Great news! You’ve just received a job offer. However, now you’re stuck wondering, what’s the most professional way to accept it?
We’ve been here each step of the way helping you grow your career, building the optimal resume, and writing a great cover letter. Now, you want to know how to craft a top-notch acceptance letter after having landed your dream job.
This article will provide a complete guide on accepting a job offer. Whether you just want to communicate acceptance professionally or still need to iron out the last details of the negotiation process, we’ll provide expert tips and examples for all your needs.
Introduction to Accepting a Job Offer
All that searching through resume templates and pouring over resume examples has paid off, and now that you’ve received the job offer you worked so hard for, accepting it feels like it should be easy. However, it’s important to take a step back to ensure you approach this process professionally.
A well-formed job acceptance letter is essential to show you were the right choice and ensure you and your new employer are on the same page from the get-go.
The typical process involved in accepting an offer goes as follows:
- Evaluating the offer: Before saying yes, ensure the terms outlined are right for you. If they aren’t, you can still negotiate to find a middle ground that better aligns with your career goals and needs.
- Negotiating terms: When there are still terms to be worked out, you’ll want to precisely outline what you’re seeking and plan to communicate it clearly and professionally.
- Communicating your acceptance: Like drafting other professional correspondence, you’ll want to write a well-formatted job acceptance email or letter using industry best practices.
The rest of this article will walk you through these steps. We’ll detail how to handle negotiations, provide examples of job acceptance emails, and offer tips for the post-acceptance phase.
Before Accepting a Job Offer
Before agreeing to the offer, take a second to breathe. You’re allowed to take some time to evaluate the terms and ensure they’re right for you. Then, you can approach your response and negotiations with a clear head.
Prepare to negotiate the offer
It’s normal to find the thought of negotiating an offer pretty stressful. That’s what causes many people to skip this step. However, if you aren’t satisfied with any parts of the offer, such as your salary or benefits, negotiating will make you feel happier once you’re on the job.
Researching data about salary and benefits is a good idea to increase your chances of success and make you feel more confident in the process. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a reliable source of information about average salaries for different jobs and industries. You could also search your job title on platforms like Indeed to get an idea of what other companies are offering.
To help you fine-tune negotiations, especially if all the details aren’t clear in the terms, you can also come up with questions you want to ask the employer. Some examples could be:
- What will my typical schedule look like?
- What’s your policy for sick leave and PTO?
- What does the benefits package include?
- Do you offer flexible work programs?
Express gratitude and communicate professionally
Even if you aren’t ready to officially accept an offer, you should still send a response within 24 to 48 hours after receiving it. It communicates that you’re still actively interested in working with the company.
A great way to start is by showing gratitude. A simple “thank you for the offer” can go a long way. Aim for a sincere tone that shows you genuinely appreciate the company considering bringing you on board.
While you should always show gratitude, it’s important not to say yes to an offer immediately. When you receive good news, emotions can take over, and you won’t think clearly. It’s a good idea to take a step back and review the terms at a pace that works for you.
That way, you can negotiate any finer details that don’t align with you and accept an offer feeling confident that it’s a good career move.
Timeline for response
When a hiring manager extends a job offer, they will want to move forward at a timely pace. After all, the company may have an immediate role it needs to fill. If they don’t hear back from you within a certain amount of time, they may think you aren’t interested and move on to other applicants.
To avoid giving off the wrong impression and losing out on a good opportunity, it’s a good idea to ask for a deadline when they need a final decision from you.
Again, try to be polite and sincere when asking for a timeline. Here’s a good example of how you could ask:
“Thank you for the offer. I’m really excited about the opportunity to join the sales team at Lancaster Electronics. When would you like a response?”
This shows genuine interest while avoiding immediate commitment to the job.
Accepting the Job Offer
Once you’ve reviewed the terms and ironed out the details, it’ll be time to accept the offer. Here are the steps you should take.
Communication and confirmation
Most companies will give you between a few days and one week to accept the role. It’ll be important to send a timely email expressing your intent to accept the offer within the timeline they expressed.
You should keep your email to accept a job offer brief to make it clear and avoid taking up too much of the hiring manager’s time. 100-200 words is a good range in most cases.
Start by showing your excitement for the role. A good way to do this would be saying something like, “I’m delighted to officially accept the office manager role at Smart Logistics.”
Also, make sure to confirm any important details about the offer, especially if you recently negotiated new terms. As long as you have terms laid out, it’ll be best to write this as a statement rather than a question.
For example, instead of asking, “when will my start date be?” you could say, “I am confirming my start date will be on Monday the 12th.”
Official acceptance
Once you’ve sent the email with intent to accept, most companies will send you a formal offer. This will be a professional document outlining all the legal terms and employment details you’re agreeing to.
