Guide to Dealing with Competing Offers and Timelines
Would people with experience in dealing with competing offers/timelines chime in on how to balance offers being given while still in the process at other firms? This seems especially relevant now given the more staggered processes occurring for 2021. Any insight is greatly appreciated.
This may not be advice that can be applied to all firms in all industries, but if a company gives you an offer with a tight deadline you should take it. Once accepted you can still keep recruiting for "better" choices. Let's say you get an offer from an MM in March and they want you to accept/decline by April, but you know that the process with a BB would be finished by June. Come April, take the MM offer. If by summer you also get the BB offer and really want to go there, simply cancel the MM offer. There's a 99% chance you'll have burn the bridge with the MM forever, but if it was for a better firm then it may be worth it. I would do this only if you get a worse offer first.
In cases where the option are very similar, then fuck it. You can always move. E.g. If a top BB makes an offer and asks you to accept before you would be able to hear back from another top BB, then accept it. Shouldn't make too much of a difference and you certainly don't want to burn bridges with the top firms of your industry.