Job Offers Keep Changing Terms Before You Sign
Individuals are experiencing a frustrating job search characterized by weak offers, unexpected changes in terms (salary reductions, training requirements), and a lack of leverage when negotiating. This creates uncertainty and a feeling of being undervalued, leading many to question their career choices and consider staying in unsatisfying roles.
SOURCES (60)
“So, I got the offer from a large IT company, originally started in UE, and still have all the offices here. The position is really interesting and checked all my boxes. Also they pay well. I only learnt after the whole recruitment process that it…”
“I (28F) just received a job offer from a government owned company in my country. When I applied for it I didn’t expect much because it’s pretty hard to get in and that’s what happened, my “admission exam” wasn’t as high as the other applicants but it was not bad (9/10) so I just continued with my life and since I have a job (not the best but still) it wasn’t much of a worry in my life. I work remote right now and I think it’s like the biggest benefit of all, I don’t know exactly how my raises wi”
“I am in a crisis. I am in a Senior Accounting position at a residential home builder and I came into it thinking I would be doing more assistant controller level work and for the past three years my role has been processing payroll and reconciling 16 banks. I'm really inundated with tasks and not really doing meaningful work, on top of that I'm feeling underpaid for what I am able to handle. We recently interviewed for a payroll position to take some off my plate and what they were makin”
“I accepted a job offer half hazardly before I realized just how much less money I would make a month. I was tired of the schedule of my current job as well as the stress related to it. I didn’t have a lot of time to accept the offer and accepted on the last day I could, and signed a document agreeing to the offer. I tried negotiation but I didn’t get anything out of it. I am moving to a different team in the same department, and am going to make a few hundred dollars less a month. For some reaso”
“I was offered a job for 70k its only 16 min away from my home. I handed in my two weeks and my employer immediately matched the offer and gave me a higher title. So i withdrew from the other job but They came back with 10k more and with a higher title. My current job is only 12 min away so theirs no big difference in that sense. I do like my current employer a lot but I feel like it will probably take me 3 or 4 years to make up that 10k difference. I dont want to be an asshole to my current empl”
“I was offered a job for 70k its only 16 min away from my home. I handed in my two weeks and my employer immediately matched the offer and gave me a higher title. So i withdrew from the other job but They came back with 10k more and with a higher title. My current job is only 12 min away so theirs no big difference in that sense. I do like my current employer a lot but I feel like it will probably take me 3 or 4 years to make up that 10k difference. I dont want to be an asshole to my current empl”
“Thinking about leaving current job. I might even get put on a PIP by the way my boss talks to me. It was a 25k plus bonus increase from my last job but I’ve only been there 6 months. I’m meeting with a founder/ceo about a clinical site director position that has a grant for 1 year of employment (as of now). The goal would be to get insurances to buy into our screening initiatives, get investors, more grants etc to continue. This is what is happening with the company in other states so there is p”
“I am in the final interview stages and expecting an offer for a fully remote position with a company halfway across the country. Most employees, although also remote, live at least in the metropolitan area of the employer, so I will be an outlier. The health insurance benefits are a huge draw due to being associated with a large, well-known hospital, but will be of no use to me so far away. Is it possible to negotiate salary or other benefits since I won't (likely ever) be taking the benefit”
“I’m a recent graduate working in tech. I landed a full-time job about one or two months after graduation and currently make around $50,000. When I interviewed for my current position, I was initially told the salary would be around $45,000, but they ended up offering me more in the official offer. I’m now interviewing for another position after a recruiter reached out to me directly. The company is opening a new U.S. location, and they want me to be the first technology employee there, essential”
“For context im currently working in a flea market warehouse for 15/hr and getting around 36hr a week, occasionally 40 on a good week so a better job is definitely needed. I was just offered a job at stone foundry making bricks essentially however, the compensation for my work is strange. It has a base pay of 12/hr and I receive 1.50-2.50 per cubic cm of stone i make(dont quote me on that it might be different). They said some of the employees with the highest production numbers can bring in 60k”
