Understand the offer
Compare the whole package
Separate guaranteed and uncertain compensation.
Understand the problem
Break an offer into base pay, bonus terms, equity vesting, sign-on payments, and benefits. Compare each year separately and record assumptions about equity value.
Make it concrete
A large first-year sign-on can hide a decline in second-year compensation.
Trade-offs and pitfalls
An equity grant’s headline value is not guaranteed cash.
Check your understanding
Build a four-year comparison with guaranteed and variable components separated.
Practice this topic