pa-wannabe Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 I was wait listed at my top school this year, and though I am fairly certain I will not be pulled from the list for a seat in the cohort, it has caused me to think of the "what ifs." A friend of mine was wait listed at this same school two years ago, but received a call one week before orientation offering her a seat. I'm sure situations like hers aren't too common, but it is a possibility. My question is, assuming you were working full time in a professional setting, what do you think would be the best way to handle giving a notice of less than one week. Obviously, admission to a PA program is a tremendous accomplishment; no job would be good enough for me to turn down admission to a school... But how can you leave a position on such short notice without seeming flippant and unprofessional? I'm just curious how many of you have been through this situation and what the outcome was for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpshoe Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 You could always give your employer a heads up. I think that's your best option to be honest. You said you were waitlisted at your TOP choice, does this mean you didn't get in anywhere? I would have a fall back school if I were you and not wait another year for just one school. In regards to your original question, I would let them know. You can choose not to and leave them hanging but you never know if you might need a reference or something from them, so best to leave on good terms if possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 10, 2016 Administrator Share Posted February 10, 2016 You say "Bye". Seriously, you may or may not have given them a heads up, but if you get the call, you leave. It's not something you have to think too hard about. It would be nice if you could give more notice, but if it doesn't work out so that you can give two weeks notice or more, then you just do the best you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pa-wannabe Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 You could always give your employer a heads up. I think that's your best option to be honest. You said you were waitlisted at your TOP choice, does this mean you didn't get in anywhere? I would have a fall back school if I were you and not wait another year for just one school. In regards to your original question, I would let them know. You can choose not to and leave them hanging but you never know if you might need a reference or something from them, so best to leave on good terms if possible. I applied to seven schools, but was only offered an interview at one school which happened to be my first choice. I am obviously reapplying and adding a good amount of work to my new application. I'd never leave a sure thing in the hopes of coming off a wait list... That's foolish in my opinion. I do agree with giving an employer a heads up, however not all employers are that supportive and may not want to keep someone around they believe is not going to be there long term... They don't want to KNOW they're the "in the meantime" plan. Some employers are understanding. Some aren't, so I suppose I'd have to feel out the supportive-ness of my supervisor before mentioning the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pa-wannabe Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 You say "Bye". Seriously, you may or may not have given them a heads up, but if you get the call, you leave. It's not something you have to think too hard about. It would be nice if you could give more notice, but if it doesn't work out so that you can give two weeks notice or more, then you just do the best you can. That's what I was afraid someone would say. I would certainly never say " no" to an acceptance. It may or may not be a once in a lifetime opportunity, but I wouldn't be willing to decline an offer for the sake of finding out. Haha I have a tendency to overthink, and I'd feel like I was putting someone out by leaving suddenly, albeit for a perfectly good reason. Hopefully I won't find myself in such a last-minute scenario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyNameWasUsed Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 i really doubt theyll just find a replacement for you just because theres a small chance youll quit on short notice by May or whenever. I say tell your employer its a possibility. However, If you do believe youll get fired for doing so then dont. You quitting on short notice will leave a bad impression but i can assure you that whatever instituon youre working for will survive fine without you. If they ever get hit by budget cuts and need to get rid of you fast you bet your ass theyll do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpshoe Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Hopefully I won't find myself in such a last-minute scenario. No hopefully you DO! That means your in at your top choice! Gotta stay positive. In regards to reapplying, I wouldn't mention it to your employer then if you're likely going to be waiting another year. Give it some time then. Look at what is weak on your application and build on that. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Do what you have to for yourself. If your employer were to fire you or have layoffs, do you think they would give you appropriate notice to find a new job before they stopped paying you? If they know you have applied to schools, then they already know you could leave eventually. If they don't, there's no point in worrying. I switched jobs in the middle of interview season and didn't say a world to my new employer about having applied to school. If I didn't get in, I wanted the job. If I told them, they wouldn't have hired me knowing I may only be there 6 months. It's unfortunate but I had to do what was right for me and set myself up just in case. If your employer gets upset about you leaving for GRAD SCHOOL, they probably aren't people you will want for references in the future anyway. It's not like you are walking out on your lunch hour and never coming back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 I'm a big believer in giving adequate notice when you quit-- I gave 3 months the last time -- but you can't do that in this case. You might be telling them a whole year early if you don't