Getting an offer is can give you a great feeling of
accomplishment. It can also be overwhelming. Before you get too
wrapped up in the fantasy of a new job with a great office and
steady paycheck, you need to consider the details of the offer.
To avoid being disappointed later, consider how you feel about
benefits and rewards of an offer before you commit.
Benefits
No offer is complete without a summary of the package of benefits
you will be eligible to receive. Your future employer will most
likely want to talk you through them. If not, just ask.
Here's a list of possible benefits a company might offer.
Don't panic when you discover you weren't offered everything on
the list. Instead familiarize yourself with the possibilities and
identify what's important to you. Use these as just a starting
point — add on anything else that you absolutely must have.
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401K or other
retirement/pension plans:
These plans allow you to contribute a certain percentage of
your salary each year to a retirement fund without having to
pay tax on the money until you use it. |
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Bonus
potential/schedule:
Bonuses are usually tied to performance measurements: the
better you or your company performs, the higher your bonus.
Make sure you're clear on how bonuses are determined. |
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Health
insurance:
Most companies, especially in health care, offer their
full-time employees some type of medical coverage. Ask
questions about the deductible and how much money is deducted
from your paycheck. |
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Vacation:
Typical offers give new employees one or two weeks of paid
vacation a year; this benefit is usually related to how long
you've been with the company. In general companies have rules
about using vacation days before you earn them. |
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Other
perks:
Many companies go to great lengths to provide employees with
less conventional benefits such as tuition reimbursement,
stock options, discounted movie or concert tickets, and
more.
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Things to keep in
mind
Now that you have all the information you need, you're ready to
make the call and haggle a little. But first, write down on a
piece of paper what you wish to cover in the conversation. Which
points do you need to learn about or clarify? What's the next
step?
Try to convey the impression of someone who's seriously
considering an offer, has intelligent questions to ask and is
thorough. You don't want to appear overly aggressive, anxious, or
insensitive. Remember that this could be your boss; try to
conduct a conversation that will help rather than hinder your
future relationship. Here are some other things to keep in
mind:
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Be polite. Ask if it's a good time to
discuss details of the offer. |
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Say you appreciate the offer and think it's
an exciting opportunity before bringing up your
questions. |
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Begin with one or two points in the offer
that you like. |
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Summarize your concerns briefly and gauge
the reaction before going into greater detail. |
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Once you've tested the waters, decide on
which points to elaborate and try to include alternative
suggestions. |
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Give an ultimatum only if you're prepared to
act on it. |
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The company rep may need to think about what
you've said before giving you an answer. If so, get a sense
of when they will get back to you. |
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Arrange for the next step in the
process. |
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Reiterate your interest in the company and
thank the person again for his or her time.
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On making
concessions
You've made your list of must-haves. Then there are things that,
while important, aren't deal makers or breakers. Certain points
that seemed essential to you earlier in the process may now be
concessions you're willing to make if it makes the difference
between you taking an otherwise great offer or not.
If, for example, you find that you need to give up your ideal
start date and begin working two months earlier than originally
planned, why not try to bargain a little? Explain that you'll
start when they need you, but ask if they'd be willing to let you
take a vacation before you've accumulated all the days
necessary.
Now that you have all the facts, you may need to choose
between looking for another job or taking one that's not entirely
what you want. Think very carefully about turning down a job that
meets most of your needs, especially if you feel that changes
might be made once you've been there for a little while. You
might even rethink where you're willing to work, or how much
you'll get paid if the rest of the offer meets your needs.
Ultimately, when it comes to making a decision, only you can
decide what's good for you. If you're balking at making a
decision, look at the reasons that are holding you back and make
sure they're valid. There are objections to a particular job and
there are objections to jobs in general. Being realistic about
your negotiating points will help you get the best possible job
package.
