English for Job Application
Accepting the offer and negotiating the terms of the contract
There are two parts to this issue: one is that you totally accept the offer of the company about your employment and another one is that you accept the offer but you would like to negotiate for better terms in the contract.
Section A: Accepting the offer
1. Definition
Accepting the offer completely means that you agree to the terms and conditions of employment offered by the company.
2. Purpose
You are writing the letter of acceptance to the company to inform them that you have no reservation in accepting the offer made by them and that you are happy to work or continue working in that company.
3. Content
The following is some information for one format of a letter of acceptance for your reference.
3.1. Addresses and Date
Write your address, the date and then the name, job title and address of the recipient as the following:
[Your address]
[Date]
[Name of the Recipient]
[Job title]
[Address]
3.2. Salutation
Write the recipient’s surname in the salutation.
e.g. “Dear Mr Wu”, “Dear Ms Kam”, “Dear Mrs Fong”, etc.
Never write the person’s full name such as “Dear Mr Frederick Chan” or “Dear Ms Camellia Wong”.
3.3. Subject line
After the salutation, a subject line should be written stating which post you are accepting.
e.g. “Accepting the offer to the post of Marketing Trainee”
You can underline the subject in order to highlight the position you are accepting for the person-in-charge to notice at once.
3.4. The first paragraph
Thank the company for hiring you and say that you are happy to work there.
e.g. “Thank you very much for employing me as a Marketing Trainee. It is really my pleasure to have the opportunity to work in your revered company.”
3.5. The second paragraph
State the important terms of the contract including the date of starting work, the salary and the fringe benefits.
e.g. “As mentioned in the contract, I will commence work on 2nd July, 20XX with the salary of HK$15,000. There are in total fifteen days of annual leave. I will also receive medical and health benefits from your company.”
3.6. The last paragraph
Ask if there are any documents you need to sign and anything else you need to pay attention to before starting your work. Don’t forget to thank the person again at the end of the letter.
e.g. “Please let me know whether there are any documents for me to sign and the information about the training procedure. Thank you very much again for employing me and I look forward to being a staff member of your company.”
3.7. Complimentary close
Write “Yours sincerely” or “Yours truly”. Then sign your name and write your full name.
4. Issues to consider
- Before you write the letter of acceptance, read all the terms carefully to ensure that you totally agree to them.
- Remember to be concise and straightforward. You don’t need to write a long letter since it is a mere formality to tell your future employer that you accept their offer.
- Proofread the content and also grammar and spelling. Make sure you are writing to the correct person.
Section B: Negotiating the terms of the contract
1. Definition
Negotiation means you discuss with someone in order to reach an agreement to which you and the other party both consent. Therefore, this part naturally means you are discussing the content of your contract with your future employer to reach a compromise that both of you agree on.
2. Purpose
The purpose is, of course, to try to agree on the terms of your contract such as the salary, annual leave and fringe benefits before you start your work or continue working in that company.
3. Content
Usually it is verbal communication in which you discuss with the person-in-charge of your employment, e.g. the Personnel Manager. It is better to discuss face to face until both of you have made the final decision to agree on the terms of your contract. Please watch the video in the exercise below for a sample.
Useful expressions:
- I would very much like to work in your company but …
- I am very happy to be a part of your team but unfortunately, I have some reservations about …
- I am very glad about your offer. However, …
- I think the best way is to …
- I would like to suggest …
- I recommend/propose that …
- As you can see from the new contract, my responsibilities include … but my salary is only …
- I would be looking for … increase in …
- May I suggest … days for my annual leave?
- I agree to your suggestion.
- I am very happy that we can come to an agreement in the end.
- Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to discuss with you.
- Really looking forward to working in your company/continuing working in the company.
4. Issues to consider
- Remember to make an appointment with the person-in-charge first.
- Before the meeting, read all the terms of your contract carefully and decide on which ones you want to negotiate. Then, set a minimum standard for each of those terms which you can accept.
- Review your own qualifications and experiences to have a clear mind about how much you can negotiate.
- Be polite and show your goodwill. Don’t ever argue with the person-in-charge.
- Make sure to thank the person-in-charge for the chance of discussion and mention that you are very happy to work/continue working in the company.
Exercise
Watch the video below and answer the questions which follow.
To provide project management consulting services for companies in cities in the Greater Bay Area
She wants to negotiate for better terms.
$16,000 per month
Collecting data, sorting, filing and sending out project files to the right personnel, workers, and stakeholders
A 20% increase of her existing salary
Peter, the Head of the Human Resources Department
Further References
1. How to Write a Stellar Acceptance Email for a Job Offer?
This website provides information on the basics of how to write about accepting a job offer.
https://hk.jobsdb.com/en-hk/articles/aacceptance-email-joboffer/
2. 10 Best Job Offer Acceptance Email Samples to Accept Job Offer
In this website, there are several samples on accepting job offer with some useful and meaningful expressions.
https://www.hrcabin.com/best-job-offer-acceptance-email-samples/
3. How to Accept a Job Offer
This video suggests five steps to take during the job acceptance process. The speaker offers practical information in each of the steps.