30 / 40
30
AGCAREERS.COM
AG & FOOD CAREER GUIDE
53%
said they
WOULD
31%
said they
WOULD NOT
15%
said they were
UNSURE
YES
NO
NOT
SURE
So, the big question:
Do you negotiate your first
offer out of college?
Well, that is a very personal choice.
We polled AgCareers.com’s followers to
see if they would negotiate a job offer
right out of college.
Here is what we found:
A lot of this decision is situational.
You really must understand what you
need to maintain or improve your
personal lifestyle and match the offers to
see what is best for you.
If the employer brings up money
in the interview, you can even ask if
the salary is negotiable. If you are
comfortable, also ask about their
benefits package. Inquire about what
sections are negotiated and when.
You can also ask for details about
performance reviews, raises, and how
often that conversation takes place on-
the-job.
You should know, if you are 100% sure
that the salary/wage they give you will
not work for you and
you ask for more,
your original offer with the initial salary/
wage can be completely withdrawn.
You really need to be comfortable losing
the offer completely before you decide
to make this big decision.
But, ok, there is more
than MONEY!
Some companies have a set rate for
an entry-level position and that number
cannot budge. Many people believe that
if you can’t negotiate with money, there
is nothing else to negotiate on… WRONG.
Listen up, here are some items you may
not know you can negotiate:
Paid Time Off
Sick Days
Vacation Days
Gym Membership
Volunteer Hours
Professional Development
Tuition Reimbursement
Company Vehicle
Internet Reimbursement
Cell Phone Bill Reimbursement
Work hours/days
Relocation expenses
Bonus
So, how do you even do
it? Where to start?
I recommend writing your thoughts
down on a piece of paper. Sit down and
compare the pros and cons. Write it all
out. This will keep it concise, and odds
are you will probably clearly see if this
offer will make you happy or not.
If the offering company doesn’t give
you a date to respond by, ask for one.
This is nothing to decide on instantly.
Take your time and sleep on it. You need
to be confident with this number and
that all the benefits offered to you will
match your financial requirements for
your lifestyle and will allow you to grow
towards your goals.
If you accept the offer as is,
simply sign it and thank them for
the opportunity. If you have some
negotiations, draft up an email with what
you are requesting. Same with declining
your offer, email the employer and really
let them know you are grateful for the
opportunity, but you cannot accept this
offer. You can share the reason if you
are comfortable, but this is not required.
Keep your communications professional.
You never know when your paths will
cross again.
Ask for Guidance
The best advice I can give you is
to ask for guidance. Usually, when you
are negotiating your first offer, you are
still in college, which is a fabulous thing
because you still have a relationship with
your advisor or maybe even a mentor.
Really use what you have in your
back pocket. Most likely, these advisors
know you pretty well by now and will be
honest if you are getting a fair offer. This
is a very new situation you are going
through—but not to them. Take this
advice –it will be beneficial now and will
help you in the future with your next offer.
Also, seek advice from friends and
parents. When I got my first job offer, my
best friend in college did too. We didn’t
go into details about our salaries, but we
could go through this new experience
together, bouncing ideas and situations
off one another.
There are many great resources for
you on the AgCareers.com website in
our Career Success Library. I encourage
you to prepare for that first offer. I
know it will be an exciting and possibly
overwhelming time, so start preparing
now!
AG