“So the best case scenario has happened, I find myself on the end of a job offer that will almost double my salary and it would change my life. I spent the last 2 weeks doing interviews for a job I applied to off a whim. The job itself wasn’t even the one I applied for, but the senior role above it is what the recruiter called me for. When we discussed salary, I thought I was being aggressive by saying my range was $115K-$135K/yr (I currently make $88K) only for the recruiter to say $135K is on t”
“What to do? I got an offer for a job today! I have a job I love but it is going nowhere, so I applied for like 10 jobs and today one of them offered me a 30% increase in salary compared to my current job. And yet I'm not excited. In my current job, i am a true systems architect, building amazing programs from the ground up. The new job is to be a single subject expert and do only 1 thing.. I'm thinking about taking the job and continuing to apply for more interesting roles. I have alread”
“I’m looking for some advice on what my next step should be. For context, I work in advertising and I’m coming up to almost 2 years at my current company. About 6 months into the job, there were changes within the team and I ended up handling multiple accounts largely on my own. Over time, I took over the majority of the accounts, so I basically went from being part of a team to being the main person managing most of the work. I’ve worked with a few different managers during my time here, and the”
“I run a sales channel for a small company (under 15 people). Back in July my boss verbally agreed to a commission on that channel, I sent over a one page agreement that I'd already signed, and it's been sitting unsigned for six weeks. We've talked about it five times. Every time she says yes, she says she stands by her word, and then it gets pushed a few weeks. Last time she started floating a lower percentage and said she needs to make a decision about an outside vendor first. That”
“I accepted a contract-to-hire job because I needed a job and money, and I was applying to almost anything I was qualified for. I had the interviews for this job, then was extended an offer and was told my first day would be in two weeks. Within that two week frame, another job I applied to over a month ago replied and said they wanted an interview, then they wanted to meet in person. Now I am 2 days into the job I accepted, while the other job wants an interview with the Regional Director. I hav”
“The company I have been working at is currently shrinking due to financial issues and they literally basically gave me a new offer letter which outlined that the benefits basically were getting shittier and offered me a pathetic dollar raise. I let them know I didn’t agree to absorb the work of two people and get a shit raise essentially. I was super nice about it then proceeded to ask if I could please just take a moment to review the terms before I decided to sign. Then the boss literally tell”
“Hello everybody, I just need a little bit of guidance because I am having second thoughts about my career. My partner and I just moved out of state for a job offer for him. I applied as an accounting specialist at a smallish business. I got the job offer today. The pay is decent and has good benefits. But I’m struggling with whether or not I want to continue the accounting career path. My last position I was a revenue auditor for a casino. I don’t want to say I disliked it because it wasn’t terr”
“Hey everyone, [This post is generated using AI] I'm currently in a massive dilemma and need some brutal, honest career advice regarding a job offer strategy. My Background : Current CTC: ₹5.7 LPA in a tier 2 city Real Experience : I have 4 years of actual, legitimate corporate experience working in data visualization and data engineering. The Gap : I also have 3 years of experience where I was completely self-employed. Current Situation : My technical skills are strong. For the last few mont”
“What to do? I got an offer for a job today! I have a job I love but it is going nowhere, so I applied for like 10 jobs and today one of them offered me a 30% increase in salary compared to my current job. And yet I'm not excited. In my current job, i am a true systems architect, building amazing programs from the ground up. The new job is to be a single subject expert and do only 1 thing.. I'm thinking about taking the job and continuing to apply for more interesting roles. I have alread”
“Got a job contract out of residency. How do I negotiate without sounding hard to work with or possibly having them rescind submitted by /u/Seattle206g [link] [comments]”
“I’m 22 working towards a bachelors I currently have 52 credits at a community college and just received an interview for an accounting clerk position at a roofing company making almost $30/HR Lowkey feels a bit sketchy what you guys think? submitted by /u/Revolutionary_Lab101 [link] [comments]”
“I need to decide by EOD today but essentially I got a job offer for 85k and 10k relocation (within the same city but move closer to the office) and my current job matched but is changing my title from a specialist to an analyst and adding more reporting responsibilities. A couple more details: \-I would be joining a fintech company in a Merchant Support/Operations specialist role. My current job is in banking. The new company is incredibly small and growth could be exponential there whereas in m”
