Countering an Offer

[Anonymous]

I’ve been out of the hiring game for a bit, so curious what the read is on this.

I received an offer last Friday. It was nearly what I had hoped for. Took the weekend and decided on Tuesday to ask if there was any more room on the salary. The recruiter said she’d look into it.

Haven’t heard anything since.

Should I follow-up tomorrow? I’m excited about the position and am now worried I look greedy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been out of the hiring game for a bit, so curious what the read is on this.

I received an offer last Friday. It was nearly what I had hoped for. Took the weekend and decided on Tuesday to ask if there was any more room on the salary. The recruiter said she’d look into it.

Haven’t heard anything since.

Should I follow-up tomorrow? I’m excited about the position and am now worried I look greedy!

It is smart to push back and counter versus taking the first offer. If there is an amount you'd immediately sign for and have thought about, you can counter with that. The additional data point that you'll stop looking at other options can be powerful. Just asking for more isn't very helpful though.
The recruiter usually has no incentive to keep the company's costs down, so she should be advocating strongly for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been out of the hiring game for a bit, so curious what the read is on this.

I received an offer last Friday. It was nearly what I had hoped for. Took the weekend and decided on Tuesday to ask if there was any more room on the salary. The recruiter said she’d look into it.

Haven’t heard anything since.

Should I follow-up tomorrow? I’m excited about the position and am now worried I look greedy!

Good going ! This is how one puts a solid job offer in jeopardy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been out of the hiring game for a bit, so curious what the read is on this.

I received an offer last Friday. It was nearly what I had hoped for. Took the weekend and decided on Tuesday to ask if there was any more room on the salary. The recruiter said she’d look into it.

Haven’t heard anything since.

Should I follow-up tomorrow? I’m excited about the position and am now worried I look greedy!

Good going ! This is how one puts a solid job offer in jeopardy.

Oh hush. OP, definitely follow-up! Last week at work was hectic for everyone with back to school, lots of places RTO, etc., so no harm in checking in. And, if heaven forbid they are the type of company to pull the offer due to a reasonable comp negotiation, you've dodged a bullet.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, all. I’m OP. The recruiter called on Friday. All is well on the offer — they’re just seeing if they can bump the title to support the increased comp.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been out of the hiring game for a bit, so curious what the read is on this.

I received an offer last Friday. It was nearly what I had hoped for. Took the weekend and decided on Tuesday to ask if there was any more room on the salary. The recruiter said she’d look into it.

Haven’t heard anything since.

Should I follow-up tomorrow? I’m excited about the position and am now worried I look greedy!

Good going ! This is how one puts a solid job offer in jeopardy.

Lol no it isn’t. It’s how some people end up making $300K and others post “I’ve got 28 years experience but make $71K, what am I doing wrong?”

[Anonymous]

OP had an offer in hand for nearly what he wanted. Why jeopardize this ?

How much was/is the difference in terms of both dollars and percentage of offered compensation ?

Everything is not always about getting a little more money when seeking a job change. In fact, many (such as biglaw attorneys moving to the federal government as a lawyer) take serious pay cuts to move to positions which offer a better lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP had an offer in hand for nearly what he wanted. Why jeopardize this ?

How much was/is the difference in terms of both dollars and percentage of offered compensation ?

Everything is not always about getting a little more money when seeking a job change. In fact, many (such as biglaw attorneys moving to the federal government as a lawyer) take serious pay cuts to move to positions which offer a better lifestyle.

Moving from big law to government is low risk. Moving from government to the private sector is high risk, and anyone who isn’t concerned with maximizing their salary before making the move has poor judgment! Even if going from one private sector job to another, it doesn’t hurt to ask, if the offer you received is in the ballpark of what you can accept but a little more would make you more comfortable. No ask, no get.

Most of us work for a living. Jeopardizing it by taking a new job when you already have one, should come with some added stability. I don’t think OP was unemployed? Might have missed that though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been out of the hiring game for a bit, so curious what the read is on this.

I received an offer last Friday. It was nearly what I had hoped for. Took the weekend and decided on Tuesday to ask if there was any more room on the salary. The recruiter said she’d look into it.

Haven’t heard anything since.

Should I follow-up tomorrow? I’m excited about the position and am now worried I look greedy!

OP: As presented in this thread, this is just an inquiry, not a counter-offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP had an offer in hand for nearly what he wanted. Why jeopardize this ?

How much was/is the difference in terms of both dollars and percentage of offered compensation ?

Everything is not always about getting a little more money when seeking a job change. In fact, many (such as biglaw attorneys moving to the federal government as a lawyer) take serious pay cuts to move to positions which offer a better lifestyle.

Moving from big law to government is low risk. Moving from government to the private sector is high risk, and anyone who isn’t concerned with maximizing their salary before making the move has poor judgment! Even if going from one private sector job to another, it doesn’t hurt to ask, if the offer you received is in the ballpark of what you can accept but a little more would make you more comfortable. No ask, no get.

Most of us work for a living. Jeopardizing it by taking a new job when you already have one, should come with some added stability. I don’t think OP was unemployed? Might have missed that though.

The bolded is an overstatement. Folks switch jobs for various reasons, but I do agree that moving from a government position to the private sector is usually motivated by the desire/need to earn more money. Maximizing one's salary is too broad of a statement to be meaningful without knowing more facts and circumstances involved in the move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP had an offer in hand for nearly what he wanted. Why jeopardize this ?

How much was/is the difference in terms of both dollars and percentage of offered compensation ?

Everything is not always about getting a little more money when seeking a job change. In fact, many (such as biglaw attorneys moving to the federal government as a lawyer) take serious pay cuts to move to positions which offer a better lifestyle.

Moving from big law to government is low risk. Moving from government to the private sector is high risk, and anyone who isn’t concerned with maximizing their salary before making the move has poor judgment! Even if going from one private sector job to another, it doesn’t hurt to ask, if the offer you received is in the ballpark of what you can accept but a little more would make you more comfortable. No ask, no get.

Most of us work for a living. Jeopardizing it by taking a new job when you already have one, should come with some added stability. I don’t think OP was unemployed? Might have missed that though.

The bolded is an overstatement. Folks switch jobs for various reasons, but I do agree that moving from a government position to the private sector is usually motivated by the desire/need to earn more money. Maximizing one's salary is too broad of a statement to be meaningful without knowing more facts and circumstances involved in the move.

You’re probably right. But I would say that it’s certainly not an unusual or untoward consideration, and should be seen as a normal thing by anyone hiring.