The same scenario rears its ugly head time and time again.  Mr. Fabulous Candidate has 2 utterly perfect phone interviews with both the HR Director and the Media Director for a position with an agency where he’s only dreamed of working.  Next comes the in-person interview… the make or break point.  Both the MD and Mr. Fabulous Candidate call me immediately after it’s over—love all around.  It seems that they were destined to spend their lives (or at least the next 2-3 years) together in advertising matrimony.  And now, the wait for the offer letter begins.  Everyone is hoping for the best.  Tick tock tick tock.  I check my inbox—it finally arrived… and its $7,000 more than we thought it would be!  Nothing could go wrong.  I’m smiling from ear-to-ear anticipating the sweet sound of on-the-spot acceptance.  I call Mr. Fabulous to tell him about the offer.  He’s overjoyed!!!  Phew. But Jamie, I don’t know if I mentioned this to you when we initially spoke… I can’t relocate without selling my house and I didn’t exactly tell my wife and kids that I was serious about this opportunity.”  Ummm… Bill, I think you failed to mention this when we first talked.  I actually quite clearly remember you saying that nothing could hold you back from a great opportunity, that you were able to move without selling your house and your family was completely on board.  “Well yeah, I just never thought the agency would like me that much.  I’m going to have to turn down the offer so I can be miserable in my job at this rinky-dink agency in freezing Wisconsin where nobody respects me, my cubicle smells funny and I’ve been making the same salary for the past 6 years.”  Okay, clearly I made that last part up—no offense to anyone from the great state of Wisconsin. On a serious note, please be realistic with yourself and your family BEFORE sending us your resume.  If relocation is not an option for you, tell us and we will be more than happy to consider you for local opportunities in your area.  If you do want to relocate, please be sure to give us all the facts up front… Do you have a wife/husband?  17 kids?  4 houses?  We need to know. Agencies are often willing to provide our candidates with relocation assistance, but only if we give them fair warning up front.    We just may not tell them that you have 17 kids… they might think that’s a little weird.

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