leg room for the other offer to materialise?
Don't risk losing one or both of the existing offers in pursuit of something that might not come off.
Accept the one you ideally want from the two on the table and then pursue the third, as yet to be realised, opportunity.
There is nothing wrong with accepting and then not starting a job. Trust me if the employer had to pull the position from under your feet because of budget cuts, they would do it in a heart beat.
It's just business and you really need to put yourself (and any family you may have) first in this situation.
what GT said^^
I intend to accept the position but I know fairly well both of the potential employers and one is even a friend so i just didnt want to start a job and then leave immediately....i would love to put the start dates back but i fear they have both stated that they want to start asap. I can see the third option coming to fruition in about a month which is too long to sit on either of the jobs.
so i just didnt want to start a job and then leave immediately
No doubt that would feel more uncomfortable than turning down an offer you've already accepted, but still the same point applies; put yourself first in this instance.
If it helps, have a think about why the other job is likely to be better for you. Is it about money, intersting work, fit with lifestyle?
Ultimately all this will come down to how you handle the conversation but just remember that in the first few weeks and months of any new job you're on probation; it's the company's way of making sure you were the right hire in the first place. That's why inside of any probabtion period, your employment can be terminated with one weeks notice and no reason.
Well the same goes for the employer and the job. As long as you handle things sensitively, saying that the job is not right for you and resigning may be a nuisance, but I think all employers, especially ones that are friends, would rather know that upfront than get 12 months down the line and find out.