This is a question I receive often, and the simple answer is YES! A job offer is exactly that…an offer. Like any other offer, including those you would personally make on anything from a garage sale item to a car or a house, the opening bid is a starting point for the negotiation.
The key thing to remember is that you are a commodity in your job search. Companies need talent to drive them forward towards their goals. When you are interviewing, it’s a two-way street. Just as you are selling yourself to your potential employer, you are looking for a place to expand and sustain your career. If done right, an interview should be a mutual exploration of what might come, as well as an exercise in learning about each other.
Once you get through the interview, you should have formed an opinion on whether it’s a good fit for you, and the hiring manager will have done the same. If the hiring manager likes you and thinks you have what it takes to help the company achieve their goals, an offer is the next logical step.
When you receive the offer, consider it carefully and don’t let your enthusiasm for the potential opportunity, or your disillusionment with your current job, cloud your judgement. Think about and analyze it carefully. Understand what your benefit coverage will be, make sure you are clear on your vacation and holiday availability, and read any bonus compensation disclosures carefully. It’s the total package that’s important, so when you negotiate, your approach should consider all of the aspects of your offer.
If you are interested in more vacation and you’d like a bump in salary, consider countering with a range, where your desired salary is close to the bottom, in addition to an additional weeks vacation. This will increase the likelihood that you’ll get one or the other, and any vacation or time you can add has a definite monetary value.
So many clients come to me with horror stories of offers that were misrepresented or not clearly spelled out. My last, but possibly most important, advice – get it in writing! This is your future, your financial stability, and hopefully, what gets you up in the morning five days per week. Don’t rely on someone’s word or a verbal agreement.