I am just about to email to turn down a job offer for a job I actually really want. Anyone else had this occur?

[ThatBliddyWoman]

I have had two interviews for the job, one just an informal meeting and the second a presentation. Both went well and I was offered the job. It was advertised as (for example) the pay starting at about 2K less than I am on now, and going up to 3 and a half thousand more.

They've offered me the very lowest end of the scale, because I don't have all of the experience they wanted.

They wanted a degree, experience in one particular field and experience in another field. I have two degrees (a Masters) and experience in one but not both of the areas so they'd start me on the lowest pay.

It's also more hours than I do now (albeit not many) some hours WFH some in the office. So I'd have to factor in petrol costs, and paying a dog walker.

I've looked at my finances over and over and I just can't do it :(

I keep re-wording the email. What I want them to do is to come back and say 'Great we'll give you more money then!' but It's not likely is it.

I have a gut feeling that they've not had many people apply. I breezed through both the interviews, I got the impression they really liked me :(

It's also in a field I really want to work in and really want to gain experience in. They'd offered to put me through a qualification I have always wanted too.

Gutted. Has anyone else had something such as this happen?

You would be foolish not to negotiate. State a price and say you have looked at your situation and you would not be able to move for less than that and could they please consider reviewing the salary.

Never mind WWJD - when it comes to work think WWAMD (what would a man do).

I had this happen. I had a job in retail management. I really loved the job and the people I worked with but I went for an interview for a role as a receptionist as I saw it advertised and the hours would be amazing. The salary wasn't published but I was expecting it to be a bit lower than what I was on. I've worked in retail since a teen so have great face to face skills so I thought I'd go for it. The interview went really well. They rang me up and offered me the job at a lower salary than I was expecting. I said I really loved the role but I was expecting closer to £x amount. They rang back and offered me what I asked for and I accepted. You've got nothing to lose just as I didn't, I had my job I really liked already (apart from working weekends!) So I just went for it. Good luck!

That is so true-and I am going to try to apply it in all areas of life!

Negotiate, and condfidently too! Good luck.

I think you should email them back to ask for more money, or to ask for a phone call catch up where you ask them for more money. Don't email refusing the job offer hoping they take the hiny and offer more money.

Hello xxxx

Thank you for your email and confirmation of your offer.

As you know I am currently on xxx salary, would you be able to match this? Perhaps we could have a call to discuss? As you know I would love to work for xxxx and was very interested in the role however I'm sure you understand I need to also make this work financially, and with the increased hours and commenting costs at the moment I just wouldn't be able to accept £30,000.

Kind regards,

Xxxxx

I wouldn't use language like "I can't afford".

Use stronger, less apologetic, more direct language. You don't need to apologise for anything either.

Head up, ask for what you want.

I think you should ask for the top end too.

Don't be fluffier, why would you do that? You will just make yourself sound a bit feeble.

You have no reason to be 'fluffier' in a negotiation.

Fantastic outcome! Same too-I work every second weekend at the moment. This new role would require one weekend a month, but none for two months of the year so not every month. I HATE weekend working.

Okay. I will do this, I promise. I'll let you all know what they come back with.
I don't think she's in today however, from memory so it may not be straight away.

NO FLUFF!

Good luck.

Firstly congratulations on being offered the job!

Secondly, don't take their first offer! This is clearly something you would love and are obviously what they are looking for if they have offered you the job.

You are clearly well educated with the degrees, and by the sound of it a very sensible and considered person and I doubt they would want to lose someone like you over a few thousand.

I was offered two jobs earlier this year but the one I really wanted didn't offer me enough money to move. I went back and asked for more (only 2k extra), because it made such a difference to our finances. They took a little while to come back but said yes and here I am today. I know I was able to play off the other job offer but even if it was just one on the the table I would have still tried.

Surely it is worth asking the question and telling them how much you would love to work for them, remind them of why they have chosen you but you really had hoped for more money given your experience, skillset, attributes etc that you can bring to the role.

Really good luck, but please don't walk away without trying! You never know. Fingers crossed for you OP.

Don’t ask them to match your current salary! If you’re going to move you want more money. Very poor advice.

Don’t be apologetic - more off advice. They clearly think you’re great. Be clear, assertive and succinct.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

It doesn’t bode well re the company op

you ate very qualified and not many people applied and yet they’ve offered you the gutter salary

Absolutely do NOT send an email declining the job offer! I used to be in charge of recruitment in a previous role and it was very very rare that we offered the top end of the pay bracket as a first offer. That's not how it works. They go in with an offer and will almost certainly expect pushback from the candidate so will be leaving themselves some wiggle room to account for this. If you have a legitimate reason why you are asking for more (which you do, current salary, qualifications etc) then you need to explain this.

Thank you so much for the offer. I am very interested in the role but my current salary is X and I feel that my experience in XYZ alongside my degrees in XYZ would make me a great fit for this role, however I would need to match my current salary as a minimum in order to accept the role. Is this something you would consider?

Go for it OP! As everyone else has said just ask for more, you have nothing to lose.

Thank you for that example, it sounds great.

I am really glad I posted on here, it was only to have a bit of a moan and see if anyone else had had a similar experience but I've had some really good advice :)

Absolutely don't start with a 'sorry but' you are coming at it from a position of putting your needs below theirs.

You need to change the whole tone of your email from apologetic decline to "I would love this job on the right money".

Don't think of it as you are being greedy from their POV - you need to be quite clear that a salary drop versus current role, plus additional expenses on top cannot be an attractive offer or workable.

Keep it polite and professional.

Dear so and so,

Thankyou so much for the time you spent with me at interview - I genuinely enjoyed it and feel really excited about this role.

I am so pleased to be offered the job - unfortunately the current salary offer of £xxxx too low currently to be workable for me, is there any room for maneuvere?

For full transparency my current salary is £xxx, additionally accepting this role will also require approx £xxxx annually in commuting costs. As such, if you were able to move to £xxxx salary I would be delighted to accept.

Best wishes,

As a director running my own business I would always offer the lowest end of the pay scale, why would I offer the highest?

I also expect everyone to negotiate, it's exactly as said upthread the men always push back faster and harder.

Just tell them the top end that they offered is what you wanted. And then let them push you down from there, meeting in the middle isn't going to get you what you need.

And good luck, but please don't start with "I can't accept your offer"

Just say after consideration I'd need to be earning xxx, could we discuss this further? Or could we continue this conversation.

Just to note, I didn't tell them it would help our personal finances at all, I told them I was worth the extra money! 😉

Totally agree with other posts - negotiate and don't undersell yourself. I wouldn't say you can't afford to accept £x, instead highlight your skills and experience and say therefore your salary expectation is £y. Saying you can't afford to work for less sounds apologetic whereas in fact it's about the fact you're worth more. Go for it!

Good luck op - great advice here!

It doesn't actually does it?
A couple of other things in the lead up to the interview did that too (them getting times mixed up, getting my email address wrong etc).

Even if you get the top end (3.5K more than current salary) is that goung to be enough - after tax - to compensate for a dogwalker the days you work, the commuting costs, and the extra time away from home from commuting and the longer hours?

It's up to you, but if you are going to accept, definitely don't accept matching your currently salary - make sure its the 3.5K or nothing.

DH had to do this recently. It was quite a bit more money on paper but would have required a couple of days in London each week, and once we’d factored in a season train ticket, parking, petrol to get to the station, and losing his company car, it wasn’t worth the extra time commuting. Especially as the company pension contributions were less generous. He was disappointed but it just didn’t make sense because there was no margin for error - a 10% increase in petrol prices or train fares would have meant he was making less than he is now.

Right yes that's something to think about.