Before You Say Yes...

From time to time, I receive messages like the one below from students:

Nita - I have exciting news to share! I just received an offer from X. As you know this is my DREAM job and the offer exceeds my expectations. Do I really need to negotiate?

Look, I get it. It is exciting when you are presented with a promising new offer, promotion or opportunity. You may especially feel eager to close the deal if you have been feeling stuck or searching for awhile. But even though congratulations are well-deserved and there is a high likelihood you will accept, I still believe it’s very much worth the time and effort to evaluate if the opportunity is in line with your market value, goals and expectations. Conducting your due diligence not only has the potential to positively impact your bank account, but also signals confidence in your abilities and your worth.

Although hitting pause during a celebratory stage of the process may make you feel uncomfortable, it’s very difficult to backtrack later. Once you say “yes,” you lose any leverage you may have had to ensure that you are not leaving any money or other favorable terms on the table. Remember, the other party ultimately selected YOU - after assessing your experiences and skills, and even comparing you against their available options. Furthermore, companies spend a significant amount of time, money, and effort sourcing, screening, interviewing, and onboarding candidates. If a company extends you an offer, they are interested in making it work - losing you means having to invest even more valuable resources and energy trying to win over another quality candidate (not to mention having their employees squeeze in additional interviews during lunch breaks and already overbooked calendars).

So instead of accepting right away, an example of a perfectly reasonable response would be:

Thank you, I’m very pleased to receive this offer, especially since I admire the team and products here so much. I’ll just need some time to better understand the details as I’m currently evaluating some other options and want to make sure I make the best decision. Can I get back to you by [insert reasonable date]?

Or if presented with an exciting professional opportunity such as a promotion:

I really appreciate you presenting me with this opportunity. It feels good to be a part of an organization that values my contributions and is invested in my career growth. I would love to learn more about what is involved in this new role to ensure that this commitment makes sense for everyone involved.

These responses express appreciation, enthusiasm and interest, as well as your thoughtful consideration that the final outcome works for both parties.

Once you have secured time to evaluate your offer and conduct your research, you may discover supporting data for a higher range or other advantageous terms. At that time, it’s important that you discuss your case directly with the decision maker, or the person who has the real power to make the changes to the offer (more on this in my next post).

Even if you ultimately accept the original offer, I believe advocating for yourself is well worth the effort. The outcome of this arrangement has the potential to follow you for years in your career. And when you value yourself highly, you are teaching others to do the same.