What to do if Job offer is disappointing

threaded2222 · 27-11-2013 09:23AM #1

Currently have 2 years work experience with a very large technology company at management level, a degree, a masters and two professional qualifications. I went for a position with Accenture, however now it has gone to offer stage. Their offer is very disappointing, they have said that my experience isn't relevant since it wasn't in management consultancy and made me an offer for a position that is still classed as an experienced hire but will place me alongside recent graduates.

Things in my current job don't seem to going anywhere and overall the company I am in arent great to work for. I have tried negotiating with Accenture but they are standing firm with their offer.

Is taking this offer like taking two steps backwards so that you can take 4 steps forward or is it just backwards?

They have given me 4 days before I have to get back to them with an answer.

April O Neill II · 27-11-2013 09:30AM

Employer's market. There'll be many who will gladly take the job if you don't! Would the Accenture job give you lots of new experience? If so, then it might be worth the temporary salary hit.

CrazySka · 27-11-2013 09:37AM

I wouldn't take the salary cut unless the experience gained will show progression towards a definite goal or future career path, anything else and you raise questions to future employers as to why you left the previous position.
If that is not the case and if you are that confident in your experience and skills then sit tight and wait for the right role.

r3nu4l · 27-11-2013 09:37AM

Management consultancy is very different to what you currently do. Your experience is no doubt invaluable and should give you a competitive edge over those who are starting into the company without your experience but at the end of the day you still have a huge amount to learn and are essentially embarking on a career shift, if not a complete change. You won't be doing the same job at all. You will be examining strategy, developing strategy, advising on tactics to fulfil strategy, looking at processes and defining bottlenecks and inefficiencies as well as looking at ways to streamline processes.

The real advantage you have is that your experience should help you to climb the ladder in your new company much more quickly than someone without that experience, providing you also learn the new stuff along the way.

So while you might be starting off at a lower level, chances are you can progress quickly.

threaded2222 · 27-11-2013 09:38AM

April O Neill II wrote: »

Employer's market. There'll be many who will gladly take the job if you don't! Would the Accenture job give you lots of new experience? If so, then it might be worth the temporary salary hit.

At the moment I am leaning towards accepting it for the reasons you have stated above, but before I do I want to make sure that I am being honest with myself with taking a salary and position hit.

Yes the career shift it was the reason that they gave me for offering me the position that they did.

seamus · 27-11-2013 09:46AM

Large companies like Accenture typically run on salary scales and won't budge outside of those scales by more than 10% unless they're hiring you for a senior management position.

From the sounds of it, they are placing you in a non-management role at a senior grade, even though they feel that you will need to be trained up with recent graduates due your experience. These are very "tick the box" companies, and since you don't tick all their boxes for a senior hire, they have to place you with the recent graduates, even if it's way below what you actually know. It sounds to me like they've already bent the rules a little bit to make you an offer above the grade that their ticky boxes say you are.

Ultimately the question is whether this is a career-progressing move. Moves which improve your career prospects in the long-term don't always improve your salary in the short or medium terms. You say you're going nowhere in your current position. Do you see this new position offering you the chance to progress? Or even offering you skills and experience which you could use 1-2 years down the line to move onto another company in a better position?

What to do if Job offer is disappointing

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