can I back out after accepting a job? by Alison Green on March 18, 2025 A reader writes: What do you owe a company when you accept a position? Is it ever okay to leave a good job only a few weeks after starting? I worked for a decade in an industry I loved, then burned out hard and left for a better-paying sector. For the past 18 months, I’ve […] Read the full article →
hiring manager wants to fire my mentor and replace him with me by Alison Green on February 13, 2025 A reader writes: I’m in a quandary and really second-guessing a decision I made regarding an offer that was made to me a couple of weeks ago. I work for a company that makes, let’s say, teapots. I recently found out that Cersei, the director of a different teapot-making company, wants to fire her entire […] Read the full article →
my new boss told me not to take all my PTO each year by Alison Green on January 13, 2025 A reader writes: I recently landed a job offer at a large global company after taking a year off. The job search was a tough one, but after some bumps in the road I was pretty excited about this company and accepted their offer. I ended up negotiating for additional vacation time (four weeks) to […] Read the full article →
how much time can I ask for to consider a job offer? by Alison Green on January 7, 2025 A reader writes: I’ve been conducting a low-key job search for months without much movement, and suddenly within the last few weeks I have what seems like serious interest from two different companies. I’m near the end of the interviewing process with both of them but, from what I can tell, one of them is […] Read the full article →
new manager is angry that I’m pregnant by Alison Green on October 15, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve just gone through a long interview process for a job I was referred to a while back. I have not been actively applying for jobs because I am pregnant but this one came to me. During the process, I realized this is the best job I’ve ever been considered for — […] Read the full article →
when you’re accepting a job offer, should you get any extra promises in writing? by Alison Green on August 26, 2024 A reader writes: I currently have an offer for an internal transfer to a different division in my company — same level but new team and scope of work. I’m planning on negotiating the salary offered (using some of your advice from prior letters!) which I would obviously want in writing, but I’m wondering if […] Read the full article →
don’t forget to scrutinize benefits when you’re considering a job offer by Alison Green on July 25, 2024 A reader writes: I wanted to share a recent story that highlights why, when reviewing a job offer, it’s important to consider the benefits package in addition to the salary. I was recently offered a position that would be a huge step up for me. It only came with a modest salary increase, but I […] Read the full article →
can I negotiate a later schedule before accepting a job? by Alison Green on March 19, 2024 A reader writes: Are hours ever negotiable? I’m in the late stages of interviewing for what I honestly think is my dream job: I love the team, the manager, the work, everything about it, and the salary is a huge step up from what I’m making now. But I am leaning towards turning it down […] Read the full article →
should I be worried by how pushy an employer was with a job offer over a holiday weekend? by Alison Green on May 31, 2023 A reader writes: I found out about two weeks ago, verbally, that I was the chosen candidate for a job. It took them two weeks to send me the offer letter, which was sent past 9 pm on Friday night in their time zone (Pacific time). I am located in Eastern time right now, so […] Read the full article →
how bad is it to accept an offer and then back out for another? by Alison Green on May 10, 2023 A reader writes: I am about to finish grad school and am job-hunting. I have interviewed with a company for Job A, and feel like I may get an offer in the next week. Although I am interviewing now, I would not start this job for several months due to my grad school courses, something […] Read the full article →