How to Accept a Job Offer

Summary: Accepting a job offer is not as easy as saying “yes”. Use these tips to professionally accept or reject an offer.

You prepared, you searched, you applied, you prepared some more, and then you interviewed. Now you finally receive that precious job offer that you have stressed over and worked hard for. You want to say “yes” as soon as you hear the word “offer”, but slow down. There is more research that needs to happen before you can accept any offer.

1. Show your gratitude with a thank you. You want the employer to know how grateful you are to be chosen to receive an offer and for all the time they took in the presenting the offer to you.
2. Don’t accept the offer on the spot. Be polite, but take the time needed to review the offer in detail.
3. Ask for a written offer so you can look at the details and so that you can keep the offer in your records. You need to be able to look at the details of the role and the compensation. There may be details of the job or compensation that are unclear to you. With a written explanation you will be able to ask questions regarding the unclear parts before accepting the job.
4. Review the entire package. The salary may be lower than you had hoped, but the other benefits may make up for that. If the job helps further your career, then a lower salary can be accepted. Weigh the pros and cons to make an informed decision.
5. Give your response within two days. This is a reasonable amount of time, but don’t take longer or the job may not be yours. The company may think you are not committed and are shopping around for another job. Don’t come back after the 48 hours and start negotiating or making them an offer. You need to be fair and respectful of the time requirements.
6. Negotiate any parts of the offer early on. If there is part of the offer that you wish to negotiate, be able to explain why and accept the offer if they match the request. If you don’t have any legitimate reason for asking for more money then don’t. Remember that negotiating is at your own risk and job offers can be rescinded.

Read these other articles to learn more about job offers:

• 10 Ways to Negotiate a Job Offer Like a Pro
• Ask the Genie: How to Turn Down a Job Offer with Class
• Turn Your Internship into a Job Offer

Photo: careerealism.com