You got the call you have been hoping for regarding a great position with your first-choice employer, and naturally, after weeks (or months) of back and forth conversations, the recruiter is pressing you hard to make a decision in a short period of time. Even if there are no other hot prospects pending, and even if the ease of just saying 'yes' is very attractive, you owe it to yourself to take a step back and evaluate each component of the offer before making the commitment to accept.
Everyone likes to be wanted, and that fuzzy, warm feeling of knowing that a company wants you can be very seductive.

Make no mistake, I'm not advising playing hard to get for its own sake, instead, I'm cautioning job seekers not to overlook something that could later become a real issue for you... something that was foreseeable and addressable before you take the plunge into new waters. Some things to think about and address once you get the offer:

1. It's not an offer until it's actually extended. If a recruiter or staff member calls you with the good news that the employer wants to make you an offer and describes the major components and asks how that sounds to you, this is your first chance to examine the elements. You should have been thinking about what you would say if such a call occurred, but many of us aren't as prepared as we should be.

2. Don't react too quickly with specifics. Express your excitement that an offer is being put together and say you need a little time to digest the news. Ask the caller to repeat the key points and take notes (BTW you should always take copious notes on every conversation). It's likely the recruiter is testing to see if the offer is in the ballpark, so an appropriate response is to indicate that the points mentioned seem in the ballpark, and you'll be eager to see the components fleshed out in a bit more detail. If a major element, such as a bonus, is not mentioned, you should comment on that.

3. Everything is negotiable (well, almost everything). Not all employers are willing to negotiate on the same elements of an offer, so it’s important that you decide which elements are important to you. If a particular element could be a deal-breaker, try to address that item first, and if things go the way you want in that regard, perhaps you can live with the rest of the items as proposed.

4. Hiring managers expect that both parties are negotiating in good faith, with the same objective of making the deal a win-win for both parties. In my experience as a hiring manager, I preferred that prospective employees were candid about what would make the deal work for them. Once we had agreed on the key elements it was an unpleasant surprise to suddenly have the other party come up with additional items for negotiation. It made me feel as though the bait and switch game were being played: not a great way to begin a relationship.

5. Once the deal is done, express your excitement about being part of the team and reinforce your value. In the same way that wild animals can sense fear in a human being, new employers can sense discontentment in a new employee. Be certain you have intellectually and emotionally bought into the agreed-to terms before you actually show up for your first day with your new employer. In order for you to be successful in your new role, you must be wholeheartedly committed and your employer must be equally committed to integrating you into the organization.

If you keep these tips in mind, the negotiating process can be productive and effective for both parties, and you’ll soon be comfortable swimming in the waters of a new opportunity.