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May 4, 2023
Accepting a job offer is an exciting time, but it can also be nerve wracking, particularly if you also have to let your current employer know that you are leaving. The excitement of accepting the role could lead you to miss out some important details. In this blog, we’ll run through the basics of accepting a job role so you can make sure you’ve ticked all the boxes before you move forward.
If you are currently out of work, you are likely to jump at the first job offer that comes along. This is a fine strategy if you don’t have a financial safety net, but if you can afford to wait for the right opportunity, this can be more beneficial to your career. However, this freedom isn’t available to everyone, so you might be forced to accept a job when it comes along.
Before accepting a job offer, you need to make sure that you are able to commit to the role if it requires you to relocate, you need to confirm that the salary is sufficient, and then you also need to check if you will be able to honour your current notice period if you’re employed by another company.
Once you have confirmed you are capable of accepting the job offer, it’s time to get writing your email.
It’s fine to accept the job offer in person, on the phone or by email. However, most companies will want written confirmation that you would like to accept the role. So, even if you’ve confirmed in person or over the phone, be prepared to write a follow-up email to reiterate your points.
When accepting a job offer, keep the following in mind:
You don’t want to sit around on a job offer. If you need more time to think, say so, but don’t be surprised if they push for a final answer right away. If you decline the offer, they need to go to their second choice, and the second choice might accept an offer elsewhere in the meantime. This is why it is so important to move quickly when you want to accept the role.
If you delay accepting or don’t respond to their emails, they might mistake this for a rejection and go straight to their second choice. This could leave you out of luck, simply because you didn’t move fast enough.
It’s perfectly acceptable to say that you would be happy to accept the role at X salary, and then use this as a jumping off point for negotiations. There is typically some wiggle room for salary negotiations, so you don’t have to hold off on expressing interest in accepting the role just because you haven’t agreed on a salary yet.
If you have multiple job offers, it might be the time to play the employers off against each other. You can say that you would like to accept the role, but company X has offered you the same role with salary Y.
You can then ask if the company is willing to match or exceed this offer. If they are very keen to get you on board, you may find that you’re able to increase the money on the table.
Be wary about taking this approach if there is no other company. Some might be tempted to lie in order to secure a larger salary, but there is the risk the company could retract their offer and you’ll be back to square one.
It’s helpful to let the new employer know your current notice period so you can also determine a start date. They will be anticipating a notice period, but also mention if you have any holidays booked in the first few months. Many employers will be happy to honour holidays that are already booked, but they just need to know in advance so they can plan around this.
It’s surprising how often individuals forget to thank the company for the opportunity to express their excitement. The application process can be so stressful that when the job offer arrives, you might be more focused on the relief than anything else. Don’t forget to be professional, courteous and enthusiastic with your new employer.
If you’ve thought of any additional questions since the last interview, now is the time to ask. You’re now thinking in more practical terms about starting a new job, so you can afford to be more direct with your new employer. Now is a great time to think about onboarding, your salary, additional perks and anything else you need to be able to accept the role.
When you’re ready to accept a job offer, you need to take a bit of time to get your thoughts down in an email. Here’s how we would structure an acceptance email:
If you haven’t discussed salary or start dates yet, you can expect a follow-up email that will kick start the negotiations. They might accept your proposal right away, or they might offer a counter. Make sure you check your emails regularly during this time to ensure you don’t miss any important correspondence.
This would be an example of an acceptance letter that you could adapt to your needs.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your email. I would be delighted to accept the role of Customer Service Manager with your company. As discussed in the interview, my salary expectations are £27,000 and I have a four week notice period in my current role. I would like to propose a starting date of 24th August.
I’d like to thank you for this opportunity to join the team and I am excited to get started in my new role.
All the best,
Rebecca Jones
This email gets to the point and confirms two key pieces of information: the salary and the start date. Don’t wait for the contract to arrive before you confirm the starting salary, as this could lead to an offer that is below what you are expecting.
Accepting a job offer doesn’t have to be complicated. The important thing to remember is that you should respond quickly or ask for more time to decide if it would be a big move. If you do ask for more time, let them know what date you expect to confirm. If you ask them to wait too long, don’t be surprised if the offer goes away
If you are accepting the role, make sure you confirm the starting salary and your current notice period. This will ensure you can start making plans for your big move.
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