Managing Offers
We understand that determining whether or not to negotiate a job offer is often an exciting, yet complex decision. Therefore, the Engineering Career Center has established guidelines to promote positive recruiting behaviors that we encourage both students and employers to honor. Below are compiled best practices for students to help them decide if they should negotiate an offer.
Reneges (backing out of or not honoring an employment agreement that you have entered) are serious breaches of UIC’s recruitment understanding with employers. When students renege, it causes damage to your reputation, the Engineering Career Center, and UIC’s relationship with engineering employers. As a result, engineering student’s reneges can affect future opportunities for themselves and other UIC students.
When these instances occur the Engineering Career Center will investigate and determine appropriate actions. We understand that there may be reasonable circumstances that could result in either students and/or employers needing to alter their employment offer commitments.
If it is determined that a student has reneged on an employer without explanation, potential consequences may include:
- A mandatory meeting with a Career Advisor explaining the reasons for your actions and steps you have taken to manage the situation.
- Formal letter(s) of explanation to the employers impacted by the renege to explain the reasons for your actions. The letters will be written professionally and delivered promptly.
Salary Negotiation Best Practices Heading link
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when will I get an offer
- Typically, when you receive an offer, you will be expected to accept or reject the offer within a specified amount of time. Do not feel obligated to accept or reject on the spot, even if you feel pressure to do so! State that you would like to take some time to consider the offer.
- To protect yourself and ensure the company is serious about you, it’s important to get the offer in writing in a formal offer letter or email. You should expect an offer in writing and ask for it if they don’t automatically give it to you.
- A legitimate offer will never involve asking you for any form of payment. You do not need to provide your bank information or social security number in order to receive an offer.
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how do I know
- When an employer makes an offer, you will need to determine first whether you are interested in the job.
- If you decide you want to accept the job, then decide whether you want to negotiate the pay and/or benefits. Ask yourself: “What factors are important to me as I decide if this is a good opportunity for me right now?”
- When a student negotiates, employers look at what the student brings to the table, including grades, projects, internships and engineering or non-engineering work experience.
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what if I need more time
- If you need some time to consider an employer’s offer, you must ask for their deadline to get back to them with your answer.
- It’s okay to ask for more time to make your decision if you need more time.
Sample script to ask for a deadline extension:
“Thank you for extending this offer to me. In order to make an informed decision, I would like to have an additional [# OF DAYS] days to review and consider your offer. Would you be able to extend the offer until [DATE]?”- Once you and the employer agree on a deadline, you must get back to them with an answer by that date.
- If you have questions about the offer, ask those questions as soon as possible. Try not to wait until the night before the deadline to ask them.
- NOTE: UIC does not impose any guidelines on employers regarding offer deadlines.
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How do I decide?
- Create your list of reasons why you are asking for more money and back them up with examples
- Research the market rate for your skills in the industry and location (find at least 3 resources to confirm it)
- Communicate your salary request before the deadline given by the employer
- Clearly state your ideal salary as a fixed number, not a range, and state your reasons why you are asking for that amount. We recommend asking for no more than 10% more than the original offer.
- Most employers will need to get back to you with an answer; they need time to think too
- If additional salary is not possible, what else is negotiable?
- Do not negotiate a salary via email. Instead, call the employer on the phone. While it may be difficult to have this conversation over the phone, it will indicate to the employer that you’re interested in them and that you possess a high degree of professionalism.
- Practice negotiating over the phone (and not in the same room) with someone who can provide honest and useful criticism. Your ECC career coaches can help with this! Click here to make an appointment.
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What do I do with other pending offers?
- When you’ve received an offer, and before you accept it, you can tell the other employers you’ve been interviewing with (including phone interviews!) that you have a job offer and the deadline for accepting, but you’re not obligated to disclose any more details, especially the offer amount. You should do this even if you’re not in the final stages of those other interviews; letting the other companies know that you have an offer could potentially make those companies move quicker if they might want to hire you.
- If you are considering multiple offers at once, congratulations! Think about what you value in a job, and weigh the pros and cons of each offer to make your decision. It’s not always just about the money.
- Remember that you can always ask the company for a deadline extension if you need more time to consider.
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Still have Questions
We get it — this stuff is hard! Your ECC career coaches are here to help! Click here to make an appointment.