Your computer chimes to notify you of a new email. You pull up your inbox, and it’s got the word “Offer” bolded in the subject line at the top. Right away, you feel your heart start to pound in your chest — the dream company you’ve spent weeks interviewing with has sent over an offer. You’re ready to celebrate (and tell your friends and family the exciting news!)...but first, the question of how to accept a job offer.
When this exciting, breakthrough moment happens to you, and you’re ready to start a new role, you need to know how to accept the job offer. That starts with writing the perfect job offer acceptance email.
How To Accept A Job Offer
Woohoo — you’ve taken some time to really think things through, and you’re fully ready to accept an offer. Here’s everything you should do next.
Express How Excited You Are About The Opportunity
First, show your gratitude and excitement. Whether you’ve been working with a recruiter or you’re corresponding directly with someone at the company, thank them for all of their help and express how excited and thankful you are about this opportunity and offer.
Even if you’re planning to negotiate, you want to set a positive tone. After all, the hiring process is all about building positive connections and relationships, so this is an opportunity to foster the connections you’ve made.
Negotiate (If You Haven't Already)
Your prospective employer isn't likely to pull your offer just because you ask about compensation. This is a chance for you to advocate for yourself and sweeten the opportunity even further.
When you negotiate a job offer, usually, you’ll speak over the phone first, and then receive a finalized written offer with any changes agreed upon. You’re able to negotiate things like salary, vacation, work hours and flexibility, and more.
>> Read More: How to negotiate your salary over the phone
If something’s sticking out to you, don’t be afraid to give it a shot. The worst that’ll happen is the company saying no (or better, making you a counteroffer). You’ll be surprised how many companies are receptive to a little bit of negotiation!
If the offer is exactly what you wanted and you have no interest in negotiating, that’s okay, too. This is your journey, so it’s worth considering, but not required.
Formally Accept The Role
Yay, it’s time to formally accept the role! Before you start celebrating, you’ve got one more thing to do: writing the acceptance email. This part is actually easier than you might think, and below, you’ll find a template to help simplify the process even more for you.
First: who are you writing to? Send your job offer acceptance email to whoever sent you the offer, whether that was a direct contact at the company or a recruiter.
Be really clear that you’re accepting the role, and confirm a few key details so you can make sure everyone’s on the same page: recap your start date, salary, and any benefits you negotiated or noticed in the offer.
Finally, ask about next steps. What will you need to do to start onboarding? When will they send over a contract for you to sign?
At the end, make sure to reiterate how thankful you are for their help. This always applies, but is especially important if you did negotiate, since it can be a tedious process for all parties.
Job Offer Acceptance Email Template
To make this process easier, customize this template based on your unique situation and details.
Hello, [RECRUITER OR HIRING MANAGER’S NAME],
Thank you again for sending over all the details about the offer. After spending some time reviewing everything, I'm ecstatic to accept the position of [NEW JOB TITLE]. I can't wait to get started and join the team on [START DATE].
To confirm, we established this growth and compensation plan for the role:
-insert detail #1 if applicable, delete this section if not
-insert detail #2 if applicable, delete this section if not
-insert detail #3 if applicable, delete this section if not
I look forward to the next steps in the onboarding process. Please let me know if there’s anything else you need from me prior to onboarding.
Thank you so much for all of your help throughout this process!
Best,
[YOUR NAME]
How The Job Offer Process Works
Step 1: The Verbal Offer
Usually, when you’ve been working with a recruiter, they’ll call you and make an initial offer over the phone. Sometimes, you’ll get a written offer right away.
If you’re ever given an offer on the phone, don’t accept it right away — you want to see the entire offer in writing first! And don’t worry…recruiters don’t expect you to accept over the phone.
Wait — so what should you say? Especially when you’re mentally jumping up and down with excitement about an offer, it’s hard to temper that excitement. Keep it simple: say something along the lines of “Thank you so much for the offer and for letting me know! I look forward to seeing all the details soon, and will get back to you as soon as possible.”
Sometimes, hiring managers and recruiters will give you a date you need to respond by. If they don’t, you can ask for that date, or set a date yourself of about one week.
Here’s a template you can use to ask for a deadline:
Hello, [RECRUITER OR HIRING MANAGER’S NAME],
Thanks so much for sending all of that over! I am really excited about this offer and the opportunity to work at [COMPANY].
I’d like to make sure I thoroughly review all the details before making a decision. If there is not a particular deadline already in place, would [INSERT DATE] work for me to get back to you?
Best,
[YOUR NAME]
This is a great time to step back and make sure the company has answered all of your questions, and to reflect one last time on whether you feel this is the right role and company for you.
Step 2: The Written Offer
When your written offer comes through (usually over email) take your time and comb through all the details. You’ll see information about the role and scope, your compensation, and any benefits you’ll have access to.
Whether you’re going to accept the offer, decline the offer, or request more information (or more time to consider the offer), go ahead and reply to that written offer email. This will keep everything organized and make it easy for you to store in your records later.
What To Consider Before Accepting An Offer
Before you go ahead and write that (ever-so-exciting) job offer acceptance email, there are a few things you should consider.
>> Read More: What to Do When You Get a Job Offer
Compensation and Benefits
The first thing many people check out is how this job is going to impact your bank account. What’s the salary like? Is it around what you expected, higher, or lower?
Beyond salary, what other forms of compensation are there, including bonuses or commission? Will you receive health insurance coverage (and will the plans they offer work for you)? Some companies even offer things like Employee Stock Options where you’ll make more as the company grows.
You should also confirm things like vacation policies and other benefits. Now is the time to make sure you fully understand the compensation details…and make a list of questions if anything isn’t clear.
Potential For Growth and Raises
We know how exciting it is to receive a job offer. Right now, you’re probably just thrilled to get started (and make some money). But this role has the power to do so much more for your professional life.
How will you be able to grow within the company? Is there growth potential? How will the company evaluate your performance, and how often will those evaluations lead to raises or promotions?
Remember, this is your career. Thinking long-term isn’t cocky…it’s smart!
Company Culture and Fit
If you haven’t already, consider digging into the company’s culture and see if it’ll be a good fit for you. No one wants to end up working a role in a super toxic environment where work-life balance doesn’t exist.
You can even reach out to current employees on LinkedIn, or ask the hiring manager to put you in touch with someone. You’ll be able to get all your questions answered — and see whether you’re still excited when you picture yourself working there.
Not everyone may be in a place where they feel comfortable turning down an otherwise good job opportunity when there’s not a cultural fit. If your situation doesn’t allow for that this time, that’s totally okay. Consider this role a stepping stone toward one that’s more aligned with your values.
There you have it! The next time you receive a job offer (yay, go you!) you’ll know exactly what to do. And if you’re stashing this post until that happens, make sure you organize your job search with Teal’s free Job Application Tracker tool. It helps you keep track of all your job applications and manage your job search in one place — so ending up with an offer in your inbox is easier than ever.
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