There are common problems associated with interviews and potential job offers and negotiating with employers is not always easy, especially now more employers outsource recruitment. The following areas are typical:
- Inconvenient interview time
- Having an offer you don't want to accept at this stage
- Being pressed by an employer for an early decision
- Waiting to hear about other jobs
- Wanting to keep open the option of postgraduate study
- Wanting to accept an offer but to defer your start date
- Salary too low
- Research the career options available via their institution's careers service, web sites, databases, careers fairs and academic departments and other sources.
- Be prepared and committed to the recruitment process by:
- reading the employers' information.
- carefully following employers' or agencies' application procedures.
- acknowledging promptly an invitation to interview, regardless of your decision.
- being professional in all dealings with employers.
- seeking only repayment of reasonable expenses incurred during the selection process.
- When accepting an unconditional offer, decline all other offers. Be aware of what is being signed up to. The acceptance in writing of an unconditional offer forms a contract. If you wish to qualify or defer acceptance, contact your careers service for advice first.
Think hard about what you want out of any negotiation before you start. What would be the best outcome you could reasonably aspire to? What do you realistically expect? What is your absolute bottom line? Which issues are 'nice-to-have' and which are essential? The employer will have made similar preparations. Try to establish their constraints before volunteering your own position. Frequently asked questions Q: I've applied for a job but haven?t heard whether I am going to be interviewed - what should I do?
A: In most cases, it is perfectly acceptable to ask an employer what is happening, especially if you suspect that correspondence might have gone astray or if you need to know because you are under pressure to make decisions. However, some employers are quite explicit that if you have not heard by a specific date you should assume your application was unsuccessful. Q: Should I accept an interview at an inconvenient time?
A: Don't be afraid to ask if the interview can be changed. It may not be possible but you will not be penalised for asking. The Code of Best Practice for employers states that they should be willing to offer alternative dates where interviews clash with exams and other important academic demands. Q: Should I have to pay my own expenses to attend an interview?
A: Most employers are prepared to meet reasonable expenses for interviewees, and the Code of Best Practice says they should make it clear if they are not. If nothing is said, ask before accepting the interview invitation. Q: When should I discuss the possibility of taking a year out after graduation?
A: You could start by testing the water in an informal or anonymous way, e.g. by asking about their policy on deferral at their recruitment presentation, calling their recruitment helpline, speaking to a consultant here if it is one of our clients or checking the information available at your careers service. Unless your research shows that an employer is particularly positive about time out, it may be safer not to mention deferral at the application stage. It is probably better to wait until an employer has at least expressed an interest in progressing your application. When you do raise the issue, allow room for discussion and negotiation. Be ready to talk about how you intend spending your time out and how the experience will add value to your contribution as an employee. Q: I?ve no idea what salary to ask for ? how should I handle this?
A: Many job advertisements include the salary. Some may give a range, but the exact salary may be determined by your qualifications or experience. Other advertisements do not specify a salary, or say it is ?negotiable?. It is best to leave negotiating salary until you are absolutely sure an employer wants to recruit you. However, as part of your interview preparation, you need to investigate the range of salaries for similar roles so that you can say "My research suggests most graduate entrants earn between X and Y". Look at a job profile for a comparable role, survey advertisements for similar jobs, and seek advice from friends, careers advisers or one of our consultants. Q: I've been unsuccessful at interview therefore can I ask for feedback on my interview performance?
A: Some employers have so many applicants that they explicitly say they cannot give feedback, and this position should be respected. If it has not been mentioned, it is always worth asking whether an employer is prepared to give feedback, as it can often help you prepare for your next interview. Q: I've been offered a job but I feel I need more information before making a decision.
A: Never be afraid to ask for this. If necessary, ask if you can revisit the employer. Many will be happy to arrange this ? sometimes at their own expense ? but check whether they will pay before committing yourself to major expenditure on travel or hotels. Q: It's not the job I applied for ? what can I do about it?
A: Do you know enough about this other job to make a decision? Find out as much as you can before deciding. Weigh up the pros and cons. Will the job on offer meet your criteria for job satisfaction? How much do you want to work for this particular employer? Will there be an opportunity later to move across into your preferred function? If you are still unsure, you may want to talk to a careers adviser. Q: It's only a fixed term contract ? what can I do about it?
A: In many sectors of employment, short-term contracts are the norm. Is the contract likely to be renewed? Do internal applicants get preferential treatment? Questions like this will show an organisation you are really keen to work for them. Even in sectors where permanent contracts are more usual, many graduates move to a second job within three years. It is important to consider what you will be able to achieve during the contract. Will taking this fixed-term appointment make you a better candidate when the contract ends? Q: Do I have to accept right away?
A: You may want to wait until you have heard the results of other applications or your degree results. Employers will often indicate the date by which they will expect you to make a decision about an offer. How much time they will give you depends on the employer and the time of year. If necessary, ask for more time ? you will not be penalised for asking. Try to give a date by which you expect to be able to make a decision, but be realistic ? other employers may be slower than you anticipate. It isn?t possible to generalise about whether employers will be willing to extend deadlines or how much time it would be reasonable to allow for a decision, since conventions vary from one sector to another and from one type of job to another. In general, offers of immediate employment carry shorter deadlines than offers made during the autumn or spring for work starting in the following autumn. If the deadline on an offer is approaching expiry and you are still waiting to hear from other employers, contact them to find out when you can expect their decision. Let them know you would like to work for them but have other offers ? most employers are pleased if their candidates are considered employable by other people! Give them an idea of the timetable so they appreciate how quickly you need an answer. Q: The offer is subject to conditions - what should I expect?
