In last week’s column I highlighted the dilemma faced by job seekers who receive an offer early in their search. It’s a little counter-intuitive, since “the sooner the better” would seem like a good mantra for timing on job offers. But indeed, as anyone who has faced this dilemma knows, if this early offer isn’t amazing, it can be gut-wrenching to take it, not knowing what could have evolved later in the search.
As I explained last week, I have an easy answer for the problem: Take the job. My perspective is largely shaped by the regrets I’ve heard job seekers express when something better didn’t turn up later. But an even stronger influence on my thinking is one of the adages I consult when faced with a difficult decision: A bicycle that’s in motion is easier to steer.
In this case, that means a job that isn’t perfect can usually be improved or at least accommodated, while having no job at all leaves you in the realm of “what if.” When faced with a choice between acting or waiting, I favor action.
Which brings us to the first real action available to job seekers in this situation: Negotiating the offer. Or, more to the point, negotiating the so-so offer — the offer you kind of hope won’t work out but which you feel compelled to pursue. Your success will depend on following these initial steps:
1. Define the pluses and minuses of the situation. Why, exactly, are you so "meh" about this offer? If it's only because of the timing, this step will help reveal the facets of the gem currently hidden by your other expectations.
2. Identify the opportunity costs of accepting or declining the offer. As economy majors know, opportunity cost is a handy concept that helps us quantify the true cost of a decision. When spending $20 for a night at the movies, you no longer have that money or time to spend elsewhere. Your decision costs you the opportunity to buy or do something else.
In terms of a job offer, the most obvious opportunity cost is the one that’s causing all the trouble to begin with: If you take this job, you’re not available to take a later offer. Fair enough, but now fill in the blanks for the rest of the equation so you can make a true assessment: If you don’t take the job, you’ll need to keep searching. How does that affect you, your family, and your finances?
3. Mentally change the job until it's an exciting opportunity. What would it take to rev your motor on this one — more money? Better projects? An easier commute? When you have these ideas in hand, you have the basis for your negotiation.
Now that you’ve taken a closer look at what’s really “wrong” with the offer and what would make it acceptable to you, the final step is to discuss it with the manager who made the offer. Of course, you can also research other companies and salaries in the field. But realistically, once an offer has been made you don’t have all the time in the world. Nor does the outcome of the research really matter: Either this will work for you or it won’t; either the improvements you suggest will be accepted by the manager or they won’t. Since you were willing to walk away from the situation anyway, your risk here is low.
You can approach this conversation a number of ways, but I think a collaborative negotiation process is going to be the most fruitful. Rather than emailing a list of demands or concerns, call the manager to express general enthusiasm and to request a meeting to go over the offer. Remember that in making the offer, this person has invested hope and confidence in you; treating the offer as something to build on rather than something that has to be fixed will extend that feeling of goodwill.
The final step is both easy and hard: Sit down and express your concerns. For example, “If I step in at this level, we’ll both be missing the advantages of using my deeper experience. I’m wondering if we can build in some projects for me to lead, or at least an early review to advance my responsibilities in six months.”
If you can’t improve the offer enough, you can: 1) turn it down; 2) accept but keep looking; or 3) propose a compromise where you perform some duties as an independent contractor. In all cases, I advise moving forward with calm, acceptance, gratitude and resolution — and no second-guessing. Getting an offer is always a good thing, so congratulations to you.
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