How to Acknowledge a Job Offer

The nervous waiting and anxiety that takes place between a job interview and a job offer can be difficult to bear. When you receive the phone call or letter informing you of a job offer, your first thought may be to enthusiastically call and accept. You can lay the foundation for a successful career when you learn to properly acknowledge a job offer.

Instructions

Recognize a Job Offer Properly

1. Keep an eye on the deadline for accepting or declining job offers as you determine which positions to accept. One part of the acknowledgment process is weighing the urgency involved in accepting each position. Place these deadlines on your calendar for easy retrieval.

2. Send an acknowledgment of each job offer in the same manner that was used to offer you the position. For example, write a letter to the employer after you receive a personalized letter offering a job. As soon as you receive correspondence, send a reply to keep the employer in the loop.

3. Provide an honest assessment of your professional situation as you acknowledge your receipt of a job offer. Employers who hire top-notch professionals know that potential employees will receive multiple job offers. You can speak about your need for consideration of long-term professional needs in your correspondence.

4. Request additional information on salary, contract terms and other details that can help you accept or decline a job. Your interest in further information demonstrates your ability to ask the right questions to employers. Even if you are familiar with details, use questions to ingratiate yourself further to supervisors.

5. Thank potential employers for their consideration of your qualifications during all communications. Your application was likely considered among hundreds of others, and you should show your continued interest by exhibiting gratitude.

6. Respond to the employer who provides the best offer with any comments, concerns or requests about the job offer before you accept. This correspondence is best done by letter, and you should highlight areas of concern you have with the initial job offer. Keep these requests limited to those areas you find absolutely necessary, like health benefits or overtime pay.

Tips & Warnings

• Customize all correspondence to employers who offer you a job to avoid bad impressions. Professionals who receive multiple job offers are often tempted to use form letters to acknowledge job offers. If you use a form letter, you may forget to change details that differ between employers, creating an awkward situation.