Again, you’ll want to review this thoroughly before signing on the dotted line. Make sure anything you negotiated is clearly stated in the agreement and that all the other details make sense.
The company may give you guidelines on how to formally accept the offer. For example, they might need a professional written agreement, verbal confirmation, or a signature confirming you agree to the offer’s terms and conditions.
Once you’ve accepted the job offer, you’ll still need to do a couple of other things.
For one, you’ll probably need to give notice at your current job if you haven’t already. Make sure to do this professionally and leave on a high note, having put in your best work until the last day.
If you’ve received offers from other companies, it’s also best practice to let them know you’ve accepted another offer and are withdrawing yourself from consideration. That way, they can move forward with their hiring process.
Negotiation and finalization
After receiving and accepting a job offer, there still may be some details you need to take care of and consider.
One of those things could be your current employer sending you a counteroffer. When this happens, it’s usually a salary increase and could include additional benefits.
While you may feel torn, accepting counteroffers from a current employer is usually not recommended. After all, you probably decided to leave because of more than just your salary.
That said, you could use a counteroffer as leverage with your new employer if you’re still finalizing any negotiations with your salary or benefits. Be polite and professional when presenting this since you don’t want to ruffle any feathers before you start working for a new company.
Once any counteroffers are settled, all that’s left will be finalizing formal acceptance letters and documentation that the company needs before you start.
Crafting Your Job Offer Acceptance Letter or Email
When you accept a job offer, there are two main formats for the acceptance letter: a formal letter for physical mailing or an offer acceptance email. Here are the ins and outs of both, along with some examples.
Job offer acceptance letter samples
Formal job acceptance letters are usually intended for physical mailing or added as a formal attachment to an email.
You’ll want to aim for a more professional tone here. Think of it similar to the tone you’d use while writing a cover letter or resignation letter.
An official job acceptance letter may include more comprehensive details about the position than what you’d write in an email. Some companies may want you to confirm things like salary, official start date, or tasks you’ve agreed to manage on the job in a signed acceptance letter.
It’s especially important to include any of those elements if you’ve negotiated things like salary, benefits, or work schedule. That way, you’ll have it in writing for official documentation.
You should also note that formal acceptance letters aren’t the best fit for asking questions about the role or proposing negotiations. You’d typically want to handle those aspects before putting your official acceptance in writing.
Here are a couple of examples of job acceptance letters to provide you with a successful format.
Offer Acceptance Letter for Candidates Who Negotiated
Beth Smith
1234 Montgomery Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85001
999-345-6789
bethsmith@email.com
3/21/24
Jeff Dunn
United Systems
365 Harvey St.
Phoenix, AZ 85001
Dear Mr. Dunn,
Thank you so much for offering me the opportunity to work at United Systems as a financial analyst. I accept your offer and confirm that I’ll be starting in two weeks on April 4th.
I appreciate all the work you and your team have done to put together an offer that’s a good fit for both parties. As discussed in our meeting on March 18th, my starting salary will be $75,000. I’ll have a hybrid work schedule where I can work remotely two days out of every week, and I’ll start with 15 days of annual PTO.
I’m delighted with everything I’ve learned about United Systems throughout the interview process and eager to join your financial team. If there is anything else I need to know before my start date or if you need more information from me, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you,
Beth Smith
Offer Acceptance Letter for Candidates Who Didn’t Negotiate
Dan Palmer
8351 Oceanside Ln.
Los Angeles, CA 90001
654-321-0987
danpalmer@email.com
3/21/24
Paige Hendrickson
Visionary Recovery
6890 Palm Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90001
Dear Ms. Hendrickson,
I’m writing to formally accept your offer to work as a behavioral therapist with Visionary Recovery.
Thank you for your confidence in my abilities. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to positively impact the mental health of those in our community.
I look forward to beginning training on April 8th and meeting my colleagues. Please let me know if you need any paperwork or information from me before then.
Thank you again. I’m eager to get started and make an impact with Visionary Recovery.
Sincerely,
Dan Palmer
Job offer acceptance email samples
Job acceptance emails are a bit different than formal acceptance letters. While you still want to be professional, they can take on a slightly less formal tone, depending on the company you’re responding to and the nature of the email. As we discuss in our cover letter templates, it’s always best to match the company’s tone in professional communications throughout the hiring process.
Emails will also be a better fit if you want to respond to a job offer but aren’t ready to accept it yet. For example, you may still be considering offers from other companies or want to negotiate a few details about the offer you received.
Those wondering how to respond to a job offer email should keep in mind their tone and level of professionalism during those types of responses. For example, while asking to discuss the salary, you’d want to be clear about what you want while still showing gratitude for the offer the company extended.
