Got a job offer I couldn't refuse

MiikeB

I finally got a job offer today that I had been working for about 3 weeks now. I knew I had the job it just took them awhile to get everything together for the offer letter.

The job sounds great and they offered me plenty of money, significantly more than I am making now (still working in Afghanistan).

So what did I do? Did I jump on the offer and get the ball rolling right away?

Nope. I wrote back an email expressing concerns I had as well as citing my excellent qualifications for the position and asked for more money. Not much more in the scheme of the offer, but what would amount to $900 more a month after taxes in my pocket.

They emailed me back later that day for an amount equal to $600 more a month in my pocket. Thats $7200 a year more I now have to spend on my family (fiance and the dogs lol).

The point here is that these companies don't become billion dollar companies by putting their best offer forward right away. I had a friend who worked in HR for a fortune 500 company who told me he feels bad for people who don't make counter offers because he was authorized to increase offer letters by 7% or a $3,000 signing bonus without needing any further approval if the prospective employee asked for it.

The company is going to make you an offer they think they can get you to accept, not what they can afford. You can't just say "Hey can you increase that number some?" but if you think you are worth more then let them know why and ask for it. Worst that is going to happen is they say no. There are people who say the company might think you are greedy and pull the offer but I have never seen that happen, nor would I want to work for a company that does that because what are they going to do in 2 years when you have had no raise and speak up? Probably fire you if they are the type to pull offer letters on counter offers.

You won't get what you don't ask for, so next time you get a job offer don't be afraid to speak up and let them know what you want.

NetworkVeteran

MiikeB wrote: »

You can't just say "Hey can you increase that number some?" but if you think you are worth more then let them know why and ask for it.

Certainly! Don't settle for less than the market rate for your skills. I'm quite vocal when discussing my employment requirements and justifying my relative value.

Congratulations on your job offer and I'm glad you did so well in the negotiations.

Worst that is going to happen is they say no. There are people who say the company might think you are greedy and pull the offer but I have never seen that happen.

Actually, no! The worst thing that can happen is they can decide not to hire you. Yes, it happens. There's a difference between asking for more when you're being offered well-below market rate, and asking for more when you're being offered well-above market rate.

nor would I want to work for a company that does that because what are they going to do in 2 years when you have had no raise and speak up?

The employers I tend to work for want employees that are excited to work there. They tend to make generous offers out-of-the-gate and have regular salary reviews to ensure my compensation remains in the top 1% for my role and skillset. I've never gone two years without a raise. Give inflation, receiving no raise for years is equivalent to actually losing income.

Obviously, your mileage with other employers may vary.

MentholMoose

MiikeB wrote: »

There are people who say the company might think you are greedy and pull the offer but I have never seen that happen, nor would I want to work for a company that does that because what are they going to do in 2 years when you have had no raise and speak up?

This happened to me once and initially I was upset, but I quickly realized it was for the best. They had given a low-ball offer and rescinded it as soon as I questioned it, which is a strong sign it isn't a good place to work. The same position opened up again six months later and I doubt they were hiring an extra person.

NotHackingYou

Would you ask for more if the initial offer was 50% more than your current pay rate and what you would consider on the high side for your skill set?

MiikeB

CarlSaiyed wrote: »

Would you ask for more if the initial offer was 50% more than your current pay rate and what you would consider on the high side for your skill set?

If I felt like I could come up with valid reasons to justify it but that would be hard with that information. Also depends if they know their offer is 50% higher than what you currently make, though I would never tell them that information myself.

dave330i

I negotiate my rate up front. That way no one wastes their time with meaningless interview.

Devilry

What a great post, and i'm happy you got a new offer! Did you get this job in the states? or is it in afghan also?

networker050184

dave330i wrote: »

I negotiate my rate up front. That way no one wastes their time with meaningless interview.

Pretty much the same here. I at least work out a range before wasting the time of going through interviews. No point in interviewing if we aren't even in the same ballpark compensation wise.


Congrats to the OP! Hopefully you enjoy the new job.

Iristheangel

Congratulations on the job!

NetworkVeteran

networker050184 wrote: »

Pretty much the same here. I at least work out a range before wasting the time of going through interviews. No point in interviewing if we aren't even in the same ballpark compensation wise.

I also confirm a range before interviewing, based on the minimum I need to maintain my family's current lifestyle and future goals. I don't negotiate an exact rate, because before the interview we don't know enough about what each other is offering to do so. I also expect to exceed their expectations and merit more than is customary for my education / certifications / experience.

jamesp1983

dave330i wrote: »

I negotiate my rate up front. That way no one wastes their time with meaningless interview.

I do the same thing. No use in wasting anyone's time.

lhietpas

Congrats!

YuckTheFankees

Congrats on the job!

kurosaki00

gratz man!

Hopefully someday I can be the one calling the $$$ shots instead of just nodding and hoping for the best

MiikeB

Still in Afghanistan, should be starting in 3 weeks or so. Pretty excited about it.