Negotiating Job offers
Congratulations on receiving a job offer! Please know that the Career
Deve
lopment Center (CDC) is here to help coach you through the
negotiation processes. This tipsheet will guide you through some tips
and strategies for negotiating your job offer with an employer.
1
Areas for Negotiation
You can negotiate a job offer on several areas, including
salary, job title, number of vacation days or personal
time, start date, or the date of your first evaluation of
performance and salary. You should not negotiate more
than one offer or on more than two or three items, and
always start with the item that is of most importance to
you.
The area that most people negotiate on is salary. Ask
yourself these questions to determine if you should
negotiate the salary of a job offer:
• Ho w does the salary offer line up with the average
salary data you found from the CDC, NACE and
other salary research websites?
• I f less than the average salary data, use that data
when negotiating salary.
• I f at or above the average salary data, be able to
clearly articulate why you feel you deserve an
increase in salary. Look at the job description and
highlight the skills and experiences that make you
an exemplary candidate.
• Consider:
- Past work or internship experience
- Project, research, and lab experience
- Academic performance and GPA
• Wh
at about bonuses and other benefits such as
vacation time, future education benefits, 401k
benefits, and healthcare options?
• D o not include any personal factors such as student
loans or cost of living in your salary negotiations.
If you feel you have justication and data to support
asking for an increase in salary, it is okay to do so.
People do it all the time, including many students and
new graduates.
Negotiation Process
Call the company representative to begin the
negotiation process. It is better to negotiate via phone,
not through email, and feel free to leverage other
offers, but do not lie or make up information.
One negotiation approach that works well is to
offer a range. Start by identifying a high and low point
based on your research. The highest figure should be
no more than 10% above the original offer. For
example:
• Highest Figure: you would be ecstatic if they could
get you to this number
• Lowest Figure (still higher than the original offer):
you would be happy and on board with the role if
they could get you to this number
By providing the employer with a range, you make it
easier for the company contact to review and react to
the information. When you share the range be sure to
highlight your worth and ability to get up to speed
quickly based on specific prior experiences or examples.
When you negotiate, never issue an ultimatum to the
company, indicating you will not take the job unless
they offer you a certain salary. Instead, after you
advocate your position through negotiation, you can say
“Is there anything else you can do for me to increase my
salary?”
2
Another negotiation approach is to go back to the
employer with just one figure you are hoping to get. If
you take this approach, the figure should be between
the low and high figure in your range approach. You
should be prepared for the employer to come back with
a counter offer and you need to decide ahead of time
what you are willing to accept. If they cannot or will not
adjust the salary, see if they will revisit the conversation
after six months of work based upon your performance.
If they say yes, be sure to get it in writing before you
accept.
Accepting an Offer
It is recommended to accept a job offer by phone. Do
not email your acceptance. Some companies may
require that you sign and mail back the acceptance
letter, or respond using their online system. If so, be
sure to get a photocopy of the signed letter for your
own files before you send it. If you amend anything
through negotiation discussions with the employer,
such as salary, job title, or number of vacation days, ask
for that information in writing before signing and
accepting.
Once you accept an offer, inform other companies that
you have accepted a position. Do not continue
to interview or apply for other positions. You should
remove yourself from these other candidate pools to
ensure you do not stand in the way of other applicants
vying for those opportunities.
Declining an Offer
If you decide not to take a job offer, you should call the
contact who extended the offer and thank them for
the offer but inform them that you are no longer
interested in the position and will be pursuing other
opportunities. If telephoning is not your comfortable
mode of communication, you may send a polite,
grammatically correct email to your contact conveying
a similar message—however, the CDC strongly
recommends that you reach out by phone.
You may also inform a company that you are no longer
interested in an opportunity before you receive an
offer. For example, if you interview for a job and realize
it is not what you are looking for, you should call the
employer and thank them for their time, but inform
them that yoyou would like to withdraw your candidacy.
Remember…
Consider all factors when reviewing job offers, such as:
• Ho w the role aligns with your career interests
and goals
• T otal compensation package: salary, bonuses, paid
time o, retirement plans, healthcare
• Location
• Hours
Accepting an internship or job is an important decision
that only you can make.
The CDC is here to help guide
you through the process. We recommend making an
appointment as soon as you get the offer. You want to
be sure to talk through it before the offer deadline
closes and before you accept or reject the position.
Good luck!
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C
ar
eer De
v
elopmen
t C
en
t
er
P
roject Center
508-831-5260 | [email protected]
wpi.edu/+cdc
Negotiating Job Offers
