<p>Suppose a company makes a job offer to a graduating senior who learns at the last minute that they need a few more credits to actually graduate. The student then needs to take a short summer term to earn those credits and can’t start working until later in the summer. Is the company likely to pull their offer, or is this a common situation? (I’m not saying this has happened, but it might; all depends on the final…) Should the student explain the delay, or just negotiate for a later start date? Thanks!</p>
<p>Negotiate for a later start date.</p>
<p>They might have to rescind it if your starting date is important to them.</p>
<p>For example, you may be part of a group of incoming new employees who will all go through orientation and training together. Having you start later could be a problem if there is no orientation/training program scheduled again for several months.</p>
<p>Or the company might urgently need your services. The company I worked for just hired someone whose help was urgently needed. There were three other finalists for the position. If our new employee had needed to ask for a delay, the company would probably (and regrettfully, because he was the best candidate) have had to rescind their offer to him and offer the job to one of the other three because we needed someone in the position NOW.</p>
<p>Given these sorts of possibilities, it might be worthwhile to investigate other possible ways to complete the missing credits. Can you do it through a distance-learning course, for example? Or in the evening session of a college close to your job? If you can come up with a plan for completing the credits that would not interfere with working, the company might react more positively (unless, of course, having completed your degree before you start working is an absolute requirement).</p>
<p>Before you do anything ask your employer how important start date is. Coming out of college, I lined up a job but didn’t start it until the end of the summer. (Just wanted another couple of free-and-easy months before moving home and starting my professional career.) Another time I interviewed for and got a job offer, and then told them I’d already planned a two-week vacation. They were fine with moving the start date back. (Actually, I think they did not change the start date in that case but put me on LWOP for those two weeks.)</p>
<p>Depending on the job and how badly they want you, it might not be a big deal to push back the start date.</p>
<p>I pushed my start date for my first job by six months. Sometimes it’s not a big deal, sometimes it is. In my case, the employer just wanted a new graduate rather than needing someone to work on a particular project, so they were okay with my negotiating that.</p>
<p>I know a Clemson grad who needed a course in the summer and the job he was offered in Atlanta was rescinded. He found another about a month after his graduation. So it probably depends on the company.</p>
<p>We hired someone around the end of last year even though he hasn’t finished his degree. He should finish up sometime this spring. If the company is reasonably close to your school, then something like this might be worked out. The company might even pay for the remaining credits. The person has worked out extremely well.</p>
<p>This is an individual negotiation issue subject to the feelings and decision of one person at the company. If they need him to start before the courses are done; if they feel they have an easy replacement; if he represented on his resume that he expected to complete his degree in May 2010 and that ends up not being true, those are all reasons to rescind.</p>
<p>If the person has already accepted the position, he or she has already accepted the start date. Any 'negotiating" on starting date occurs BEFORE accepting the position, not after.</p>
<p>If a student comes into their last term knowing they won’t have the credits to graduate, well, that one thing. A student clueless to the 11th hour about it? If I were the hiring manager, I’d pull that job offer in a heartbeat.</p>
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It is not at all unusual to ask for a later starting date after accepting a position. The company may not give it to you, though, for any of the reasons mentioned by others.</p>
<p>I agree- it should not be a problem depending on the training, orientation etc.
I was afraid my son might be in this position, but he isn’t scheduled to start his job until August, so would have time for a summer session. He wound up doing fine in the course about which he had a concern, so all is well. I sure wasn’t going to be the one to PAY for the summer session, though!</p>
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<p>Like Hunt said, that’s not always the case. I was hired early in the fall semester of my final year in grad school for a start date some time in January, and we later pushed it to May. Final start dates were negotiated long after acceptance of salary and other terms.</p>
<p>Same thing with my second job. We negotiated salary and a few other points (including having vacation advanced to me so that I could attend my own wedding three months after this… my future boss laughed about that being something I negotiated. “Of course we’ll let you go to your own wedding…!”), I accepted the job, and only then did they ask me when I wanted to start.</p>
<p>Of course they could. You have to ask for an extension. If they really need someone earlier and can get someone else,you are out the job. Can you start work on time and take the class at night?</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input - there hasn’t been a job offer yet, just a “likely letter” advising details will be forwarded next week. So we don’t know for sure if there even will be an offer. It’s a big company that had a late recruiting drive so is still finalizing details. They probably are hiring a group of students from all over. Hopefully with their late efforts, they won’t be actually starting them immediately since they still have to extend offers and wait for acceptances etc.</p>
<p>The student may still get all the credits and get the degree in two weeks; as noted it depends on the grade in finals which are ongoing. It’s been a borderline situation. The university requires that courses in the major be taken only at the university, not elsewhere.</p>
<p>We were just curious if the mere fact of needing to finish courses in the summer might be a reason to rescind. It sounds like it varies greatly but probably not just for that one fact alone. So I guess I’ll just have to continue with the insomnia for another week or so 
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