How to Accept a Job Offer

How to Accept a Job Offer Have you made it to the end of your job hunt and received an offer? Congratulations! Receiving a job offer can be the most wonderful feeling in the world. You’ve worked hard perfecting your job application and interview and now you are receiving the ultimate result: a job offer.But before you rush to your new workplace, you have to formally accept the job offer. In this guide, we’ll explain how to acknowledge and accept the job offer in style and on time.You’ll get both verbal and written examples to help you through the process. BUT BEFORE YOU SAY ‘YES’…Wait a moment â€" you are probably over the moon to be offered a job but you need to take a second before you accept. You don’t want to immediately yell ‘yes’ and head down to the office. Accepting a job is always a decision that requires a bit of thought and composure.So, take a moment to think the job is exactly what you want. Naturally, you should think about this during your job application process. However, you’ve now been talking with the organization and you’ve gotten a better idea at what it would be like to work there. Do you still think it’s the right choice?It’s not unheard of to get second thoughts after a job interview, for instance. Perhaps the organization didn’t seem quite as exciting as you thought. The job-hunting process also takes time and another opportunity might have come your way. There are many reasons you might not feel like accepting the offer and you do need to take your time to ensure you are making the right decision.There is no harm in asking for a bit of time to consider the offer. You don’t have to accept or decline right away. If you are unsure, you can thank the employer for the opportunity and ask some time to think the offer through. For instance, you can ask if you can think it over the weekend or get back to the employer the next week. It’s important that when you do accept the job offer, you are fully aware of what you are signing up to.Now, if you have any questions regarding the offer, you definitely want to ask them before you accept. You should always receive a written job offer and it’s important to read this through thoroughly and to understand what it means. The job offer would address things like:The salaryThe work hours and holidaysOther benefitsBefore you officially accept the offer, you must understand the different clauses â€" including any possible trial period. You can go through the offer with the HR department and even check with an independent employmen t lawyer if you’re unsure what things mean.Remember that negotiating any issues, such as the salary, must take place prior to you officially accepting the job offer. Don’t accept the employer just stating you that you can increase your salary later, for example.The employer is under no legal requirement to do this if it doesn’t state so in the original job offer or the job contract â€" so clear any issues prior to accepting the job. If you do want to discuss anything in the job offer, make an appointment (even if just a phone conference). It’s much better to actually talk about these things rather than keep sending e-mails back and forth.As you can see, accepting a job offer shouldn’t be an automatic response. You need to take a moment to go through with the issues to ensure you are making the right decision.So, thank for the opportunity straight away but ask for a bit of extra time to think if you need it. Go through the official offer carefully and only accept the offer officially when you are aware of the terms and conditions and you’re OK with them.ACKNOWLEDGING THE JOB OFFER VERBALLYNow, in most instances, your first acknowledgement of the job offer will be verbal. The majority of HR and recruitment departments will call the candidate and offer the job â€" if this happens, then you should take the following steps:Be appreciating and thank for the offer. Your first response should be to thank the employer and the person calling for this opportunity. Be grateful that you just were offered a job out of hundreds of candidates â€" you did it and they are giving you an opportunity to shine!Ask about the next steps and inform if you need more time. You then want to inform the caller you would like to think about the offer and you’d like to know if this is possible. It’s better to ask them to give you a timeline for accepting the offer rather than just stating you’ll let them know in X amount of days. So, ask what the next steps are and when you can expect to:Receive the formal job offer in writing.Respond to the job offer (informally and formally).If you are already willing to informally accept the job offer (on the condition of going through the written offer), you can also ask a bit about the schedule to start the job. You can ask when you’re expected to start and whether there are any specific things you need to do prior to this date (filing paperwork, taking an induction course, etc.)You, essentially, want to establish a timeline to follow. When will you receive the official offer and contract, when do you need to accept (formally and informally), and what do you need to do prior to starting in your new role are all things you want to clarify and clear.You might also receive the informal job offer in writing â€" perhaps via e-mail. It’s important and courteous to call to the person to thank about the job offer. You can follow the above two steps during the phone call.Here are some example things you could say when acknowledging the job offer verbally:“Thank you for the job offer. I’m honoured to be considered for the (Title of the role).”“I look forward to receiving the offer in writing.”“I would like to go over the written offer. When would you want me to get back to you?”“Could you confirm me when I need to respond formally to the request, as I would like to go over it in time.”“If you need anything from me at this time, don’t hesitate to contact me.”