Help me make the counter offer

[BigDH01]

Ok, I'm graduating this spring with a Master's degree in InfAs and was just offered this job at a consulting firm. The managers at the firm understand that I can't start until this semester is finished and that I'm also pursuing more grad school at a Texas university. Here's the problem. The final application to this grad program isn't due until this Friday which also means that the selection process won't begin for awhile. Assuming I pass the first round, interviews aren't until February and I won't get a final offer from the school until March. I'm fairly confident that I will get admitted as my GPA and GRE compare very favorably and my current major professor is friends with one of the professors there. There would also be a great deal of financial aid involved.

The company that made me this offer is aware I have this option. They are all very nice people and the offer is pretty generous given my location in Iowa. The person who made the offer encouraged me to counter-offer. Obviously, I want to get more money and delay my decision until March when I have an offer from the school on the table. This is obviously quite risky as my entry to the school program isn't guaranteed and I don't want to lose the current offer. However, I couldn't accept the offer and work the job without at least attending the interview conference at this school in February. I'd always regret doing that if I did. As I see it, I have a couple of options:

1) Make a counter-offer and ask for time to make the decision. I can't think of a good way to do this without insulting them and losing the offer.

2) Make the counter-offer and then sit on it when it arrives. Of course, I run the risk of them accepting my counter-offer outright and basically assuming I plan to start work there.

3) Go ahead and make a counter-offer with the plan of accepting it and visit the school and continue through the normal applications process. If the school comes back with something I like, I simply contact the company and don't show up for work. They aren't expecting me until May/June anyway. This option is enticing because it is easy but I don't want to make enemies and I am ethically against it.

I'm really struggling over all this so any help is welcome.

 

[jpeyton]

$100k per year base salary, perf. bonuses, and a company Benz.

 

[Glavinsolo]

Wait so the person negotiating your salary said that you should counter offer? Amazing.

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: Glavinsolo
Wait so the person negotiating your salary said that you should counter offer? Amazing.

Yes, he said that he did when he was offered a position.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: BigDH01
Ok, I'm graduating this spring with a Master's degree in InfAs and was just offered this job at a consulting firm. The managers at the firm understand that I can't start until this semester is finished and that I'm also pursuing more grad school at a Texas university. Here's the problem. The final application to this grad program isn't due until this Friday which also means that the selection process won't begin for awhile. Assuming I pass the first round, interviews aren't until February and I won't get a final offer from the school until March. I'm fairly confident that I will get admitted as my GPA and GRE compare very favorably and my current major professor is friends with one of the professors there. There would also be a great deal of financial aid involved.

The company that made me this offer is aware I have this option. They are all very nice people and the offer is pretty generous given my location in Iowa. The person who made the offer encouraged me to counter-offer. Obviously, I want to get more money and delay my decision until March when I have an offer from the school on the table. This is obviously quite risky as my entry to the school program isn't guaranteed and I don't want to lose the current offer. However, I couldn't accept the offer and work the job without at least attending the interview conference at this school in February. I'd always regret doing that if I did. As I see it, I have a couple of options:

1) Make a counter-offer and ask for time to make the decision. I can't think of a good way to do this without insulting them and losing the offer.

2) Make the counter-offer and then sit on it when it arrives. Of course, I run the risk of them accepting my counter-offer outright and basically assuming I plan to start work there.

3) Go ahead and make a counter-offer with the plan of accepting it and visit the school and continue through the normal applications process. If the school comes back with something I like, I simply contact the company and don't show up for work. They aren't expecting me until May/June anyway. This option is enticing because it is easy but I don't want to make enemies and I am ethically against it.

I'm really struggling over all this so any help is welcome.

You should treat these seperately. You should counter and get the best job package you can from the firm. You might wind up getting into grad school and deciding to wait or not go for various reasons. You should not short change yourself in this negotiations since you *might* go.

Then you should apply to your grad program. You should persue that with the goal of getting selected.

If you do, then at that point you can compare apples to apples which choice you wish to persue. Right know you don't even know the job value to try and compare it, so you wind up with straddling the fence in all your options. If they accept your counter, take the job. If you get accepted to grab school in 3 months, that clearly changes your options and you then honestly tell them you got accepted to grad school and want to persue that.

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: bsobel
You should treat these seperately. You should counter and get the best job package you can from the firm. You might wind up getting into grad school and deciding to wait or not go for various reasons. You should not short change yourself in this negotiations since you *might* go.

