[therainthatneverstops]

Hi all,

I'm a fresh grad who has been actively searching for jobs. Given today's competitive job market, I applied for several jobs concurrently, and a few of them have gotten back to me for interviews.

Recently, I received a verbal offer from Company A (pending final mgmt approval), and I told HR that I would be willing to accept. No written contract has been signed. At the same time, I've also gone for interviews at Company B, and the situation looks promising although no verbal offer was made yet.

If I am fortunate enough to receive a verbal offer from Company B, it would most likely be before Company A gets back to me. And so here are my concerns:

1) Would it be wrong of me to accept Company B's verbal offer, while waiting for Company A?
2) If I do sign with Company A, what is the least offensive way to turn down Company B?
3) How long are companies usually willing to wait for candidates who need time to consider their offer? I.e. How much time can I ask for to think about my decision?

I'm concerned because I don't want to burn bridges with either company, especially since both belong to the same industry where word can spread quickly.

Would appreciate any advice - thank you so much in advance!