Build my career series part 4: Navigating job offers

TIM KLECKER: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the fourth and final installment of our Build My Career discussion series presented by the U.S. Bank Goals Coaching team. In the very first section, we covered the elements of what goes into career pathing. How do you choose which direction you want to go with your career? How do you look at your strengths? And how do you build a brand? 
In the second section, we talked about how to build a resume, making sure that you can get put at the top of the list and be selected for an interview. And, of course, in the third section, the last one, we discuss some of the tips that we have around interviewing practices, which typically tends to be the most nerve-wracking section of this entire series. 
But our job is not yet done. Once you've gone through all of that, presumably, at this point, you have been offered a position somewhere, so congratulations. Way to go. But before you make a decision and just accept the offer that they're giving you because you have this level of excitement around getting the job, we want to encourage you to slow down and have some consideration first. 
My name is Tim Klecker. I'm a goals coach at U.S. Bank. I am a master certified life coach, and I also have special significant focuses around goal setting and goal achievability. Me and my fellow coaches work every day with clients to create structure around their goals and help them set up meaningful and measurable action plans that help them get towards their final vision of achievability. With a goal like Build My Career, as you can already see, there are a lot of different components. But I wouldn't be doing my job as a coach if I didn't also finalize this process, this series, by also touching on these last components. 
So there are three parts to the last part of this Building My Career series when it comes to the job offers. And the first one is to consider the job offer. I know this may sound like it's common sense, but there's a lot of people who are very excited to be offered something, and they don't want to appear to be ungrateful or to be in doubt by not quickly saying, yes, I accept that role. 
So the first thing we want to do is slow down and review what is actually being offered because there are a lot of different components as part of a job. It's not just the job itself and the salary possibly discussed, although the salary is something you want to be aware of. So once you're being presented, what motivates you to actually take the job? What are the things you need to look out for? 
So reflect on the personal needs that you may have when it comes to actually having a job. What are the pros and cons in the key areas that led you to apply for in the first place? We don't want to just accept a job and then end up not necessarily having other needs in our lives met or get stuck in a place that's not actually going to help us to grow or be the job we thought it was going to be. 
For most people, the financial aspect ends up becoming to be the priority. Will the pay allow you to have financial freedom or alleviate you from maybe your debt burdens or the burdens of the financial components of your life, like rent, insurance, all of those different types of things? Clearly, we don't want to necessarily take a job that's not going to allow us to live our lives, at least with a little bit of ease. Is this going to help you meet your financial goals? 
Also, the work-life balance flexibility-- does the position allow you to have plenty of time to pursue other areas of passion and interest in your life? Most of us assume that a job is going to be 40 hours a week, but it could be a 40 hour a week job that happens at night, which means you have to sleep during the day. That may take you out of the different sequence with your friends and your family and other activities. So you want to consider that. 
Weekends as well-- a lot of people enjoy their weekends and like to reserve family or friends time or personal time for those weekends. If this job is going to take you away from all of that, is it worth the pay and all the other benefits to be missing out on some of those areas? 
Is it going to be working from home? Are you going to have the freedom or are you going to have to travel far every day? You're going to have to drive half hour, an hour both ways-- something to consider for sure. And, of course, does the position offer room for continued growth, development, and are there advancement opportunities? I like to think that most of us, especially when we're starting out right out of college or the higher education, that the first job we get is not the one we're necessarily going to be with the rest of our lives all the way to retirement. 
If we find a job that good enough from the very beginning, that's great. But most of us want to start somewhere with the idea that we can grow, that we can take on new responsibilities, that the nature of the business and the role and the responsibilities can evolve. And we want to be part of that evolving process. So consider and ask yourselves what are those opportunities that are in front of me? 
And then, of course, the personal fulfillment aspect-- is this position enough for me even right now? Will this position make me happy to wake up every day and go and do my work? And will I feel happy at the end of it? Do I feel like I've done a good enough job? Do those values, as we talked about in a couple of the recent sessions, do those values align and I feel fulfilled on that level as well? Or is the environment going to be potentially draining? Is it going to prevent me from being able to continue to dream and to grow? Am I going to feel stuck in a short amount of time and all of my motivation goes away? 
Never accept an offer right away until you've gone through some of these elements. For some of us, we might have done this research early on and we already know the answer to it, but we want to make sure. Take a moment to evaluate those responses against any of those key areas that we've discussed, and you can make that better decision for yourself. 