“I am currently employed as a long term sub out of content area. I recently received a call for an interview for a full time position, 3 year contract. I am alternately licensed in my state, which requires 2 years in content teaching for full licensure. My sub job obviously does not count, but the new job would. My predicament: I have been in my current position only 3-4 weeks, of an unknown total length assignment (Likely end of October, early November) The interview went great (Super, Principal”
“(Apologies for the long post) I was personally approached by email about a work opportunity at a university. However, it’s not technically a “real job” in the traditional sense, because it’s paid as a small fee rather than a salary. The main benefit would be the experience and networking opportunities within academia. I would be working as a conference secretary for a fairly large academic conference with around 500 attendees. The conference secretary would have the main responsibility for organ”
“Hi guys, I’m facing a dilemma, I work in real estate sales. I’m working for a company and recently I got another offer from the owner of another company. I’m really good at what I do, owner at my current job loves me and we’re almost like good friends, to an extent we have added each other on all socials and share memes, I have good relationships with all of the co workers, I’m basically a top performer here maybe that’s why. I’m also handling things like sales training regularly. Buttttt owner”
“Little bit of back story as I think it’s relevant when exploring this scenario. I’m going to caveat what I am sharing that I have been VERY lucky with my career. Some of it hard work, but mostly a lot of luck. I often get a lot of imposter syndrome that I’m overpaid for what I do. Currently in my mid 30’s, married with 3 kids all under the age of 10. I have been in sales leadership in the technology services industry for about 12 years. I spent almost 10 years at my last company climbing the cor”
“I need to decide by EOD today but essentially I got a job offer for 85k and 10k relocation (within the same city but move closer to the office) and my current job matched but is changing my title from a specialist to an analyst and adding more reporting responsibilities. A couple more details: -I would be joining a fintech company in a Merchant Support/Operations specialist role. My current job is in banking. The new company is incredibly small and growth could be exponential there whereas in my”
“Just started a 6-month W2 contract (through a staffing agency, not directly with the company) as an IT Service Desk Agent at a large Fortune 500 company. Posting mentioned "possibility of extension," and the recruiter said there's a good chance of conversion/extension, but obviously that's not a guarantee. A few things going for it, from what I can tell: It's ongoing ticket-queue work, not a project with a natural end date, at least one contingent worker on the broader team”
“For context, I’m sharing this to warn others. And I feel lucky enough in this shitty job market to be able to say no to a shitty contract and careful enough to read it before signing. The same day I got the contract, I was being pushed to sign it by EOD. It was a six month contract with good pay. Sounded too good to be true, and as I read through it and used AI to analyze it, it was clear that this contract had major issues. There were red flags all over the place. Language that would allow them”
“How do I educate people on this without sounding petty? I’m so tired of people thinking they signed some binding contract when it’s just an offer letter. I completely recognize it’s a pet peeve and I also recognize it’s usually people being negatively impacted but dammit, it’s not that hard to understand! Edit: the prompting of this is an employees whose role has expanded over time. They got a pay bump and a new title and they don’t like a new title. Y’all are taking a pet peeve rant too serious”
“Hi all! A new pgy-3 thinking of signing a contract in a MCOL area very close to a popular city. It’s a private practice that’s very large and they are offering partnership options after two years that promise to be very lucrative. But the starting offer is a bit rough. $220k base plus $250/hr for weekend acute visits (two days every quarter) with option to pick up more shifts Healthcare 100% covered for me and dependents Productivity bonuses 50% of profit is take home after overhead is paid 3k C”
“As the title suggests, I have a full time offer for a staff position at a large retail company. I’ve worked my way up and just wrapped up an internship with them. Throughout that internship I questioned whether I’d learn enough to make an impact in that role with just what I’d learn there. And I went back and fourth between whether I’d like working there full time. I love the company and all the people I worked with and really enjoyed my time there. I’ve learned that there isn’t a straight line”
“Basically title. I’ve been offered a junior position as a Linux web application system administrator at a local university which seems like a really good job until I was contacted by a firm slightly further away for a position as a junior HPC Linux cluster engineer and system administrator. I really love HPC work but I’m worried I’d be taking too much on as a less experienced sysadmin. Equally I also don’t want to miss a chance to get further up the ladder in the HPC world. Really hard to decide”
