Negotiating a Job Offer
Congratulations on receiving a job offer. Before you accept, be sure to compare it to other offers and figure out if the job and benefits are right for you.
Once you receive a job offer, be sure to evaluate the job, salary, and benefits, as well as compare it to other offers. Once you’ve decided which opportunity you plan to accept, you should prepare to negotiate. Check out our Career Outcomes & Salary Data page and download the Understanding Job Offers and Negotiations tipsheet(PDF) for advice on knowing the value of your skills in the marketplace, negotiating, accepting, or declining an offer.
Can you change your mind about a job after you’ve accepted?
Imagine this—after interviews with several companies, you accept a job offer from Corporation A to begin a week after graduation. Then, XYZ Startup, a company that just began recruiting new college grads, also offers you a job to begin a week after graduation. You want to work for XYZ Startup, but what will you do about the job you’ve already accepted at Corporation A?
No big deal, you think, companies hire and fire people all the time. You’ll just let Corporation A know that you’ve changed your mind. But before you pick up the phone to renege on your job with Corporation A, consider that:
- Some employers keep a running list of students who renege after they’ve accepted a job offer, and even without a list, recruiters will remember you—telling Corporation A that you’re reneging might have an impact on your future career.
- The job you accepted with Corporation A may have been someone else’s dream job; by accepting it, you’ve taken that opportunity out of the job market.
- Reneging on the job you’ve accepted may hurt the future job prospects of other WPI students and alumni with that company.
Be sure to keep these points in mind if you’re considering reneging on an offer and, as always, visit the CDC if you need advice or to discuss your options.