Job Offer Components:
What Does A Job Offer Look Like?

Also, depending on the company and the position, your job offer might contain separate documents or statements regarding issues that need to be signed and returned to the employer as part of the acceptance.

Finally, you might actually get a package of information, perhaps several documents rather than a “letter” per se.

Here are some typical components of a job offer letter that you should see and ones that you might see:

Typical Components

• Job title
• Main form of compensation and frequency of payment ie. base salary, hourly rate, etc
• Other compensation details if applicable ie. bonus, stock options, overtime rate, etc.
• Vacation time
• Benefits plan if applicable
• Expenses plan if applicable
• Start date
• Date and frequency of salary/job review

Optional Job Offer Components

• Non-compete agreement – a document that may limit your ability to work for a competitor or within the industry for a specified period of time should you leave the company.
• Non-disclosure agreement – a document that prevents you from discussing aspects of the company and job with anyone outside the company.
• Probation period - a period of time where the employer can terminate you without cause and may decline to pay you benefits.

Sometimes, a job offer might contain a very strict non-disclosure agreement or a long probation period that you might find unacceptable (or there could be other components you simply can't accept and can't get the employer to change.

In other words...

...you might decide to Reject A Job Offer