MyLifeMyCareer.com

So, you had a few interviews, visited the office, went to lunch with a few people, and now you have an offer in your hand and it happened so quickly that you're not sure what to think. What do you do now?

Wait a day or two, or longer if you are expecting other offers from reputable companies. Go home and think about what they are really offering you (pushing papers or building your career with actual work and training), if you enjoyed the people at the office, and the location. Will you be in a cube, office, or share a long desk with many other associates? Will you be comfortable?

Take it all in, and let it register before making a decision.

Did the office smell good? Just asking.

Think about it. If you are interviewing with a company that is serious about providing you a great opportunity, and you respect the company and position then they will probably offer you a competitive salary. I would like to conduct a study to measure how content recent grads are with their new positions if they negotiated an offer compared with those who did not need to negotiate an offer because it was a great company and competitive offer. If a company is offering you a figure that doesn't seem right to you, "low balling" to put it bluntly, then do you think that they really value you? Do you want to work for somebody that is jerking you around before you are even officially an employee? Again, it comes down to what you value and believe in, and what you will stand for when an offer is waving within arm's reach. If there is truly a misunderstanding where a company missed a certification you hold or your experience truly warrants a higher salary then you may consider negotiating a salary. You should have a decently open relationship with your recruiter by the time the offer rolls around, and should be able to clear any misunderstandings up or negotiate. Here's an article that should help you with negotiating an offer in a professional manner. In most situations if you are interviewing with the right companies that respect you, you will not need to negotiate.

A friend of mine was discussing how to properly turn down an offer that doesn’t meet your needs or expectations. Again, by expectations I’m talking about much more here than the the $ figure attached to the offer. Do you want to live in that city, do you want to travel that much, do you see yourself spending 8-9+ hours a day 5 days a week in that office, and do you fit in and feel comfortable with the people that work there?

If you answer no to any of these questions, then you are going to have to professionally decline. If you have been sending thank you emails to your recruiters, then you should only decline the offer to the person that extended the offer, usually the human resourses associate who led you through the job process. Some resources and advisors will recommend that you write a letter to the HR team declining the offer which is a nice gesture, but I will let you decide if this is right or not really necessary on top of a personal call.