get picked up by a school. That could be the end of your current job, and for nothing. They would have no incentive to treat you well. If you get accepted by a school, immediately sit down with your employer and tell them. You didn't know you were going to get picked, you can't change your schedule to leave, you're sorry about that, and you appreciate all they have done for you. Then say "goodbye." What else is there to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyhoundGirl Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 I am starting school in May and I told my employers when I was applying. However, we are short-staffed so I don't think they would let me go early just because I was thinking of leaving. I'm not sure what kind of position you're in, but if no one else does your work (like me) you should get everything organized so that someone else can take over smoothly. If you get in (good luck!) you could always offer to help train a replacement on one or two Saturdays during a break (for pay of course). That's only if you have a certain kind of job. Also, can you call the program and ask what number you are on the wait list? It might be good to know either way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pa-wannabe Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 I do know what number I am on the waitlist; of course I asked-- why wouldn't you? It's far enough down that I'm too embarrassed to post it here. Again, this was all hypothetical. While I would love a phone call offering me a seat even five hours before classes start, I am pretty sure that will not be the case this year. Because my friend found herself in the "be here in a week" situation (she was within the top 20 on the waitlist), it just brought up questions in my own mind about how most people would handle that situation. There seems to be a mixed bag of opinions here, but you've all offered some really good points. EDIT: Just to clarify what my situation is, should this happen to me... I work for a small business, a DME supplier. I bill Medicare, and I am the only one in this position. Being that Medicare is the primary payer and source of steady money, if I leave last-minute it will take at least six months for them to properly train someone else. As I would not be there to train my replacement, an outside consultant would be called in. More money for the company to pay, and fewer bills going out until the new biller is up to speed. I work with people who have been here for YEARS... it is their career. Most give 1-2 months notice when they leave. They're a great company to work for, but my sense is if I told them, "hey, I might be leaving in five months" they'd start looking for a replacement to cover their bases. If I didn't get in, guess what? They'd have a replacement anyway, and I'd be out of a job. More than likely, I'd be the person saying "gotta take this opportunity... bye" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator rev ronin Posted February 10, 2016 Administrator Share Posted February 10, 2016 Be aware that anyone who gets a call within the last week, will likely have to say "yes" or "no" immediately, so if everyone else ahead of you on the list is like "I can't, argh..." the waitlist can go through very fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pa-wannabe Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 @rev -- I definitely considered that as a possibility. I'll just say it: I'm #38. The class size is about 75, and they sent out acceptances much earlier than the majority of programs. I know this means some students who were accepted initially may have accepted just to have a school to fall back on, but are still holding out hopes for their #1 choice. Same goes for the waitlist; there are people holding on to their spot but may be accepted elsewhere in the meantime. I can only hope the 37 people ahead of me have other plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 @rev -- I definitely considered that as a possibility. I'll just say it: I'm #38. The class size is about 75, and they sent out acceptances much earlier than the majority of programs. I know this means some students who were accepted initially may have accepted just to have a school to fall back on, but are still holding out hopes for their #1 choice. Same goes for the waitlist; there are people holding on to their spot but may be accepted elsewhere in the meantime. I can only hope the 37 people ahead of me have other plans. There are also those that have acceptances elsewhere but remain on that waitlist (maybe not knowing it's ranked) who might not even think to decline being on the waitlist. It could be a quick no from them and a jump down the line if the school takes them off the waitlist and they forgot they were even on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegro Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 I fully appreciate and support your desire to give proper notice; it is professional courtesy to do so, but it is not REQUIRED. Sometimes you don't have a choice, such in this hypothetical scenario. I was in a similar scenario once. I had a job I needed to bail on to pursue my profession unexpectedly. I was able to give two weeks, but I was leaving a small, six employee office at a time when they were training me to replace two employees who were two weeks away from both going on maternity leave. The place would be screwed and be down 50% their staff with me quitting, and I felt bad because I didn't want to hurt people's feelings and I didn't want to be unprofessional. I will pass along the advice my employer gave me then as I sat wringing my hands in her office: DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR YOU. Yes, you want to be nice when you can, but sometimes you can't. If they struggle after you leave, at the end of the day, that is not your problem. They'll manage. Doing what you need to do is the professional thing to do. It's only poor manners to bail unexpectedly when you had the choice to give them notice. You don't need to warn them you might leave. But as soon as you know, you tell them. Be kind. Be sorry for the inconvenience. It's likely they won't hold it against you, but if they do, move on and don't look back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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