How to Accept a Job Offer: Tips and Strategies

There are few things more exciting in life than receiving a job offer, particularly when it’s with a company that you’d love to join. So, upon seeing that an offer letter or email comes in, many people will default to saying “yes” without considering the potential consequences. There are various strategies and steps you will want to take before accepting a job offer that will result in a better outcome for yourself.


Before you proceed, take note: Some of the tips on how to accept a job offer may sound scary or risky, especially if you’re feeling desperate to find a job. That said, always weigh the risks and rewards and try to achieve the best possible result for yourself.

Before Accepting an Offer

This matters for two reasons:

• Almost everyone will change jobs during their career (multiple times)
• Everyone must learn to prioritize their needs and wants before accepting a job offer

It’s tempting to reply “yes” to a job offer and sign the contract immediately. Yet, in doing so, you may overlook critical details about the role, lose your chance to negotiate for better compensation or miss out on potentially better opportunities. Instead of putting your signature on the offer letter as soon as it comes in, take some time to think through all of the following factors.

Do You Have a Better Job Offer That Might Come In?

Staffing company Robert Half found that 60% of job applicants have received multiple job offers. Whether or not that happens to you will depend on a few circumstances converging:

1. Did you apply to multiple jobs?
2. Did you have multiple interviews?
3. Did your interviews go well?

If all of those are true, then there’s a chance the job offer you received may not be the only one you get. If that’s the case, there’s also a chance that you could receive a better job offer. 

In this situation, it may be prudent to wait a few days before saying yes to the offer. Delaying does not mean going silent, however. If you’re in this situation and you’re inclined to wait to say yes, send the company an email that looks something like this:

Most employers will give you some leeway and allow you a few days.

However, you may receive a conditional job offer or an offer that expires after a certain amount of time after you’ve received it. Depending on the amount of time you have before the offer expires, you may be forced to say yes.

In either case, be proactive. If you’ve interviewed well at other companies and want to hear back, email their hiring managers and let them know that you’ve received an offer. This may get them to expedite your offer so that they have a chance of getting you on board. The email you send could look something like this:

There are some potential benefits to naming the other company that sent you an offer letter. For example, it may be a direct competitor. In most cases, it’s ok to keep that information out of the emails you send to other companies that may still be considering your candidacy.

Have You Thoroughly Read the Job Contract?

The written contract you receive from a potential employer may be dense, with details hidden deep within a significant amount of legalese. Still, it’s essential that you read through the contract completely before you sign. Look for anything within the contract that might raise some red flags in different areas, including:

• Salary or pay
• Benefits
• Job title and job responsibilities
• Non-compete and non-disclosure agreements that you may not want to agree to
• Working hours or location flexibility
• Termination clauses
• Intellectual property rights clauses
• Notice periods for leaving the job
• Bonus structure and incentives

Make sure everything in the contract lines up with what you discussed in your interviews, as well as what was spelled out in the job posting. Variances could just be an oversight, as many hiring managers will use a template for each job offer acceptance email and contract. However, the company may also be trying to change the nature of the agreement from what was discussed.

How to Accept a Job Offer

If your offer letter checks all of the boxes and you don’t have any other offers that you want to pursue, then it’s time to accept your job offer! How you accept the job offer may depend on the way the offer was received, but there are generally three formats to consider:

• Accepting the offer by phone
• Accepting the offer by email
• Accepting the offer by mail

We’ll briefly cover what you need to know for each of these formats.

Accepting a Job Offer by Phone

You may be inclined to accept a job offer by phone, especially if that’s how you received the offer through voice mail. Accepting a job offer by phone is a great way to add a personal touch to the acceptance, and the phone call does not have to be long or complicated. It could look something like this:

Note: Never accept a job offer by phone immediately! If you received and answered a call from the hiring manager offering you the job, let them know how excited you are. Then, ask them to send you the offer letter by email or mail so you can have time to review the details before accepting.

Accepting the Offer by Email

Most job offers now come in through email, which means sending a job offer acceptance email is an exceptionally common practice. Your email does not need to be long or complicated. It can read similar to the following:

If you have not received the official offer letter or employment contract yet, your email may look a bit different:

Accepting the Offer by Mail

If you received an offer letter through the mail, you may also need to respond to that letter by sending the signed acceptance letter. If this is the case, sign the offer letter (after reading it thoroughly) and send it back in the mail using priority shipping so that it gets there faster.

However, it’s unlikely that your job offer will only come through the mail. You likely will have already received a verbal offer through email or on the phone. A physical mail offer letter that requires a signature is less common but still a practice some companies utilize for various reasons.

After Accepting a Job Offer

After you have accepted a job offer, most of what happens next is the responsibility of the company that is hiring you. If their hiring team is expedient, you will get all of the onboarding materials by the date the company has noted after you signed the offer letter.

Depending on your current situation, there may be a few things you need to handle on your side:

1. Clarify the start date for your employment
2. If you’re currently employed, you should officially submit your resignation letter
3. Start planning the transition of your 401K from your old employer to your new one (if applicable)
4. Organize any documentation the company will need for onboarding and employment verification
5. If your new job requires you to relocate, you should begin looking for housing
6. If your new job is sending you materials or resources, make sure the company has your correct address

Above all, take some time to celebrate. Starting a new job can be exciting, and you deserve to celebrate your success!