Re: Interviewing and Offers
2. Should I continue marketing myself until I have an actual start date?
The problem you've identified is covered in economic theory. Nobel Prize winning economist,^ Paul Samuelson^ defined economics as:
^ "The study of how men and society end up choosing, with or without^ the use of money, to employ scarce productive resources that^ could have alternative uses, to produce various commodities^ and distribute them for consumption, now or in the future, among^ various people and groups in society. It analyses the costs^ and benefits of improving patterns of resource allocation.
I generally hold the typical micro-/macro-economic theory to be a false god, but Samuelson is right on. Your opportunity cost (see Wikipedia's Opportunity Cost topic) *should* drive you to look for a job that starts paying you sooner. Think of your availability for work as a scarce resource, and potential employers as alternative uses, and your course of action should be clear: take this opportunity to improve the pattern of allocation of your (scarce) resources. In other words, decrease your costs and increase your benefits. The importance of doing so supercedes the importance of any commitment to lesser false gods (such as the demi-god of good manners who ordains that it would be nice if you made a firm commitment to an informal non-binding employment agreement).
Hope this helps.
Ned Bedinger
doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com
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Interviewing and Offers: From: James Barrow
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