I'm a new data science grad. A small well-funded stealth startup made me an offer (tc: $135k, no paper money, Seattle) on Tuesday and wants me to respond today itself to the offer. How do I buy more time as I finish off other interviews?
read haseeb’s negotiating series. it’s a big decision and they need to give you more time
Okay, will have a look. Any big key takeaways from the series?
It's two blog posts. Really helped me when I was negotiating. It's worth your 10 minutes
+1 for Haseeb’s blogs on negotiations
“I appreciate the offer. I will give you my answer by <this date>. If you cannot wait until then, I completely understand, but I must do what’s best for me.” That also means you need to be willing to walk away.
Is that really you! Jeff?
Well, although it is business, it's like a love affair. I hate to admit, but I can't be that direct. Probably could've if it were a sales deal negotiation.
"this is a huge decision for me as my next role will get my dedicated attention for the next x YEARS of my life, so additional time (insert exact timeframe here) to consider it would be greatly appreciated. Kthxbye"
Yes, that sounds good.
Goodbye
If you are interviewing for jobs at a bunch of companies it’s good to let the recruiter know up front that you are doing that and you’ll be making a decision about where you will be working once you’ve completed that process and it could take a few weeks. I respect candidates that tell me so I can manage the expectations of the hiring managers and everyone involved. If you are someone they want to hire they should be fine giving you more time. They will still want to time box things to be fair to the other candidates.
“I need more time to consider your offer”
Hahaha... Well thanks! They obviously understand why I need more time. How do I prevent them from rescinding the offer? What would be the right thing to say to them while still being polite?
Companies are dying for talent these days. Especially startups who are competing against Google and other large companies. Tell them you’re waiting for other offers to come in to make a better decision. Candidates do it with us all the time and we’re cool.