Getting a job offer is a huge relief. It is also the moment I see people make their fastest, least considered decisions.
Relief is not a great state for judging anything. After weeks or months of applications and interviews, the temptation is to look at the number, feel good about it, and say yes on the phone.
Take a breath first. An offer is a whole package, a manager, a team and a set of conditions you will be living with every day. Here is how I would look at it.
Read the whole package, not just the number
Base or package?
In Australia, "package" often means base salary plus superannuation. So a $120,000 package including super is a base of a bit over $107,000. That is a real difference in your take-home pay, and it is a common source of confusion. Always ask: is that figure base, or including super?
Superannuation
The superannuation guarantee currently sits at 12 per cent of your ordinary earnings. Some employers pay above that, which is worth real money over time. Check which it is.
Bonus
Bonuses deserve the most scepticism. Ask:
How is it calculated, and how much depends on company results versus your own performance?
Has it actually paid out in recent years, and at what level?
When is it paid, and is it pro-rated in your first year?
Do you have to still be employed on the payment date to receive it?
My advice is to value a bonus at zero until you have seen it paid. If the offer only works for you with the bonus included, that is a risk you should know you are taking.
Flexibility
"Hybrid" can mean almost anything. Ask what the team actually does week to week, not what the policy says. If a specific arrangement matters to you, ask for it in writing.
Leave and everything else
Full-time employees get four weeks of annual leave under the National Employment Standards. Some employers add more: extra days, wellbeing leave, the option to buy additional leave, or paid parental leave on top of the government scheme.
Also check the probation period, the notice period, any restraint clauses, and when your first salary review falls. If you start just after the annual review cycle, you might wait well over a year for an increase.
If something is short, the time to raise it is before you accept, not after. I share the exact wording in my salary negotiation scripts.
What the interview process told you
The process you just went through is the best preview you will get of the people you would be working with. Think back over it:
Was the hiring manager prepared? Had they read your resume?
Did they answer your questions directly, or deflect?
How did they talk about the person who had the role before you, and about their own team?
Did you meet anyone you would actually work alongside?
How did they communicate between stages, including how they responded when you followed up after the interview?
A slow or messy process is not always a bad sign. Hiring often slides down a busy manager's list. But a manager who was dismissive, disorganised or vague throughout is unlikely to transform once you start.
Before you accept, it is perfectly reasonable to ask for a short conversation with someone in the team. It is also worth quietly finding someone on LinkedIn who has worked there and asking how they found it.
Red flags worth walking away from
Not every concern is fatal. But some should make you stop:
The role changed between interview and offer. A different title, smaller scope or new reporting line that nobody mentioned.
The contract does not match what was agreed, and they resist fixing it.
Pressure to accept within hours, with no real reason given.
Nobody can explain why the last few people left the role.
They will not put important things in writing, like flexibility or bonus terms.
Your instinct flagged something about the manager, and you have been talking yourself out of it since.
That last one matters more than people think. In my experience, the doubt you felt in the interview is usually the doubt you end up living with.
A simple way to compare two offers
When you have two offers, or an offer against staying put, a basic weighted score helps cut through the noise.
List the five to seven things that matter most to you: pay, the manager, growth, flexibility, commute, stability, the work itself.
Give each a weight from 1 to 5 for how much it matters to you right now.
Score each option out of 10 on each factor.
Multiply each score by its weight and add them up.
A quick illustration with made-up scores:
Pay. Weight: 3; Offer A: 9; Offer B: 7
Manager. Weight: 5; Offer A: 5; Offer B: 8
Flexibility. Weight: 4; Offer A: 6; Offer B: 9
Growth. Weight: 4; Offer A: 7; Offer B: 7
Weighted total. Offer A: 104; Offer B: 125
The higher salary loses once you weight the things that will shape your day.
The most useful part of this exercise is often your reaction to the result. If the totals point one way and you feel disappointed, that tells you what you actually want.
One caution. If you are desperate to leave your current job, every offer will look better than it is. If that sounds familiar, read what to do when you hate your job and feel stuck before you sign anything.
Counter-offers, and why they mostly go wrong
When you resign, your employer may suddenly find more money to keep you.
It is flattering. It is also, in my experience, rarely a good idea to accept.
Think about why you started looking. It is almost never just money. It is the manager, the lack of growth, the culture, the feeling of being stuck. A counter-offer fixes none of that. It also tells your employer you are a flight risk, which can quietly change how you are treated, and the extra money is sometimes just your next pay rise brought forward.
I have seen plenty of people accept a counter-offer and be looking again not long after, with a damaged relationship at their current employer and a burnt bridge with the company they turned down.
If money genuinely is the only issue, raise it with your employer before you start looking. Once you have accepted another offer, decide in advance that you will not entertain a counter.
Resigning well
Do not resign until you have a signed contract, and any conditions like reference or background checks are cleared.
Tell your manager first, in person or on a video call, then follow up with a short written resignation.
Check your notice period in your contract or award. Four weeks is common for professional roles and senior roles are often longer. Your employer may pay you in lieu or put you on garden leave.
Read any restraint clause, and get advice if it looks broad.
Hand over properly and stay gracious. Your industry is smaller than you think, and your old manager may be a reference, or a colleague again, one day.
Your first 90 days
The offer is not the finish line. How you start shapes how you are seen for a long time.
Listen first. Spend your early weeks meeting people and asking questions. Resist the urge to say "at my last company we did it this way", however tempting.
Agree what success looks like. Ask your manager directly what would make them glad they hired you in six months. Then check in on it regularly, especially through your probation period.
Find an early win. Something small, visible and useful that nobody currently owns. It builds trust faster than any big plan.
Build the right relationships. Your manager, your peers, the people whose work yours depends on, and the people who quietly know how things really get done.
Keep a running note of your wins from day one. It will make your first review much easier.
Frequently asked questions
Is a salary package in Australia inclusive of super?
Often, yes. "Package" usually means base salary plus superannuation, while "base" means salary before super. Always confirm which one an offer is quoting, because the difference to your take-home pay is significant.
How long do I have to accept a job offer?
There is no fixed rule, but asking for a day or two to review the written contract is completely normal. A reasonable employer will agree. Be wary of anyone who insists on an answer within hours without a good reason.
Should I accept a counter-offer from my current employer?
In most cases, no. Counter-offers rarely fix the reasons you started looking, and they can change how your employer sees you. If pay is the only issue, it is better to raise it before you start job hunting.
What notice period do I need to give in Australia?
It depends on your employment contract, award or enterprise agreement. Four weeks is common for professional roles, and senior roles are often longer. Check your contract before you resign so you can give your new employer an accurate start date.
Can I negotiate after receiving a written offer?
Yes. Negotiating after a written offer and before you sign is normal and expected. Be specific about what you are asking for and why, and keep the tone positive about the role itself.
What should I focus on in my first week in a new job?
Listening and building relationships. Meet the people you will work with, learn how things actually get done, and agree with your manager what success looks like. Big changes can wait until you understand the place.And if you want the scorecard ready to use, the Job Search Toolkit includes the full offer scorecard and a first 90 days plan, for $37.
Career Kit has a full module on salary negotiation, including how to weigh an offer and the exact words to use when asking for more. You can find it at careerkit.com.au.