Due to the nature of email, always keep what you include as concise as possible while still containing all the relevant information.
Here are a few examples you can use for different scenarios.
Accepting a Job Offer Email
Subject line: Digital Marketing Manager Offer
Dear Marissa,
Thank you for offering me the digital marketing manager position at Interactive Media. I’m writing to officially accept your offer.
As we discussed during our call on March 15th, my starting salary will be $70,000. I will train and oversee the team remotely but will report to the Minneapolis, Minnesota, office once a month for strategy meetings.
I’m eager to get started and meet the team on March 31st. Please let me know if you need anything from me before then.
Sincerely,
Nadia
Email Asking for More Time
Subject Line: Global Sales Administrator Offer
Dear Mr. Carlson,
Thank you so much for considering me for your global sales administrator role at Worldwide Retail. This is exactly the type of opportunity I was looking for, providing a great challenge working with a dynamic international sales team.
I hate to delay my official acceptance of the offer from Worldwide Retail, but I need a couple of days to discuss it with my wife. I’m honored to have been offered this opportunity, so don’t think of this as me not considering it. I just need to make sure all my family’s needs are satisfied so I can put my full effort into this amazing new position.
I know your company has deadlines and needs to fill the position soon. May I get back to you with my final decision on Monday, the 25th?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
John Matthews
Email Negotiating the Offered Salary
Subject Line: Can we discuss the offered salary?
Dear Ms. Paulson,
Thank you for offering me the opportunity to join the Mechanical Solutions team as an electrical engineer.
I’m excited about the opportunity, but the offered salary of $80,000 didn’t quite meet my expectations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for electrical engineers with five years of experience in Oklahoma is $90,000.
I believe my experience and skills in circuit design, DSP, and MATLAB, combined with my contributions to projects that generated over $2 million in revenue over my career, make me well-qualified for the role and show that I will exceed expectations.
I’m happy to discuss this further over a call or via email to work out an agreement that’s beneficial for both sides. Thank you for your time, consideration, and offer to join your team at Mechanical Solutions.
Sincerely,
Lisa Adams
Tips after Accepting a Job Offer
Once you’ve accepted an offer, you’ll still want to take care of a few remaining things.
First, make sure you put in your two-week notice with your current job and notify any other employers you were in the hiring process with. Make sure to maintain professionalism throughout, just like you did during the hiring process as you landed your new job. You don’t want to burn any bridges that could present good opportunities later in your career.
Along with that, update your job search status on platforms like LinkedIn. That way, you don’t waste any company’s time or get annoyed by notifications with hiring teams contacting you.
Every new employer will have a lot of paperwork and legal obligations they need to handle before you get started. Make sure you watch for any calls or emails so you can respond quickly and take care of any necessary details before your start date. Being prompt and consistent immediately will get you off to a great start at your new job.
Remember to show gratitude throughout. Some initial tasks while onboarding can feel boring or like a hassle, but it’s the start of building new professional relationships. A positive attitude will take you a long way at your new workplace.
Conclusion
A new job offer is a significant milestone in your career journey. It’s always important to show gratitude and handle each step of the acceptance and negotiation process professionally. It’ll ensure you get off to the best start with your new employer.
Remember that you don’t have to accept an offer immediately. Just like companies can take some time to review candidates during the hiring process, you’re also allowed to take a few days to review the terms they’ve presented you with and plan for the next steps you want to take.
While things like negotiation can sound nerve-wracking, it can have many benefits that’ll make you happier on the job. So, if you aren’t satisfied with any of the terms, it can be a good idea to research and develop a sound proposal showing the value you bring to the table. The examples in this article will give you a good base for communicating your needs professionally.
Once you have the details managed, you’ll be set to start your new position!
How to Accept a Job Offer FAQs
In most cases, you shouldn’t accept an offer immediately. Take some time to review the terms to ensure the job aligns with your professional needs. That said, you should still respond promptly with a thank you and ask for a timeline when they need an official decision.
Sending a brief thank you email after accepting a job offer is appropriate. Most hiring managers will appreciate seeing your enthusiasm for joining the team as they prepare to send you any final paperwork.
Most companies will want an official decision from you within three days to one week of sending you an offer. The best practice is to send a thank you note after receiving the offer and ask for a clear timeline when they need a decision from you.
Negotiating salary and benefits requires doing some research. You can browse job platforms and resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics to get an idea of average salaries and benefits provided in your industry. Then, present that information with skills and experiences that show why you’re a valuable asset.
You don’t have to accept a job offer over a call immediately. You can thank them for the offer, ask any questions you have, and request a deadline when they need an official response. Then, you can write an acceptance letter or negotiate any details when you’re prepared.