“I’m interviewing at a firm with higher pay after I completed my internship at a different firm. I did get a return offer and accepted as there was a fast expiration. If the interviewer asks me if I received a return offer from my internship, what should I say? I’m worried that if I say Yes that my old firm could find out and revoke my job offer, or the interviewer won’t take me seriously as they think I would just take the other one. I don’t want to lie either. Please give perspective. sub”
“I've been searching for a new job now because I've been unhappy with my work life balance at my current job. The pay is good, benefits are decent, but I'm there more so than I am at home and am constantly stressed. I know it is dependent on everyone's financial situation and all, but I was just wondering what y'all would do. I have an interview with potential better life balance but also a potential pay decrease. submitted by /u/BackwoodsJ12 [link] [comments”
“I’m no longer able to start on my current start date due to a family emergency. It is a 3 months fixed term contract and want to push it by 3 weeks. The role is administrative and contract clean up so not deadline driven. I got the offer 3 days ago and signed all the contracts. The manager did want someone ASAP but she did really like me during the interviews Are they likely to change it or rescind my offer? submitted by /u/Quiet_Commission1147 [link] [comments]”
“I’m no longer able to start on my current start date due to a family emergency. It is a 3 months fixed term contract and want to push it by 3 weeks. The role is administrative and contract clean up so not deadline driven. I got the offer 3 days ago and signed all the contracts. The manager did want someone ASAP but she did really like me during the interviews Are they likely to change it or rescind my offer? submitted by /u/Quiet_Commission1147 [link] [comments]”
“Internal job offer. I’m changing hours and positions in the same company. Evening shift to day shift. The position was basically created for me. I still had to do an application even though im the only “applicant”. Pay range on new role starts similar to where im at but goes higher. I’m worried this will be basically a lateral transfer to them even though there are major new responsibilities. Currently covering the actual additional duties of the new job and old until my current role is filled a”
“I had an impressive 8 years career at a Fortune 500 company. In early 2026, I switched to a lesser known company with a title downgrade and pay cut, all because it was remote. I had some personal reasons for wanting remote so I took it. Turned out to be a poor fit and I was let go after 7 months (failed probation). I have been using the time to upskill and recently did some contractor work. I'm thinking about just leaving that 7 months job off my resume and back date my contracting work to c”
“I got a job offer recently, accepted it and signed the offer letter. The offer clearly said the position was full-time employment and included things like a 3 month probation period, annual leave, public holidays etc. Then they sent me the actual contract, and I was surprised to see that it says I'm an Independent Contractor and specifically describes me as self employed.The contract also doesn't mention the benefits/terms that were included in the offer letter. I haven't signed the”
“Signed a secure job starting Monday but I have 4 other options floating around — am I about to make the wrong move? Signed a secure job starting Monday but I have 4 other options floating around — am I about to make the wrong move? Bit of background: I’ve a Food Science degree, I’m currently doing a degree in Construction Contracts Management at night, and I’m trying to pivot into \*\*project delivery in construction / energy / infrastructure\*\*. I’ve been job-hunting hard and it all landed at”
“Signed a secure job starting Monday but I have 4 other options floating around — am I about to make the wrong move? Bit of background: I’ve a Food Science degree, I’m currently doing a degree in Construction Contracts Management at night, and I’m trying to pivot into **project delivery in construction / energy / infrastructure**. I’ve been job-hunting hard and it all landed at once. My priorities, in order, are: long-term earning potential, development/skill-building, and job security. Here’s wh”
“I’m in Utah and trying to figure out if I have any legal options for the financial losses I’ve had because of this situation. On July 13, I accepted a written job offer from a large healthcare employer with a confirmed start date of July 27. I relied on the offer and gave my previous employer one week’s notice and left my job. I completed all the required tasks on the employer’s candidate website and also completed an I-9 interview where my work authorization was reviewed. I was waiting for inst”
“So long story short, I wanted my company to sponsor me for a certification program which costs 15k. I told my manager how this could benefit the team and I would be able to get it quickly. My manager was very dismissive, though she said she would bring it up to HR, just because I copied other managers in an email. I took it as a no, so I found a new job that is willing to do that. They already paid for it. Now my company has said they would do it, after I'm already started onboarding, this i”
