Jan 26, 2012
So you’ve had your job interview and you’re eagerly awaiting your offer. When it arrives, it is less than what you want. What do you do?
Well, here’s my plug for working with a recruiter…If the offer is way off what your expectations were, your recruiter can negotiate on your behalf and there’s nothing you have to do but accept when the new offer comes in.
However, if the offer is in line (within $2,500 – $5,000 of what you were expecting), then it’s time to make some decisions. Here is a scenerio to consider:
Your offer is off by $2,500. Say you’re in a higher tax bracket so deduct a 30% tax rate from that and divide it by 365 days in a year and figure out how much you will be sacrificing per day.
$2500 – 30% = $1750 after taxes
$1750/365 days = $4.79/day
So are you willing to give up your dream job for $5 a day? Well maybe, and I am not going to tell you that you shouldn’t. Here are some questions to help you weigh your pros and cons:
1. Are you currently employed? (If not, how long have you been unemployed? Sometimes you need to start at a lower salary to get back into the industry).
2. How much are you making now? Will it be a lateral move or is it a raise?
3. How convenient is the new job to your schedule – ie: work hours, travel time, perks, benefits?
4. What new opportunity does this new job have that your current one doesn’t?
5. Why are you looking for a new job in the first place?
The reality of the whole thing is that if you’re looking for a job, then something must not be right where you’re at right now. What type of opportunity does this new company offer to you?
One might step out on a ledge and say to you, $2,500 is miniscule, so why not just accept the current offer? But you can just as easily turn that around and say that the $2,500 means more to you than it would to a large company, so why can’t they just offer it.
Bottom line, it’s up to you, really. Nobody can make this decision for you, but you. But don’t just look at the monetary side of it, however. Examine all angles and really consider what’s going to be the best for you right now.
