Salary Negotiation and Job Offer

Congratulations! After a long job search, you have a job offer. Whether you’re between two offers or need help negotiating to a fair pay, our office is here to help. We strongly encourage our employer partners to adhere to National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Offer Guidelines and Principles for Ethical Professional Practice.

There is more to consider in an offer than just the salary. Factors include:

Job content or nature of the work

Location

Salary

Benefits

Typical work week

Your Supervisor

Co-workers and corporate culture

Job Offer Options

Stall

You should not need to accept any offer on the spot. Express appreciation for the offer and that this is an important decision you would like to think carefully about. Agree on a reasonable time frame to get back to the company. If you are waiting to hear back from other companies, contact them and find out when they will be making a decision, and, if you can, whether you are being considered for the position.

Accept

Ask the employer to confirm the offer in writing. Show your appreciation for the offer by cancelling interviews with other positions. Reject all other offers immediately by telephone or email. Report your job to the Career Services and Co-op office.

Reject

Express appreciation for the offer and say something positive about the organization while being diplomatic.

Offer Ethics

Once you accept a job offer, verbally or in writing, you must not back out to work for another employer. If you have any questions/concerns about this, discuss with your career services coordinator before taking action.

Reneging on an offer (backing out after accepting) could damage your chances of future employment with that company. Therefore, consider carefully before accepting a position.

  1. Understand the terms and reach a mutually acceptable date to respond to the employer’s offer.
  2. Request extensions from employers if you need more time to consider other offers. Do not ignore deadline dates you have agreed upon.
  3. Notify employers that you are accepting or rejecting an offer as soon as you make your decision - never later than the arranged date.
  4. Cancel any other scheduled interviews or on-site visits once you accept a job offer.

Salary Negotiation

Start by learning what the typical salary range is for the job by visiting our Salary and Career Info Page which includes RIT data from co-op students and recent graduates.

Many factors determine salary offers: the type of work you perform (based on your skills, education, and experience level), the industry, company size, and the geographical area. Keep in mind that there is more room for negotiation when discussing full-time offers versus co-op or short-term employment.

Next, figure out your monthly budget with anticipated expenses, emergency, and “fun” money to determine your salary requirement.

Early in the process the employer may ask for your salary requirements. You can choose to ignore the request, which is obviously risky, or provide your salary requirements based on your research. You should provide the employer with a broad range and ensure you are comfortable with accepting the bottom range salary.

Generally, you should wait for the employer to bring up the salary issue. Ideally, this happens near the end of the interview process when you know more about the position. However, if the employer doesn't mention salary, and you are at the point of seriously considering a position with the company, it is appropriate for you to bring up the salary issue.

Keep in mind the benefits the company is offering, as well as other perks such as: 401K, relocation expenses, company car, bonus, vacation, holidays, life and medical insurance, tuition assistance, and stock purchase or savings plan. These benefits can add as much as 30-40% to your actual salary.

Be reasonable in your approach. Reiterate that you are very interested in working for the employer and you want to find a way to work this out.

“Thank you for the offer. I am very excited about working for you because ABC Company is my first choice. However, knowing the going rate is ________, I was really looking for something in the range of ____ to _____. Is there any possibility of that?”

Job Scams

Each year, many RIT students receive employment opportunities that are actually job scams. These job scams may appear on legitimate job boards or be forwarded by compromised email accounts. They may also come through text messages, social media, or phone calls.

Job Scam Indicators

Be alert for scam indicators including:

  • Altered email addresses. Look carefully at the employer email address, some clever scammers transpose a letter to make it appear legitimate.
  • Jobs advertising “working from home” or “online work” (often posing as opportunities to assist faculty or others).
  • You are asked to cash a check and forward money to a third party (e.g., to buy equipment from the employer's vendor).
  • An unsolicited job offer with no or minimal application, interview, or discussion with the employer.
  • The employer asks you to wire money or asks for your credit card information.
  • The employer asks for personal information like your social security number or driver’s license number.
  • The employer asks you to pay for a credit report as part of the application process.
  • You are told you have to pay for training.

How to Respond

If you suspect a possible job scam, take action by doing the following:

  • If you’ve suffered financial loss or provided personal information, contact RIT Public Safety at 585-475-2853.
  • If you’ve received what you believe to be a job scam email, send the email to spam@rit.edu, and forward a copy to infosec@rit.edu and careerservices@rit.edu.
  • If you suspect the presence of malicious content on an RIT website, contact RIT Service Center at 585-475-5000 or https://help.rit.edu.
  • If you suspect a job scam on a job board, contact careerservices@rit.edu.

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