Then you should apply to your grad program. You should persue that with the goal of getting selected.

If you do, then at that point you can compare apples to apples which choice you wish to persue. Right know you don't even know the job value to try and compare it, so you wind up with straddling the fence in all your options. If they accept your counter, take the job. If you get accepted to grab school in 3 months, that clearly changes your options and you then honestly tell them you got accepted to grad school and want to persue that.

That's what I was thinking too, but I just feel so uneasy about it. I feel like I'm basically lying to this company and taking advantage of their goodwill. They've been very nice to me and I don't know if I could accept that offer and then rescind before June.

 

[bsobel]

That's what I was thinking too, but I just feel so uneasy about it. I feel like I'm basically lying to this company and taking advantage of their goodwill. They've been very nice to me and I don't know if I could accept that offer and then rescind before June.

IMHO you'd be lying if you were accepted to grad school already and didnt disclose it. The fact is, you wont know until then. So you need to do what is best for you now. If that data changs and dictates a new course later, it happens and they will understand.

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: bsobel

That's what I was thinking too, but I just feel so uneasy about it. I feel like I'm basically lying to this company and taking advantage of their goodwill. They've been very nice to me and I don't know if I could accept that offer and then rescind before June.

IMHO you'd be lying if you were accepted to grad school already and didnt disclose it. The fact is, you wont know until then. So you need to do what is best for you now. If that data changs and dictates a new course later, it happens and they will understand.

Would it be inappropriate to counter and tell them I will take the position contingent upon the fact that the school doesn't come back with some fantastic offer or is this a poor idea?

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: BigDH01

Originally posted by: bsobel

That's what I was thinking too, but I just feel so uneasy about it. I feel like I'm basically lying to this company and taking advantage of their goodwill. They've been very nice to me and I don't know if I could accept that offer and then rescind before June.

IMHO you'd be lying if you were accepted to grad school already and didnt disclose it. The fact is, you wont know until then. So you need to do what is best for you now. If that data changs and dictates a new course later, it happens and they will understand.

Would it be inappropriate to counter and tell them I will take the position contingent upon the fact that the school doesn't come back with some fantastic offer or is this a poor idea?

Very poor idea. Its not fair (IMHO) to lose an offer now do to a possible offer in 3 months. Honestly, plenty of other things could happen. Theoretically you could meet someone and want to get married and wind up moving due to it, but you don't call you 'well if my life changes I might reconsider'. You make your choice on the data you have now, when that changes (if it does) you re-evaluate.

If you dont get that grad school offer (Im sure you will, but if for some reason you don't or if you opt not to go), you'll be happy to negotiated the best package for you now.

Bill

 

[hypn0tik]

Originally posted by: BigDH01

Originally posted by: bsobel

That's what I was thinking too, but I just feel so uneasy about it. I feel like I'm basically lying to this company and taking advantage of their goodwill. They've been very nice to me and I don't know if I could accept that offer and then rescind before June.

IMHO you'd be lying if you were accepted to grad school already and didnt disclose it. The fact is, you wont know until then. So you need to do what is best for you now. If that data changs and dictates a new course later, it happens and they will understand.

Would it be inappropriate to counter and tell them I will take the position contingent upon the fact that the school doesn't come back with some fantastic offer or is this a poor idea?

Keep in mind that they won't hesitate to fire your ass in order to cut their costs. Look after yourself first.

 

[BigDH01]

Originally posted by: bsobel


Very poor idea. Its not fair (IMHO) to lose an offer now do to a possible offer in 3 months. Honestly, plenty of other things could happen. Theoretically you could meet someone and want to get married and wind up moving due to it, but you don't call you 'well if my life changes I might reconsider'. You make your choice on the data you have now, when that changes (if it does) you re-evaluate.

If you dont get that grad school offer (Im sure you will, but if for some reason you don't or if you opt not to go), you'll be happy to negotiated the best package for you now.

Bill

I think I will take your advice and just go after what I can get now. If the school comes back in March and makes me an offer I can't refuse then they made an offer I can't refuse. I have to go with what I can get now. I guess I'll just have to hope they understand if I change my mind and go to school instead. I guess mid-March is some time away and they'll have probably forgotten who I am by that time anyway.

 

[Gibson486]

#3 will burn bridges.

I am confused....are you comparing a financial aid offer to a job offer? You need to asses what you want more: experience or a masters degree.

I mean....you could always take the job and finish the masters part time and you can finish it on the company dollar.