Importance of Offer Negotiation

Once you have received the job offer, you might think the hard part is over and that your job search is over. Yet the job offer is the bridging key to transitioning from a successful candidate to a successful employee. There is a key point, between when the job offer is made and when you accept, that you can ask additional free questions to fully understand both the offer and the role. Most employers will expect you to take at least a day or two to respond, so be prepared for the job offer call so that you can ask your key questions.

This is the time when you can ask questions about: 1) the offer itself (how the pay is structured, when and how often you are paid, any bonuses or other cash and non-cash compensation offered), benefits (health, dental, life, disability, including how much is your share), the role (your responsibilities, the expected deliverables in the first 90 days and first year, to whom you report and/or whom is reporting to you) and the future potential (how and when performance reviews will take place, future promotional opportunities and expected future pay increases).

It is also important to note that the closer you are to an entry level role, the less likely it will be for the employer to negotiate the terms. Many entry level roles have a set salary at which all new hires for that role start. The further you get into your career, the more your skill set will specialize and differentiate and the more likely will be the employers to negotiate the terms of the offer.


All job search content at this site (including the content on this page) is custom content from Brian Krueger, former CEO and Founder of CollegeGrad.com and former VP of Global Talent Acquisition for Amazon.com. All content is subject to the copyright restrictions of our site.