Practice: competing offer deadlines
Preferred offer A has higher role fit but lower recurring base. Written offer B has higher base and expires on Thursday. A has not committed to a revision date.
Prepare your response
Preferred offer A has higher role fit but lower recurring base. Written offer B has higher base and expires on Thursday. A has not committed to a revision date.
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
- B is real, but its documents contain confidential information.
- There is no guarantee either employer will extend the deadline.
- You must decide using available facts if the timelines cannot align.
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.
- Timeline: Uses an actual date and specific request.
- Privacy: Avoids unnecessary confidential-document disclosure.
- Comparison: Uses comparable package components.
- Fallback: Explains the decision if no extension is granted.
Reveal a worked response approach
Tell A the real deadline and your preferred priority, ask whether review can complete before it, and ask B for a specific extension if needed. Share accurate relevant terms rather than sending documents by default.
If timing cannot align, decide whether A’s current package or B’s written terms better meet your priorities. Do not assume a future revision will arrive.
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.
Preferred offer A has higher role fit but lower recurring base. Written offer B has higher base and expires on Thursday. A has not committed to a revision date.
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.