How to Accept a Job Offer

Whether you have been searching for the perfect job on Seek or Yudu for weeks on end, perfecting your first impression for face-to-face interviews, or even if you have been headhunted by a prestigious recruiter – either way, you will be over the moon when you receive a job offer.

Receiving a job offer is exciting, it can feel natural to accept straight away. However, it may pay to hold that excitement inside while you think things through first. You’re understandably psyched, and probably doing the “I got the offer” dance. But don’t be so quick to accept right away.

Here are some tips on what to do when someone offers you a job:

Appreciate:

No matter how you are communicating when you receive the offer; in person, over the phone, by email or through the trusty ol’ letterbox. your first step should always be to thank the person who made the offer and let them know how excited you are. Always show your gratitude whether you’re going to come back with a negotiation or accept the offer without changes.

Keep up the enthusiasm as you move forward throughout the process, Using words like “excited” and “thrilled” will get the point across, without saying you’re accepting the position.

Consider

Even if you are pretty sure that you will accept the role, you don’t need to accept it immediately. With the exception of some, most employers will not expect you to accept or reject the offer straight away. Other employers will even advise an employee to read through the contract before accepting.

Be sure to keep it professional, ask the employer when they need your decision. Use this time to think over the offer and your options. Make sure you get to the bottom of any questions or concerns you have before tou come to your final decision.

Ask in Writing

It is in your best interest to get the job offer in writing before you accept the role. This makes sure the offer is official and gives you a chance to review the details thoroughly to make sure you completely understand what you’re being offered.

More often than you may realize, verbal offers may fail to go through, or you may find that when you start working, the details of the job are different from what you had thought.

Some companies won’t give you a written offer before you get to make your decision. These companies would rather discuss all aspects of the offer face-to-face or over the phone, negotiation this way, is easier. They will then send you a letter of the agreement after a verbal ‘YES!’.

Once you have received the written offer, reply with something along the lines of “I’ve considered the offer and it’s a wonderful opportunity…:

1) I would want to discuss the details more carefully”

OR

2) I want to take the role!”

FYI: An official job offer letter should include, at the very least, the name of the position, a start date, a salary, and details about benefits.

Once you have all the details say yes! or no…

Usually, job offers go very smoothly and both parties are happy with the offers and the opportunities.However, if you went through negotiation and are now ready to accept you should always reiterate all the details you discussed with the employer. If it was a difficult negotiation, sometimes it could be worth asking for the final offer in writing.

Negotiation can be stressful for both sides, always appreciate your new employers time and effort once you have joined their team.

SO… 

There’s plenty to consider before signing on the line. If you find any doubt in your mind, I would recommend not taking the job offer. If you think you can take the offer and back out of the role at a later date – because a better job comes along – don’t. This is unethical, and your reputation in the industry could be in the firing line. You will probably get sick of recruiters asking about your short 2-month stint on your CV.

If you are searching for the perfect job offer, Please don’t hesitate to contact the team at TRS. We are here to help. We have a large variety of active roles around New Zealand across 4 major industries.