Congratulations! You fought hard to tweak your resume, pass the phone interview and wow your hiring manager during an in-person interview. After giving several dynamite answers during your face time, your new employer extended an offer to you. Now comes the relatively easy part: accepting an offer after considering your options. Take these three steps before you sign on the dotted line.
1. Ask for a Copy in Writing
Before accepting an offer, request a copy of your employment terms and conditions, and make sure it contains the compensation package you discussed with the employer. The terms of your benefits, including details about your leave time, vacation hours, health insurance, bonuses and sick leave, should be outlined in the offer.
Additionally, you should see your job title, supervisor's name, department, starting date and any nondisclosure agreements in the contract. If you feel anything was left out, talk to human resources. Some details might appear in the employee handbook. If so, ask to see that document before accepting the offer.
2. Read Every Word
Read through every page of the written materials you receive. If anything seems amiss or vastly different from what you expected, ask questions. Employers very rarely try to deceive candidates, but there could be mistakes or omissions on the contract. Before you sign anything that signifies you're accepting an offer, find out if human resources can add or subtract clauses based upon what was discussed in the interview.
3. Decide if Accepting an Offer Is Worth It
Once you fully understand the terms of your employment, decide if everything is worth it. Does the compensation match what your time and talents are worth? If not, you can always attempt to negotiate a counter offer.
There's nothing wrong with asking for more compensation, especially if your starting salary is lower than average for someone with your skills and experience. Come to the negotiation meeting armed with information about the standard salary for someone with your expertise. Take into account the cost of living in your particular area of the country. If it is more expensive to live in the city where you work, you might have a better chance of earning more money compared to similar companies in other locations.
Keep in mind that you might not have much room to negotiate the salary for an entry-level or low-management position. The more people you oversee and the more responsibilities you have, the better chances you have for a successful negotiation.
Once everything feels right to you, it's time to sign on the dotted line. Give your employer 24 hours before accepting an offer, as most companies find this completely normal. That period gives you time to take these three steps before you formally start your new position. Show appreciation and thank your new employer for the job as the final step.
Photo courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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