Practice: one offer, no competing offer
You receive a written offer with base 2,400,000, target bonus 240,000 and a one-time signing payment of 200,000 in the same currency. Your priority is recurring base, and your evidence supports requesting 2,550,000.
Prepare your response
You receive a written offer with base 2,400,000, target bonus 240,000 and a one-time signing payment of 200,000 in the same currency. Your priority is recurring base, and your evidence supports requesting 2,550,000.
Original teaching material. All numerical examples are hypothetical, not live market benchmarks. Adapt scripts to your actual situation; no messages are sent from this course.
Scenario constraints
- Every figure is synthetic and not a current market benchmark.
- There is no other offer; staying in the current role is an actual alternative.
- Bonus is conditional, signing is one-time, and repayment terms are not yet known.
Self-review rubric
Draft your answer in the practice editor below before revealing the guidance. This is a self-guided exercise; no automatic scoring is implied.
- Ask: Requests one precise base amount with evidence.
- Arithmetic: Separates the one-time signing amount.
- Risk: Clarifies bonus eligibility and signing repayment.
- Choice: Has an honest acceptance/decline alternative.
Reveal a worked response approach
Express interest, cite relevant scope/results, ask whether base can move to 2,550,000 and ask about the review process. Do not describe the bonus or signing as recurring guaranteed base.
Base changes by 150,000 each full year. Initial base-plus-signing is 2,600,000; it is not a permanent 2,600,000 salary. Evaluate the recurring package if the request is declined.
Sources and scope
Harvard MCS: Evaluating and negotiating offers ↗ · Reference checked 2026-10-18
Career-services reference for offer evaluation, preparation and negotiation conversations; original lesson scripts and examples are authored for this course.
This course teaches preparation and communication. It provides no live pay ranges, employer guarantees, tax calculations or personalized legal/investment advice. Governing documents and local rules determine actual award and employment terms.
You receive a written offer with base 2,400,000, target bonus 240,000 and a one-time signing payment of 200,000 in the same currency. Your priority is recurring base, and your evidence supports requesting 2,550,000.
Your negotiation draft
Separate offer facts from assumptions, state a truthful prioritized ask, and define your next step. Save your draft before comparing it with the worked guidance.
Self-review checklist
Self-guided practice. Automated AI feedback and code execution are not connected.