Engineering Planning and Management, Inc. (EPM, Inc)

[DDMurray]

Out of the blue, a company I spoke with at a job fair, sends me an e-mail asking if I would be interested in interviewing.  I told them I had a verbal acceptance of a job offer, but they offered to interview me anyway.  The company is Engineering Planning and Management, Inc. (aka EPM).  I haven't found any specific here or on other websites (except the EPM site, but it looks like they provide services to nuke plants all over the country.  I have four basic questions:

1. Does anyone know anything about EPM?
2. Is it common for a company to offer to interview after knowing you've already accepted an offer from someone else?
3. Is it common to bail out on a company after accepting an offer?  A couple of HR people I've talked to seem to think it's pretty common.  I haven't found any literature to support this. 
4. Has anyone ever heard of a company not following through on their verbal offer?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  I'm steering towards rejecting the interview, but am a little worried that maybe I accepted a job too soon.  I thought I'd be relieved by accepting an offer, but if I keep getting promises of something better, the next few months are going to be stressful.  Good thing I've got a lot of underways scheduled.

Derek Murray

 

[Fermi2]

Before you go backing out of a verbal committment you better think it through VERY carefully. Word gets around and most likely any company you made a committment to won't give you another chance. Also keep in mind some of the people who worked for company A may leave eventually and end up at a company you may want to have consider you in the future. I know when I was reviewing resumes here I ran across one who stood us up at Fermi. Do you think he got an interview?

Also aren't you the guy who posted in another thread about oaths and your word being a bond?

Mike

[DDMurray]

Before you go backing out of a verbal committment you better think it through VERY carefully. Word gets around and most likely any company you made a committment to won't give you another chance. Also keep in mind some of the people who worked for company A may leave eventually and end up at a company you may want to have consider you in the future. I know when I was reviewing resumes here I ran across one who stood us up at Fermi. Do you think he got an interview?

Also aren't you the guy who posted in another thread about oaths and your word being a bond?

Mike

Touche'.
I was surprised that someone who works in the industry would offer to interview me, knowing I had made a verbal acceptance of a job offer.  My follow-on questions were to find out if others had gotten verbal job offers, never to see a formal one.   I turned down a very good written job offer and other because I had verbally accepted another.  That company's last word, "If your other verbal offer falls through, let us know."  I specifically asked one of my headhunters about job offers, their response was basically until you see it writing, it's not a job offer.  Based on some of your previous advice about the trustworthiness of some people in hiring positions, and the nonchalant way some HR people have handled my interview process, I suddenly got a little nervous.  I go to sea at the end of the week and won't be back until the first week in October.  I was hoping to have this settled before I left so I could concentrate on the actual re-location planning during October. 

I have no intentions of backing out of my verbal acceptance unless something is drastically different between the verbal and written offers that can't be resolved (again, others have told me to look at written offers carefully because some verbal offers include total compensation vice the actual starting salary and bonus that is in the written offer).  I don't see that happening. 

Thanks for calling me out.  After re-reading my post I realized it made look like one of the d-heads I despise.

Derek
   

[RDTroja]

The very old double-edged sword.

Many companies will have no problem altering or retracting a verbal offer, but if you should do the same you are a pariah. Legally there is no offer until you see it in writing (as the company will be happy and quick to point out) and in this industry, verbal commitments are as as good as vapor. That being said, BZ is right. If you break a verbal commitment, the company and its wandering parts will probably hold it against you forever (until they really need you to fill a slot they can't.)

As for interviewing you when you already have a verbal agreement with someone else, I am not as surprised as you are. The new company is aware of the ethereal nature of verbal agreements and the propensity of companies and individuals to ignore them when convenient. They may think the odds are good enough that either the first company will back out or you will if they make you the 'offer you can't refuse.'

The bottom line is that even though there is a double standard at work you have to decide what your word means. I accepted an offer (not written, just verbal) at a utility and within a day or two was offered more money to work for a contract company as a training coordinator, a job I really wanted. I ended up staying at the utility for 13 years... probably would still have made more money for the contractor, but I don't regret the decision. My word means a lot to me.

An afterthought -- I recently was faced with a similar decision. I had committed to an outage for a large player in the contract HP industry and was offered a long-term (but temporary) job with a utility (who happened to be one of the contractor's clients.) I contacted the contract company, explained the situation and told them I did not want to leave them hanging or break a commitment to them. They told me they understood and did not want to stand in my way of doing something that I really wanted. I took the long term job after getting their 'blessing' to do so. I will probably work for that contract company again sometime and I don't think I will have any trouble doing so.

[cincinnatinuke]

I physically interviewed (aside from phone interviews and talking with HR folks) at two places.  I didnt get the second interview (Calvert Cliffs) scheduled until I was at the hotel for the first place (Duane Arnold).  When I finished interviewing with DA I had a job offer by the next day.  It still took a week and a half to get my next interview with Calvert.  I accepted the job with DA and had every intention of going there, but the offer from Calvert was hands down better.  I felt bad for backing out, but it made the most sense for my family and me.

I have never seen or heard a company take back an offer.   

[DDMurray]

Update,

I have been in and out to sea the past few weeks.  I received the formal offer from TVA (Watts Bar) and accepted it.  I have informed EPM, Millstone, VT Yankee, and Brookfield Renewable that my decision is final.  It feels good to finalize this, though I admit I am a little apprehensive about starting over.  I'd like to thank everyone for their support and sage advice during my job search.  Nukeworker played a major role in getting the interview at Watts Bar.  Hopefully I can return the favor some day.

DM

[Fermi2]

I think you made a good choice. Of the companies you listed I think by far TVA is the best so far as pay, benefits and treating their people well. Plus you can't beat the area.

Mike

[JustinHEMI05]

Congratulations!

Justin

[G-reg]

Great news!  Best wishes for you at TVA!

[War Eagle]

Congrats again, Derek! See you soon!