How To Respond To A Job Offer Letter

Congrats!! Receiving a job offer letter is very exciting and is often a huge weight off your shoulders. The interview process can be stressful and involves lots of preparation and now the hard work is over. Time to take a deep breath.

With the excitement that comes along with a job, now you have one more hurdle which is the job offer letter. Next week, I will discuss what to say if you are 100% ready and willing to accept the job offer but this blog will take you through negotiating which I highly recommend!

 

Check the obvious. At first, you will want to check out the job title, start date, and salary. You will want to make sure that these are in your range of expectations; however, the benefits are often overlooked. You’ll want to look through the benefits in the job offer and see what are included as well as other perks like a gym in the office or free lunches. Benefits may have room to be negotiated which is what this blog will help you do.

Why I said earlier that you should negotiate is because the worst they can say to your requests is no. If you frame your email the right way, it can at best land you in a much better position. To begin, if a previous job had more perks or paid time off, you have the upper hand to negotiate. This will give you room to respond with what benefits your previous job held and put the ball back in their court.

As for negotiating pay, you will need to prove your worth to the company when asking for a higher salary. Do your research first to determine the going rate for your job. This will ensure that you aren’t shooting too high or way too low. Next, you want to go in confidently and give them a specific number. If you have a range in your mind, you can begin with the high-end which leaves room to wiggle down. If the employer counters, you can continue to negotiate or throw in bonuses/benefits/perks with their number. One thing to keep in mind is that you do not have to disclose previous salaries. It is best to ensure that for each role you take, your salary is fair regardless of what you have made in the past.

 

I hope this blog helped a bit with learning how and what to negotiate in a job offer. You can and should go back and forth with the points that are most important to you. Next week, I will discuss how to send the final YES to the job offer!

 

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