After your interview

Job offers may be presented to you verbally, by telephone or in person. You should always request the offer in writing, with clear confirmation of the terms and conditions. This information should include:  

• employer’s name  
• job title or a description of work and start date  
• salary and benefits (e.g. pension, annual leave)
• hours of work  
• working location 

It is worth bearing in mind that as a recent graduate you may have limited scope to bargain in the UK job market. Many of the large graduate recruiters will issue standard terms and you should not necessarily expect to (re)negotiate e.g. salary.

Don’t feel compelled to make an instant decision. It can be difficult to make a decision about a job there and then, especially if you are still awaiting a response from another employer. 

• If you wish to accept the offer, you should do so fairly promptly. It is perfectly reasonable to accept verbally on condition of receiving a written offer.
• Keep a record of the letter or email, along with the written offer from the employer, as this forms the basis of your employment contract. More information about employment contracts can be found on GOV.UK and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) websites.  

       GOV.UK

       ACAS

• Once you have accepted a job offer, we strongly advise you to withdraw any outstanding applications with other organisations, explaining that you have accepted another position and thanking them for their consideration. Leaving on good terms and behaving in an ethical and professional manner should allow you to consider future opportunities with the same organisation.

If you have questions about an employment contract, contact the University’s Advice Place for independent and confidential advice:

The Advice Place

At the start of your professional career there will be little - or no - room for negotiation. For many jobs, particularly large graduate recruiters, the starting salary is fixed with minimal room for negotiation.

Where there is scope to re-negotiate terms you should be realistic and aim to compromise. Conduct yourself professionally at all times and respect the employer’s final decision:

Read about when and when not to negotiate your salary (University of Edinburgh login required)

Read about the dos and don'ts of negotiating salary (University of Edinburgh login required)

While some employers may not be able to vary salary levels, they may be able to offer you other benefits, e.g. additional training (towards professional qualifications) or performance-related bonuses.

If you’re being asked by an employer to indicate your salary expectation, it’s a good idea to specify a range. Do your research: you need to try and establish the salary range for comparable roles. Always take into account the geographical location; for example, jobs in London command higher salaries due to the cost of living (often referred to as ‘London weighting’).

The Prospects website provides job profiles with typical starting salary ranges:

Prospects - Job profiles

Glassdoor provides salary information for related job titles:

Glassdoor - salaries

If you are fortunate enough to be in this position, then you will want to weigh up the pros and cons before making a final decision. There is no magic formula for reaching a decision and you need to consider your priorities and preferences.

• Make a list of the criteria used when you began your job search. Review the criteria and rank them in terms of (1) essential (2) desirable and (3) bonuses.   
• Apply the criteria to the job offer(s) received and evaluate how well it meets the ranked criteria. Does the role meet most of your requirements or are one or two essential criteria not met? It is also important to think about the long-term prospects of the job, such as if progression within the company will allow for other criteria to be met in the near future. However, it is important that YOU make the decision and try to resist being influenced by others. They may have a different perspective and differing priorities.
• You are likely to have had a chance to meet individuals from the company and find out more about the role – did you get a feel for the culture and environment? If your interview was conducted remotely and you have yet to meet any of the team members, ask if you can arrange an informal visit.
• Bear in mind you may be choosing between two strong job offers and both could set you on the right career path. In this situation it may come down to your ‘gut feeling’ - what seems the right decision at this moment.

This article on job offer etiquette provides further advice:

targetjobs - 'Can I accept two job offers' and other questions about graduate job offer etiquette

A verbal offer and acceptance can be enough to form a binding contract of employment. If you change your mind the employer could technically:  

• Make you work out any contractual element of their notice.  

• Sue you for breach of contract.  

This is very unlikely to happen in practice. They won't be pleased but would prefer you to withdraw before starting work, and resigning soon after. You should contact them as soon as possible, apologising and explaining why you have changed your mind. This gives them the opportunity to contact other candidates who may have been in reserve. 

Withdrawing from the contract at a late stage will give recruiters a bad impression and make you appear unprofessional. This could have serious implications for your future career prospects particularly if you work in a small or niche industry where employers know each other.

Be up-front and honest. Ask for a period of time to consider the role and explain that you are waiting to hear back from another employer, before making your decision.