How to Accept a Job Offer the Right Way (With Examples)

After all the hard work you have done to land the job, it would be a shame to let yourself get complacent with accepting the job offer and doing it in a less-than-professional way.

You may think there is not much to accepting a job offer, but we assure you it is not something to be taken lightly. There is a proper way to do it, and it calls for just as much care and consideration as any other part of getting a new job.

You should be no less diligent with writing your job acceptance letter than you have been with writing your resume or cover letter. A well-framed and timely acceptance letter conveys your regard for the company and your seriousness about the opportunity. It also helps you ensure that you and the employer are on the same page and allows you to clear up any confusion or misunderstandings right at the outset.

In this guide, we go over different aspects of how to accept a job offer and provide examples of what a good job acceptance letter looks like. Let’s start with the informal offer.

How to Accept a Job Offer Made Verbally (Informal Offer)

An informal offer is generally made verbally in the last round of the interview process to gauge your interest or over the phone after the last interview round. It only includes basics like the salary, location, and maybe the starting date.

This is your chance to negotiate the salary. It would hardly be professional to accept the salary now and try to negotiate it later when you get the offer in writing. So, be prepared with your research about the market rates for similar positions in the region based on your experience and capabilities.

Also, make sure you have prepared your pitch in advance and have good arguments for why you deserve to be paid more. Be assertive and confident during the negotiation, but don’t overdo it. Also, if it is your first job, don’t negotiate too hard; getting a job without any prior experience is a win in itself.

Employers usually state a lower salary than what they are actually willing to pay when they first make the offer because candidates are expected to want to negotiate. In most cases, you can very reasonably ask for up to 10% more than what they are offering.

And conversely, if they ask you something like, "So, what are your salary expectations from this position?", give them a higher number than what you have in mind to leave room for negotiation.

It is also a good idea not to try to negotiate the salary right away when the offer is made and to ask questions about other aspects of the job first.

Questions to Ask When Offered a Job

Asking specific questions about the role doesn’t only help you make an informed decision but it also demonstrates your professionalism and how aware you are. It projects you as someone who knows what they are talking about, which can be a great help when you try to negotiate the salary.

You may ask questions like:

• What are the typical working hours, and are there any expectations to work overtime or on weekends?
• How much paid time-off will I get
• Is there any flexibility in the starting date?
• Who will I report to, and can you provide a comprehensive description of my responsibilities
• Are there any specific performance metrics or goals that will be monitored on this job?
• Will there be any travel required for this position, and if so, how much and how often?
• Can you provide me a comprehensive breakdown of the compensation package, including salary, benefits, and any potential bonuses or incentives
• Is there a probationary period for this position? If so, how long is it, and what are its requirements?
• Are there opportunities for professional development and growth within the company?
• Would you be able to provide a brief overview of the company's culture and work environment?

Even after asking all these questions and getting due answers, remember, you are under no obligation to accept or reject the offer right then. If you are not sure about something yet, just thank them for the offer and ask for some time to consider it. Most employers would not mind waiting one or two days for your answer.

And if you do accept the verbal offer, make sure to let them know you are looking forward to receiving it in writing. An offer letter is way more detailed than a verbal offer, and you might find something in it that makes you want to change your mind.

How to Accept a Written Job Offer (Formal Offer)

In most industries, it is standard practice to send the selected candidate a job offer in writing. The offer letter sets out the terms and conditions of employment and provides the candidate with all the important details about the job. It is an important document, and you should always ask for it before going ahead with any onboarding formalities.

Evaluating the Offer

Before you accept the offer letter, you must review it thoroughly. We would recommend you go through it at least twice to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Check to see if everything mentioned in there is in line with what was discussed in the interview or not.

Here are some things you should look for in the offer letter while reviewing it:

• Job title and description
• Start date and schedule
• Salary and compensation
• Paid time-off policies
• Benefits package
• Performance expectations and evaluation criteria
• Probationary period
• Reporting structure and chain of command
• Termination and severance policies
• Training and development opportunities
• Confidentiality and non-compete clauses
• Company culture and values
• Non-discrimination policies
• Work-from-home policies, if applicable
• Relocation assistance, if applicable

If you find any variance between what had been discussed before and what the offer letter says, reach out to the sender for clarification. Do the same in case there are any terms in the offer that are not clear to you.

Accepting the Offer

In case you want some time to decide whether or not to accept the offer, send a prompt follow-up e-mail in which you ask the employer if they can wait for a day (or whatever your required duration is) for your answer.

