By Liz Ryan

END OF DISCUSSION.  "Oh dear," I said. "Two big strikes: counteroffer short in the dollars, and a new boss who can't teach you a doggone thing."

"Make it three strikes," said Bill. "In the new job at my current company, I'd literally have no window anywhere near me, and I'd have to wear a suit and tie every day. In the other job I was offered, the view is glorious, and the dress code is business casual all the time."

"Well," I said, "there you have it."

YES, NO, MAYBE.  Bill took the job across town. A month in, he's not sorry about his decision. "Counteroffers have a horrible success rate, anyway," I told him. He already knew that. He's kept in touch with the folks at his old company, who were sorry to see him go (but not willing to find another $4,000-or-so to prove it). Life is long, and he may intersect with these people at a later date, so it makes sense to stay in touch and on friendly terms with them.

What's the lesson? Taking a job is not a simple yes/no process. As I said, there are a lot of moving parts.

In Bill's case, he was juggling issues like the prospective employer's posture toward new hires (bad: no written-offer letters) against his old employer's ability to react quickly to save a key employee (excellent), its ability to put its money where its mouth is (poor), the career-development potential it was offering (poor), and its ability to communicate -- in this case, to explain the salary gap between Bill's offer across town and the counteroffer his boss extended (really, really poor).

NO SNAP DECISIONS.  Think of Bill's situation as an opportunity to analyze an offer on your house. You want your asking price, but you also want a buyer whose loan will get approved. You want a quick closing date. You want no contingencies on the buyer's side. And if you focus only on the sales price, you may not make the best deal.

It's the same with a job offer. You have to look at the total package -- including "soft" elements such as how willing the company is to negotiate -- that make the difference between a great offer and a less-than-sensational one.

As a job seeker, you'll find it helpful to consider all this thoughtfully, not when you're under pressure on the phone. There's never any justification for asking a candidate to say yes or no right away. It's always appropriate to ask for your offer letter in writing -- and that also goes for counteroffers, of course.

THE MOST BASIC QUESTIONS.  It's always correct to ask questions, and to speak with your hiring manager during the offer-negotiation process, even if human resources is trying to run the show. After all, you don't make many decisions that have more impact on your life than accepting a job.

It pays to understand the moving parts, ask for adjustments to the ones that don't suit for you -- and get as close as you can to that dream-job scenario.

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