A: If the conditions are fairly automatic, e.g. passing a medical examination or securing references, you can accept on the assumption that you have the job. If you could fail to meet the conditions, e.g. a particular degree classification, you can accept subject to fulfilling those conditions and consider other offers which may have lower conditions. However, it is only fair to the organisation making the lower offer to tell them that you will only accept if you do not fulfil the requirements of the higher offer. Do not firmly accept any job as long as there is doubt about whether you are willing to take it. The same usually applies to places for postgraduate study. Q: Can I ask for a higher salary than I?ve been offered?
A: If you have a higher offer from another employer, or you know of other people being paid more for similar jobs, you can try and negotiate with the employer. Consider the total package. How soon will your salary be reviewed? What else is included? Is the employer offering any of the following: training, flexible hours, long holidays, relocation expenses, a non-contributory pension, share options, health insurance, a car? Is the job a particularly interesting opportunity that will give you valuable experience? What are these things worth to you? Be clear about your position and at what point you are willing to walk away from the offer. Q: How can I negotiate a deferral until the following year?
A: Hopefully you will already have discussed the possibility of deferring. When the employer makes an offer, say that you definitely want to work there but would like to defer. Before you start negotiating, be clear about how far you are prepared to compromise. Some employers have two starting dates ? would you prepared to start at the later one? Some employers will not guarantee a place for the following year, so there is an element of risk in taking a year out. At what point are you willing to walk away from the offer? If the employer agrees to defer the offer, make sure you get the revised offer in writing and that it states a start date and a salary with which you are happy. For example, you might want your salary to be based on what graduate entrants will be being paid on the date you start work. You should accept their offer in writing and keep a copy. Q: Can I ask for a different starting date?
A: Some starting dates cannot be changed because they are related to induction or training courses. In other cases employers may be perfectly happy to accept a different starting date if asked. Q: I?ve been sent a form about criminal convictions. Could my offer be withdrawn?
A: If an employer is particularly concerned about criminal records, you are likely to have been asked about them right at the outset, before the employer has spent a lot of time and money on selection. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, criminal convictions can become 'spent' after a rehabilitation period, which depends on the sentence given, and you do not have to disclose them when applying for most jobs. If the conviction is not 'spent' under the Act, or if the post is excepted from the Act, you will have to disclose it. You will probably want to send a cover letter with the form explaining factors which minimise the impact of the offence (e.g. it is minor or a one-off), how your circumstances have changed since the offence (eg you were young and easily influenced at the time, you were experiencing problems which have since been resolved), and what you have done to put the offence behind you. Further advice is available from Nacro at www.nacro.org.uk. Q: The manager who superviseed my internship wants to have me back, but there?s a hiring freeze. Should I accept and wait?
A: Try to establish how long the hiring freeze is likely to last. You may want to accept subject to there being a firm offer by a certain date. You should consider a Plan B in case the hiring freeze is not lifted in time. Once you accept an unconditional offer, you should inform all other interested employers. Q: I accepted an offer, but I?ve had second thoughts ? what can I do?
A: Most graduate recruiters would like to be told as soon as possible, while they still have time to find other candidates. Of course they will be disappointed, but most would rather you withdraw before they have incurred additional expense in training you. Remember that you may need to deal with this employer again in the future, as a customer or colleague, so be courteous at all times. And don?t do this more than once ? graduate recruiters do talk to one another and you don?t want to be labelled as an applicant who backs out. If you have already accepted an unconditional offer, you are bound by the terms of your contract, and must give notice of your withdrawal. Employers could demand that you recompense them for the costs of recruiting you, but there is no evidence of this happening in practice. The Citizens Advice Bureau can advise on employment law if necessary; see www.citizensadvice.org.uk. Q: My offer was conditional on getting a particular result and I haven?t ? what can I do?
A: First, pursue avenues through your university to get your result reviewed. Contact the employer as soon as possible and explain the position. If there are extenuating circumstances, explain them too. If you are starting postgraduate study, you will have to check your position with both the university and with your funding body. Q: My dream job has fallen through ? can I go back to an employer I turned down?
A: You have nothing to lose, and if one of their candidates has failed to meet the conditions of their offer, they may be very glad to hear from you. This sort of situation illustrates why you should always treat employers politely and professionally. Q: The employer has withdrawn an offer - what can I do?
A: This happens very rarely and usually because of unforeseen circumstances. In these situations the employer is likely to either withdraw the offer completely or defer the offer to a later date. In either case, there is generally little room for negotiation on the terms of withdrawal, but there may be scope for negotiating the compensation you receive for the time and opportunities you have lost. If you have an offer withdrawn we would advise you to contact your careers service to talk through your options. Bring along the letter from the employer. Points to remember
- Acknowledge offers in writing (even if they do not ask you to do so) and keep a copy.
- Make clear that you are considering an offer but do not commit yourself unless you wish to accept.
- Always try to indicate when you will be in a position to make a decision.
- Do not accept more than one firm offer.
