Key factors to consider
Total compensation, not base
Base, bonus, equity value and vesting schedule, pension, healthcare and time off. Convert equity to a realistic expected value, not the headline.
The manager
Your direct manager predicts day-to-day quality more than the company brand does. You are allowed to ask to speak to their reports.
Trajectory
What does the job make possible in two years? Some roles pay more now and narrow your options later.
Stability and stage
Runway, profitability and recent layoffs are fair questions. Startup upside is real but so is the failure rate.
Life fit
Commute, on-call, travel, flexibility and hours. These show up daily; the salary shows up monthly.
Common mistakes
- Comparing offers on salary alone because it's the easiest number to compare.
- Accepting the deadline as fixed without asking for more time.
- Not negotiating at all — most offers have room, and asking rarely rescinds.
- Overweighting a well-known brand over the actual team you'd join.
- Skipping a reference check in the other direction: on them.
Questions to ask yourself
- 1.What does success in this role look like at six months, in their words?
- 2.Why is this role open, and what happened to the last person in it?
- 3.Which parts of this offer would I regret not negotiating?
- 4.If comp were identical everywhere, which option would I choose?
- 5.What's my walk-away number and my walk-away condition?
Ready to decide?
ThatEcho turns this into your own workspace — goals, criteria, weighted options and a transparent recommendation you can question.