How is the procedure like??

[takwong]

I am having a final round interview at a large company later on today. They told me to go in and meet with the HR head and discuss the details......

I believe today, they will make an offer to me saying how much, this this this and that...

MY question is, how is the procedure like?

Do they just tell me, "ok, i am going ot offer you 50K + medical + 401k + blah blah blah....are you taking it?"

I think I will say, i will consider it and get back to you at the end of this week...

My friend always tell me about this thing, OFFER LETTER....do I ask them for it?? How do i ask them?? Do they mail it to me?? Do I want for them to type up this offer letter????

I feel insecure if they just give me a verbal offer....I think I want something in writing..

can you guys tell me??

Thanks..

 

[BigJohnKC]

I was informed by phone of my job offer, and when I accepted it I got an official offer letter. But I think every company's policy is different. If you want one, just ask for one....

 

[takwong]

anyone else?

 

[propellerhead]

Every job offer I got was over the phone, followed by a written on via FedEx. Once they decide on making an offer, they tell you via phone hoping you stop going to other job interviews for the time being. Plus, it gives you a day or two to think about it before you get the formal letter. In my cases, they request an accept/decline response via telephone, to be followed by my official accept/decline letter, which they provide in the FedEx package.

I doubt they will offer you at the final interview. You are probably tied with another applicant and they want one more round to see who wins. I wouldn't get overly confident yet.

It would not be wrong to respond with "Can I get this in writing?" if they make you a verbal offer. If I was the one hiring you, I'd worry if you did not ask for it.

 

[takwong]

I see, so it is appropriate to ask for the offer letter....

what does a offer letter say usually? You annual salary, and what else? Are all benefits are going to be on there?? like, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, sicks days off, # of vacation days......% increase in salary each year...????

Thanks a lot for your advice.

 

[CPA]

If you still have an interview left, you will most likely not get an offer during that interview or by meeting with HR just prior. Any offer will be made later and probably by phone. But, yes, you should get a written offer letter, and you should insist for it if it's not their normal policy to provide a written one.

 

[takwong]

but what should be on the offer letter??

 

[Armitage]

Every job offer I ever got eventually came in a written letter stating salary. Often by FedEx. You don't actually accept the job until you reply to that letter in writing.

 

[propellerhead]

Mine usually said something like [bla bla bla] is extending you an offer for the position of [bla bla bla] at whatever pay rate working on [bla bla bla]. It always listed a summary of the benefits. No details but they would attach a sheet that had the details. Then it would have a paragraph on how to respond (i.e., phone, written, both, etc.) Sometimes it would have a blurb on how great it is to work for this company. It usually had some clause saying this offer is contingent on passing a drug test and so on.

Nothing fancy. Pretty straight to the point.

Edit:

It also had a part on who to contact for the drug test and the moving package, if any.

PS. Congrats on making it to the final round.

 

[takwong]

THanks for all of you guys..

thanks.

 

[Garet Jax]

Takwong,

You should always get something in writing that you and the company need to sign. Make sure to keep a copy in your records with the company's signature.

Until I get a written offer that I accept (by signing), I continue looking for a job.

In terms of negotiating the offer, it is something that you are going have to decide for yourself. I did not negotiate my first job out of school (because I was happy to be getting one), but I have negotiated every other offer after that. In one case, I was able to get an extra 10% salary. In the other two cases, I was not able to get any thing extra.

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

In terms of negotiating the offer, it is something that you are going have to decide for yourself. I did not negotiate my first job out of school (because I was happy to be getting one), but I have negotiated every other offer after that. In one case, I was able to get an extra 10% salary. In the other two cases, I was not able to get any thing extra.

Yea, negotiating on job offers is a little dicey. As you say, first job out of school (or out of the military in my case), I was happy to get. I got lowballed a bit on salary, but they made it up in my first year raise when they confirmed that I wasn't just a paper-pushing engineer wanna-be.

If you want to try it, make sure you have a good, honest idea of what you're worth. In taking my current job, I asked for, and got, about an extra 3% over the initial offer.

Also, don't be suprised if they don't talk $$$ in the interview. Often the hiring manager only has indirect knowledge/control of the offered salary. The actual offered salary is set by HR.

 

[propellerhead]

One word of caution on negotiating for a higher salary.... if you do get more than the initial offer, you will be under scrutiny once hired. HR and/or the managers will be looking at you to prove you were worth the extra $$$.

Sometimes you are better off taking what they offer and prove you are worth more once you are in. Most decent large companies make initial offers right at market value. They would rather pay "fair market value" than try to low-ball you and risk losing a good hire to another company. If you ask for more, don't expect a big increase. They might go another 5%. I had an offer from company x for $56.5k. I didn't want the job so I came back and asked for $60k. They said $58k. I said $59.5k. They never called back. In the end, I gained more experience interviewing and negotiating and kept the job I had at the time.

 

[takwong]

Something that I dont understand, you mentioned the deparment manager have little control on salaries....the HR is the one usually make the offer...but the HR is only a HR, how does she know what I know, and what should I be offered? May be the manager thinks that I have very good experiences, and good skills, he is willing to offer me more money, but since he has little control on that.....the HR will then offer me less money, b/c the HR looked at market values??

 

[Armitage]

Originally posted by: takwong
Something that I dont understand, you mentioned the deparment manager have little control on salaries....the HR is the one usually make the offer...but the HR is only a HR, how does she know what I know, and what should I be offered? May be the manager thinks that I have very good experiences, and good skills, he is willing to offer me more money, but since he has little control on that.....the HR will then offer me less money, b/c the HR looked at market values??

The other side of that coin: How does the hiring manager know what market value is? He may only get to hire somebody every other year or so, and they may be people with very different backgrounds. In the end, the hiring manager & HR work together. The hiring manager tells HR what kind of experience you have, their impression of you, etc. HR does the market research. It may not always be this way, but in the two civilian jobs I've had, this was the pattern.