“I’ll go over the offer over the weekend and I will call you on Monday.”ACKNOWLEDGING THE JOB OFFER WITH AN E-MAIL/LETTERFollowing this first verbal conversation, you want to acknowledge the job offer in writing too. While you can informally accept the job offer during the conversation, you can definitely do the informal acceptance with a quick e-mail or letter. In fact, it’s a good idea to first have the phone conversation and then to follow it up with a written statement.When acknowledging your job offer with e-mail or a note, you might go down two routes:When you are just acknowledging the offer first:You thank for the opportunity and state how excited you are about the job offer.You then ask about the process and inform the employer that you’d like some time to think about the offer. This is, essentially, asking about the next steps (similar to above conversation).You send the note after the call and you informally accept the offer:You thank again for the opportunity and the information you received during the phone call.You state your intention of accepting the offer.You ask for any clarification you might still need.Here are examples of both those e-mails/letters:The first is for when you’ve already had a discussion over the phone and you want to ask for more time regarding the offer:Dear (Hiring Manager’s name),Many thanks for the call on Monday to offer me the role of (title of the role). I’m thrilled to be offered this role.Could you provide me with details on when you wou ld require the confirmation of my acceptance? I would like to (reason for needing time) prior to accepting. You can call me anytime this week at (number) or you can e-mail me.Once again, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to moving the conversation onwards.Best wishes, (Your name)If you are responding to the job offer first with a note (you haven’t actually called anyone yet), you could follow this format:Dear (Hiring Manager’s name),Many thanks for the job offer I received for the position of (title of the role) on Monday. I’m honoured to be offered the role and would like to inquire about the next steps.When would you need confirmation of my acceptance? I would like to (reason for needing time) prior to accepting the offer. I could give you a call on Thursday to discuss how to move things forward.Once again, I’m thrilled for the consideration and I’d like to thank you for the offer. I look forward to talking to you later.Best wishes, (Your name)Finally, if you are already willing to state your interest informally (and you’ve discussed initially over the phone), you could write something like:Dear (Hiring Manager’s name),I wanted to thank you once again for the lovely conversation on Monday. I’m excited to have been offered the role of (title of the role) at (the name of the organisation).I’m waiting for the written job offer to arrive as you mentioned and I’ll be sending you my formal acceptance letter once I go over the details. If there is anything you’d like me to do before this, please let me know.I look forward to progressing with this soon.Best wishes, (Your name)ACCEPT THE JOB OFFER FORMALLY IN WRITINGFinally, it’s time to make it official. You want to accept the job offer formally and this should always happen in writing. You can either send a letter via post or write an e-mail. The right method would probably have come clear during the conversations you had previously (when you asked about the next steps).When y ou are ready to accept the offer, you need to take compose a letter that covers the following points:Thank for the opportunity. It’s a lot of thanking but you are offered a monthly salary (hopefully!) and a dream job â€" so, go ahead and thank one more time.Show enthusiasm for the role. State how excited you are about accepting the role. You can talk a bit about what you are looking forward to most and how you can’t wait to get started with a specific aspect of the job.Mention the key terms of employment. Go through the key dates on your job offer to ensure you have it all written down in more than one statement. This includes mentioning things such as:The salaryOther important benefitsThe proposed start dateYou don’t have to go through each claim but these major aspects are definitely worth mentioning.Remind the employer if you negotiated any special conditions. If part of the negotiating process, you agreed on special conditions you also want to mention them in the e-mail/le tter. Perhaps you agreed you’ll only start part-time at the start or that you need take a week off during the first three months and so on. Remind the employer about these conditions to ensure everything is good to go. If the employer did agree on a special condition such as these, you should also thank them for doing so. For instance, if they agreed with you going on your holiday, then you definitely want to acknowledge how much you appreciate it.With the above information in mind, your official job offer e-mail could look something like this:Dear (Hiring Manager’s name),Many thanks for offering the role of (title of the role) and your help throughout the process. I would be delighted to accept the role of (title of the role) within (the company) â€" with a starting salary of (the amount) and (holiday benefit/another important point). As discussed, I will also be (special condition negotiated, if any).I can start on (agreed start date) and would love to come meet the team befor e. If this were possible, I would love to know a suitable date.I have sent a signed acceptance letter in the post and it should reach the office by (expected date of arrival).If there is anything else you need from me, don’t hesitate to ask. Otherwise, I look forward to joining the team on (start date again).Best wishes, (Your name)If you are sending an official letter in the post, you can use the following template:Hiring Manager’s Name Employer’s Name Employer’s AddressYour Name Address Phone Number E-mailThe DateDear (Hiring Manager’s name),Following our recent conversation, I am writing you to accept the offer of (title of the role) with (company name). I would like to thank you once again for offering me this role.As discussed, my starting salary will be (amount) with (benefit/holiday). I will also be (other condition worth mentioning). Thank you for accepting my request for (any special conditions you’ve negotiated).I look forward to starting in my new role on (sta rt date). If you need anything else prior to this time, please feel free to contact me.Thank you again for the opportunity and I look forward to speaking with you soon.Best wishes, (Your name)Once you’ve sent the official e-mail/letter, you want to follow it up with a call. You can either wait for a day to ensure they have time to read the e-mail or give them a call to say the letter is in the post. You definitely want an acknowledgement from the employer that they’ve received the e-mail/letter â€" soon you’d bee working in your new job!ACCEPTING THE JOB OFFER IN STYLE â€" THE BOTTOM LINEThe most important thing is to take your time and to not rush your response. Be sure you understand what you are being offered and whether it is what you like. If it’s not, then negotiate things such as salary or holidays before formally accepting the job offer. You don’t want to take too long and it’s important to show enthusiasm and respect to your employer. Even if you decline the off er, do so respectfully.When receiving a job offer, always acknowledge it verbally as well as with a written note or e-mail. When you are ready to accept the offer, write a letter using the tips above. Stay active and engaged â€" good luck to your new role, you did it!