Use this time to get clarity on your indecisiveness about the job. Maybe the job doesn’t align well with the career goals you have set for yourself, but you are finding it hard to say no to a lucrative offer. Or maybe you don’t actually like the job but still, feel inclined to accept it simply because you are tired of your job hunt. Or it could be that the business of the company is in conflict with your values.

If you are happy with the offer letter overall but would like to negotiate a point, you should write a job acceptance e-mail with a clause mentioning the point to be negotiated. In the e-mail, you would basically be saying that you are ready to accept the offer if point ABC can be negotiated. Up ahead in the article, we have provided a template for writing an email like that.

And if the offer is perfect, there is nothing to do but write a concise and courteous job acceptance e-mail, for which you will find a template further ahead in the article as well.

How to Accept a Job Offer via E-mail

Your job acceptance e-mail should carry a formal tone and be sent in a timely manner. It should not be unnecessarily long. After you are done writing it, make sure to check for typos, grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, and factual mistakes. Also, ensure it includes the following sections:

• Subject line: Include a brief and simple subject line before the e-mail starting with ‘’Job Acceptance," followed by your name and the position for which you have been selected.
• Greeting: Greet the recipient cordially without being too informal. Better keep it simple and write something like ‘’Dear XYZ’’ or ‘’Hello XYZ’’
• Thanks: Begin by thanking the employer for offering you the role and while you are at it, also show your enthusiasm for joining the team.
• Explicit acceptance: Don’t take it as understood, clearly state that you accept the offer and reiterate the terms of the position such as the job title and the starting date. You may also repeat any other details that you want to confirm, like the pay and benefits.
• Closing: End the e-mail with a professional closing such as ‘’Best regards’’ or ‘’Sincerely’’ followed by your name.

You can also add a P.S. section at the end to request that the recipient let you know that they have received your acceptance e-mail.

Job Acceptance Email Examples

There are three main situations that may arise when you are considering accepting the job offer: You want some time to think about the offer; there is something about the offer that you want to negotiate, or, you want to accept the offer right away. Here is a template you can use for each scenario:

E-mail example for when you want to negotiate a point

E-mai example for when you want time to consider the offer

E-mail example for when you want to accept the offer

Next Steps After Accepting a Job Offer

You can finally sit back and relax after sending the job acceptance letter, but only for a little bit. There is still work to do. You need to keep a few things in mind and take some additional steps to ensure a smooth transition into your new role.

Waiting for a Confirmation e-mail

First of all, you need to wait to receive a confirmation email from your new employer. The confirmation mail states that they have received your job acceptance letter and may reiterate some details of the job, like the joining date and location. The confirmation may also come in the form of a phone call.

Signing paper work

Once you receive the confirmation letter, you might want to resign from your current job right away. But you must hold your horses, as there may be some documents that you need to sign to make the offer official. To be on the safe side, wait until all the necessary paperwork is finished before you inform your current employer that you are leaving.

Handing in your resignation letter

You must submit a formal resignation e-mail to notify your current employer that you intend to leave the company. Remember to include the following essential points in your resignation:

1. Resigning Date: It is important to mention the date on the day you submit your resignation as it serves as a record of when you submitted your resignation.
2. Last Day: You must mention the date that is going to be your last day of work at the company.
3. Expression of Gratitude: It is customary to express your gratitude for the opportunities and experience you got at the company.
4. Offering assistance: Offer to assist your team in any way you can to minimize the inconvenience caused by your departure. In addition to handing over your responsibilities, this may also include interviewing your replacement and training them.

If you want, you can also include the reason for leaving the company in your resignation; however, if it is something negative about the company, better leave it out. You don’t want to risk anything affecting your experience letter or letter of recommendation.

Serving Notice Period

Generally, the notice period, or the amount of time you have to stay in the organization after you formally notify them that you are leaving, is two weeks. But it can vary from company to company and is usually mentioned in the employment contract.

Be sure to make good use of this time. Wind up all your pending work at your current job and prepare to hand over your responsibilities. Go on Google and read up on the business your new company is involved in to be better prepared for your first day.

Also, when you tell your colleagues that you are leaving the company, be considerate of the fact that they are still going to be working there. Don’t speak disparagingly about the company or say anything that might make your colleagues feel bad about their jobs.

And don’t let the fact that you are going to leave in a couple of days be an excuse for you to slack off, even if your reason for leaving is that you hate your job. Instead, take it as an opportunity to strengthen your work ethic by consistently putting in sincere effort even when it seems futile to do so.

Hope this article helps, and best of luck with your new job.