Second part is account for the additional benefits that may come with a job. Now that we know the job will fulfill our personal and professional needs, take into consideration everything that the company is going to be offering you-- not just the hours, not just the pay, but all the additional benefits along with the salary. 
And what are some examples of these? Let's look at the whole picture. Does the business offer savings and retirement or pay incentives? Does it have a reimbursement plan for things like tuition or some of the additional trainings or the things that you may want to do? Are there investment options? How wide is the scope for those investments? What kind of options are you given? 
Health and insurance-- most of us need to cover our health expenses, or would like to, in some way, shape, or form. And if the insurance isn't going to necessarily be good enough through the plans that the business offers, are you provided enough money through your salary to go and seek out your own? Is there an opportunity for an HSA account, a health savings account for those who don't know what that is? So there's a number of things that way to consider as well. 
And what about other company perks? Are there certain discounts that you may get or special offers? Are there other programs that allow you to continue, as I mentioned a couple of times, to grow in other ways? Or do you even get recognized as an employee? How do they provide recognition/ Because you might be the kind of individual who thrives off of that. 
And then, of course, the location for the workplace, is it super far, as I've mentioned already? Is it close? Do the shifts vary from times to times? Are there some weekends you work and some you don't? Are you going to be OK with adapting to that kind of scheduling? What's that company culture like, the values? We've talked a lot about this. Do you really understand them? 
What's the work environment like? Because once you get in there, you're going to start to meet other people that you didn't in the interview process. How do you readily prepare for people who may be disagreeable? Or, on the flip side, how do you prepare for people who are absolutely welcoming and you're going to suddenly feel welcome into a new family? That might feel overwhelming as well, so you can want to prepare for the positive things. 
And of course, the responsibilities that you're going to be given-- most of us can learn to master a task in about three to six months or, at the very least, learn how to do it very proficiently. The mastering of it-- maybe it will take longer, but after a certain amount of time, are you going to feel like you can take on new responsibilities? Do they have opportunities to work with coaches or mentors or advisors that can help guide you through the career process, especially if you're first starting out? These are all valuable things to consider in addition to the salary and the hours, the perks. So make sure that you give consideration to those. 
And, of course, the third one, which is accepting the actual job offer. So we have gone through the considerations. We have looked at those additional benefits. They are all aligning with what we were hoping-- at the very least, what we know that we can have right now that's going to be just fine. So ask for a few hours or a few days when given the offer initially to review what is being proposed. By the way, that is not rude. And it shouldn't demonstrate that you are nervous or unsure if you want the position. You just want to have time to feel confident that when you're accepting this job, that it's absolutely something you're going to be able to commit to. 
But you don't want to take too long either. So you want to make sure that you ask for it as opposed to assume it, and then take some time to evaluate all of those responses and those key areas. So when you receive the offer, here's a few tips for you. Thank that recruiter or the HR manager, whoever might be calling you. Thank them for the offer, of course. Ask for a day or two to consider that offer, and also ask for the offer in writing. 
Make sure that you actually-- what they're telling you verbally can be seen on a document somewhere that you can have possession of. The last thing you want is for there to be a miscommunication. We blunder sometimes when we speak. I've probably done it a couple of times during this session. We blunder. We want to make sure we get it in black and white ink writing. 
Review those terms and conditions of the employment. There are other things like that to consider. Do they have a certain dress code? Are you able to accommodate that? Are you going to have to go out and buy new clothing that way? Do you have to provide your own car? There's a few other things within this that need to be considered as we've been covering so far. And make sure you ask any questions if you don't have the answers or if they're not presented in the writing. Make sure you feel free and comfortable and confident asking them. 
So some don'ts-- don't accept without reviewing the offer. That should be pretty clear by now. What can you do? Show the gratitude because the gratitude will go a long way and will make them feel more comfortable in giving you some time to consider it. And here's an example. Thank you so much. I'm excited about the potential of working together. I would like to take some time to review the offer in writing so I can review the full package. Can you send that to me, please? When do you need your answer by? And the last one is important-- "When do you need that answer by?" 
You can feel free to negotiate that if you want a little bit, but you're offering to be courteous and considerate for when they're trying to fill that position. And they may take that opportunity to explain to you we're looking to actually get somebody to accept an offer by the end of next week. That way, we can get them started by this date. So it's not just giving you that time. It's also something that you'll be considerate for them to fill the role, get you through training or orientation if it exists, and get you started by a certain time. Maybe that company or that business line needs that. So you want to be considerate there. 
