Posted by Every job seeker feels like a winner when they get a job offer. After all the study, applications, and interviews, you’ve finally been offered the job you’ve been trying to get. Go you! You have good reason to be excited. But don’t be in a hurry to join right away. Every job seeker needs to learn how to accept an offer of work.
When a company makes a job offer, it’s like putting all its cards on the table. They want you to do the same, which means they want you to accept the job immediately. If you do that, you lose your ability to negotiate. Bad move.
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Follow these steps to learn how to accept a job offer the right way:
1. Thank them for giving you the job offer
Before you do anything else, thank the person who made the offer and tells them how happy and thankful you are. This can be done in person, by phone, or by email.
Whether you try to negotiate or take the offer as is, starting the talk this way sets a good tone.
Keep your spirit up as you go forward. Remember that the company is at risk because you might not accept their offer, so show that you are interested in the job to make them feel better. Words like “excited” and “thrilled” will convey your point without saying you’re taking the job.
2. Ask for the offer to be written down.
If you want to know how to accept a job offer, you must know what you agree to. After thanking the boss, ask for the offer to be put in writing. At the very least, an official job offer letter should have the name of the job, the start date, the pay, and information about benefits.
Two things happen in this step:
- It shows that the deal is real.
- It allows you to carefully review the details and ensure you fully understand what’s being offered.
Ask how long you have after getting the letter to give a final answer. If the company says you must answer immediately, that’s not good. The right way to accept a job offer is to do your research, and the company knows this. Putting pressure on you doesn’t make a good impression and is usually done to scare you. A responsible boss will give a job candidate at least a day or two to think about whether or not to take the job.
But if you want to negotiate the terms, you can say:
“I’ve considered the offer, and it’s a great opportunity. I want to talk more about the details. When could we talk or meet?”
When negotiating your pay, be ready with the right questions to ask, and remember that you should take a collaborative, not an aggressive, tone. After all, you both want the same thing, which is for you to get that job.
3. Know what to say when you take a job
When you’re done bargaining and ready to accept, please put in your acceptance a list of all the details as you understand them. You can say:
“From what I understand, I will be able to take X vacation days, get a Y-dollar bonus on Z, and the company will pay 75% of my health care costs and match the first 3% of my 401(k) contributions.”
This is especially important if you could get a better deal than the first offer. In fact, you should also ask for a written copy of the final agreement.
If the talks took longer than you thought, they would say so in your acceptance. Negotiation is stressful for both sides and once you accept an offer, thanking your new boss for their time and effort shows that you’re ready to move on.
Lastly, ask what you should do next. For example, if you accept a job offer, is there any paperwork you should start immediately? Is there going to be a meeting? How do you get ready for the first day? This shows that you’re interested, making the company feel good about hiring you.
Now, get out there and show them what you are capable of! Find your dream job on Jobstore.com, download our free mobile app today.
Anisa is a writer who focuses on career and lifestyle topics in an effort to motivate both job searchers and employers towards greater fulfillment in their professional lives.
Reach me at anisa@jobstore.com.