“My project with current company was ending so I was looking for new positions. My current company ended up finding me a new project but it may or may not be short term as they might get more funding a month from now but not sure. I received an offer from another company. It would be a 10 percent pay increase and remote with a project thats just beginning. I've been with my current company for many years and enjoy it which makes me hesitant to leave and they've always managed to find me a”
“Hello! I am currently in a marketing role that pays ~$61,000 a year and up to 3% bonus, and I live 20 min from the office, but I do have to take tolls which costs me ~90 dollars a month. I love my boss and my coworkers, but I am starting to feel burned out on the work (it is creative focused) and there have been internal changes at the company that have been impacting my motivation to do my work, and may potentially effect my job security in the future, but unsure. I recently interviewed for a n”
“Location: Texas. Mid-level sales role at a B2B software company, low six figures. The offer letter is normal. The separate restrictive covenant agreement has this: In the event that I willfully and materially breach this Agreement, I agree to pay to the Company, promptly upon request, as liquidated damages, an amount equal to my salary for the six (6) months preceding the termination of my employment. I acknowledge that this amount represents a reasonable estimate of the damages that the Company”
“I know I’m getting ahead of myself here since I don’t have either offer yet, so this is purely a hypothetical / thinking-ahead question. Obviously, none of this matters if I don’t get offered either role! I’m currently interviewing for two roles and finding it surprisingly difficult to decide which one I’d prefer if I ended up getting both. Role A — Fully remote / lateral move Fully remote Compensation is good/fair for the level Had a really positive interview experience The hiring manager was g”
“Whenever people get laid off, everyone gets obsessed with asking for more weeks of salary. For anyone who has actually countered a severance package before, what non-salary items did you successfully get added to the table? Things like COBRA health coverage subsidies, laptop retention, pushing back the official termination date for RSU vesting cliffs, or pro-rated bonuses? And what do you regret NOT negotiating for? submitted by /u/Mysterious_Force1518 [link] [comments]”
“I have a new job offer that is 90% guaranteed. If I decide to take the new offer and sign it and then give my 2 weeks notice, but then they counter the offer with a salary increase. Can I turn around and cancel the new job offer? Just trying to gage my options on the off chance it does happen. Thank you. submitted by /u/SideOfFish [link] [comments]”
“For the bot, I am a HR professional. I was laid off a few months ago and finally got an offer! But I am conflicted with another offer potentially coming soon. Option 1: I was just offered a job as an HRBP at a company that I believe I can have good career trajectory. It is onsite with a long commute (I’m okay with this, I’ll move close me if it becomes unbearable), but a big selling point is it is a good company and I’ll be working out of their headquarters. Option 2: it is a Shared Services Man”
“I am a full time employee at a very small MSP company that is stagnant with a high chance of going downhill and I am just not very happy here. So I have am entering the final round of interviews (one additional person other than me) for a position I am excited about. The work is directly in line with what I want to be doing with my career (Security Engineering), the only catch is that it is a 3 month contract to hire. It is a very large company within the Fortune 100, and one that I can grow wit”
“Take the deal! If they end up needing you for stuff after the your end date, make sure your hourly consulting fee is high enough to justify any stress it induces (like triple what you're being paid now). A couple months into your "retirement," if you want to do something else, you can get into it with a clearer head and the perspective that comes from distance.”
“IMO if this is not a government job, taking the buyout makes sense, they're often followed by worse terms and getting laid off anyway. The main issue with your situation is that you and your wife's combined retirement savings are barely sufficient given your age (though if she's still working or has income this is less of an issue): I'd think you'd want to live on ~$55k/year or as much less as possible until at least retirement age (if you both don't work and don't ha”
“I accepted a job at my college and went through training. However, I received an offer for a different job with better hours and the kind of work I really enjoy. I want to accept the second job, but I'm worried quitting the first job would be a bad idea. Technically, I haven't been registered as a real employee yet (because the HR process is long), but I'm worried leaving after accepting and showing how committed I am might ruin my chances with any future applications for student job”