Negotiating the offer-- all right, we may be a little bit nervous about negotiating, especially since maybe it might be a first job or a new position. Who are we to be able to negotiate anything/ But you are because this is your choice. This is your job. This is going to be your position that you're going to take responsibility over. You're going to show up every day to it. 
So once you get that offer in writing, before you start negotiating or say yes to the job, you want to make sure that the amount is where you need it to be is possibly what was discussed. And if it wasn't, after seeing it in writing, you may have some of those questions, and you may want to talk to somebody about adjusting that offer if you feel like you need a little bit more pay. 
So looking at the offer letter, consider the following questions. Is the salary within your market value? What other areas might you want to negotiate? What perks might you be happier and more effective in this role? And what questions do you have about the role itself or the package that is being offered? Be respectful and professional. 
Review conditions-- if you want to do some modification, have a countermodification. Communicate how you want the conditions to possibly change. So what don't you want to do? Don't push too hard. And don't say I need more money. That sounds pretty simple, but a lot of people actually kind of-- their nervousness may come off that way to the person that they're speaking to. So be aware and choose your words carefully. What can you do? Know your value and the industry rate for your position. 
So, of course, let's go through some examples. I'm very excited about the position and know I am the right fit for the team. I'm also excited about your offer, knowing that I will bring a lot of value based on the experience discussed and the interviews. I would like to propose a slightly higher starting pay of, say, X amount of dollars-- in this case, $40,000, on the screen. The worst they can tell you is no. But don't be afraid to ask for what you think you are worth. 
And then ultimately accepting the offer-- you have three ways that you can go about the response to the negotiation or to just the offer itself. The first is to accept the offer. Second is to decline the offer. Or the third-- to negotiate the offer. Which one you decide is up to you. And it depends on what they're offering and whether you're willing to proceed or not. 
So, as we've said many times, express gratitude. Confirm that you're accepting the offer. Be clear and succinct. Proofread the offer. If there's any sort of ambiguity or you're not clear, make sure that you ask those questions. Then proofread it again. Go through. Make sure you understand it. Don't just ramble on or be ambiguous when you're going through any of this process, especially with the negotiation. I'd like higher pay, but I'm not sure what number to give might not be the best tactic to take. What you should do is-- be honest, be polite, and be concise. 
So here's a sample, by the way, of an acceptance email because a lot of us actually get an email for us to accept a job offer. And if you're going to be accepting it electronically versus verbally, most of the time, you may actually do it twice. But consider the acceptance email wording just as important as the thank you note after going through an interview. Choose a clear subject line. Make the subject line of your job acceptance email clear and easy to find, like "Job offer acceptance" and then add your first and last name. 
Express your appreciation. Start your job acceptance letter by expressing your gratitude for the opportunity. For example, "I would like to thank you for this opportunity to join your company as a--" then insert the job title. And then officially accept the job offer. Clearly explain that you officially accepted it. Make sure there's no room for doubt if you're accepting that offer and be happy to do so. Restate the final offers in return. Confirm the details of the job offer that you are accepting based on what they sent you. This can include your expected title or a summary of the salary and the benefits. It's OK to restate that back. It's kind of a confirmation piece. 
Confirm your start date, of course, as well. You're going to need know when you're starting, and they're going to want to be clear to on when you are aware you are starting. List those dates and make sure that that's clearly explained. "I look forward to joining the team next Monday," something of that nature. 
And then conclude with good wishes. At this point, also ask any questions that you have ahead of that starting date, such as where do I need to go? Is there paperwork that needs to be filled out? Anything that you can do before the job may make your first day a lot easier. Of course, making sure you say thank you-- "Thank you once more for this opportunity. I look forward to working beside you." If you have further questions, need to individualize assistance with building your career, I want to encourage you, reach out to one of us as coaches. 
This is a little bit of a faster lesson within this series, but that's perfectly OK because we've already gone through all the stuff. Now it's just getting that final touch on things. 
Now what happens if you decide to decline the offer because maybe the offer is just not something that you're feeling is going to fulfill the needs that you have? Maybe you've applied it a couple places, and you've been trying to decide between this position or that position and you have to decline the offers. It's perfectly OK, especially if you've got something else that's going to be beneficial for you. And there are many different reasons for declining an offer. It simply may just not be the right time for you for this job, or it might not be able to fulfill the needs. 
So if you're going to send a letter to decline the offer, express gratitude, as we've always stated. Confirm you're declining that offer. State the reason for declining it. And I would encourage you here, be honest. You don't need to sugarcoat it. You don't need to be mean or rough either. You don't need to pin something on them or reroute and blame them for not giving you what you want. But you can simply say something such as the rate of pay is unfortunately not where I need it to be. 
Be tactful and stay professional. You never know if you're going to reapply for a job somewhere else. And you also never know if they maybe will come back later on with a counter proposal. They definitely won't do that, however, if you're being rude through this decline. So don't ramble on, and don't close the door. Don't burn the bridges. It's not personal. It's just business, as the saying sometimes goes. And especially when it's something like this, you want to make sure that door stays open. So instead, be simple. Be direct. Be professional. 
So how do you fill out a letter for that? Similar to one of accepting it to the employer. As soon as you're sure that you're not going to accept it, don't make them wait. They may need to move this on to another candidate, and be empathetic of other candidates too. Maybe somebody's waiting for a response, just like you have been waiting. If you string them along, that might not be fair. 
You can decline the job via email, but a phone call is definitely more personal and preferred. If you're a little bit nervous about doing a phone call with somebody and declining an offer, maybe you're worried how they're going to respond, I want to tell you right now, especially if they're a professional and this is what they do, they're not going to take offense. They're just going to move on to another candidate. They're going to thank you. Maybe they'll ask you for the reasons. Just be professional and ensure that you give them a clear reason. 
Doesn't necessarily have to be about salary. It could also be from some of the other elements that are into this job that are not helping you to achieve your goals, whether short-term or long-term personal, professional, financial. If you think about this in terms of I have certain goals if certain criteria, and it's not meeting those, you don't have to be combative, and you don't have to feel guilty for turning it down, and you can still express appreciation. Again, thank them for that opportunity. 
So if you do need any help with either of those formats of letters, I want to encourage you, again, reach out possibly to a goals coach or find some other resources that may help you. But we've got plenty that we can work on. 
So, so far in this series, we have focused on career pathing, resume building, interviewing, and, of course, now accepting or declining or negotiating the offer. I absolutely hope that all of this has been beneficial for you and that you will consider U.S. Bank Goal Coaching as a resource as you start to look at how you can build your career. What are the areas that you want to improve and how can you ensure that the direction you're going and that the effort you're putting in there is the best direction for you? 
Here at U.S. Bank, the Goal Coaching program is a complimentary service. It is free. It doesn't cost you anything, even if you're not a customer. Everything we talk about stays between us. You have the option to sign up for a 15-minute introductory session. Or if you'd like to do a full hour session right off the bat, where we cover the introductory materials and we put structure to your goals in that first hour, you can choose that option as well. 
We have six coaches right now at U.S. Bank. Every one of us has a little bit of a different background, which is great. We want to give you a variety, and we want to give you options. But every single one of us is committed to helping you make progress with your goals. So I encourage you, visit our site, read up on those bios, and schedule some time. If you want to schedule 15 minutes with a couple of different coaches just to see what they're like, feel free to do that as well. We as a team want you to feel comfortable with who you're working with. 
We are each of us trained in behavioral science techniques and goal setting techniques as well. It helps us to help you. We know what it takes to strengthen habits, to get rid of and replace some not-so-helpful ones, and to work on those behaviors, limiting beliefs, increase those confidence levels, whatever they may look like. 
And it's not just for professional goals as well. As you saw on the diagram at the beginning of this presentation, we also work with you on personal goals. We have subject matter experts who run the financial components. We're not going to try to sell you anything. Yes, we work for a bank. Yes, this is offered through a bank. If there are financial components that need a bank or attention, we will get you in touch with the banker if and when you choose to meet with them. So whether the goal is professional, personal, or financial, we know that we can help. 
With that, I want to thank you again for attending this last part of our Build My Career series presented by the U.S. Bank Goals Coaching team. And I hope you make use of the other videos that we've done. Every single component of this is definitely an important part of the Build My Career goal. As I mentioned the very first session, these are layered goals. They have many different components that you may want to work through progressively. 
So until we possibly see you again, be good to yourselves. Consider what it is that you want and dare to take control, responsibility, and man the helm of the path that you want to choose for yourself and your career. Best.