You’ve had a successful interview, and have been made an offer. Congratulations! Now you need to decide whether to accept or decline that offer.

Sometimes the choice is easy – you loved the company’s ethos, got on well with the hiring manager, and the job is going where you want – or, occasionally, exactly the opposite – and you can give your answer immediately. But sometimes, you’re not sure. What should you do?

Communication is key – you may want to keep your head down for a few days to decide, but if you stay off the radar, the company may think that you aren’t interested at all, and rescind the offer. Talk with your recruiter and hiring manager, and explain your concerns – often you will find that these can be resolved.

If you’re not sure, the temptation is often to delay a decision – but how long can you delay? There’s no hard and fast answer, but the longer you leave it, the more likely you are to find that your offer has been withdrawn (we recommend a maximum of two days). Some might find this unreasonable – but look at it from the perspective of the hiring manager – they want someone committed to their role, and if you leave it too long, they are likely to think that you are taking the job as a last resort, and not because you really want the position. We recently had a situation where a candidate was allowed two weeks to consider the offer – but then had to re-interview for the role because of the delay. The client then withdrew the offer, to the chagrin of the candidate.

How can this be avoided? Don’t just go for every role that comes your way. Make sure you do your homework before the interview, so that when you do go to interview, you have considered everything about the role – the commute, the pay, the work you would be doing, the industry sector – and are prepared to accept or negotiate on an offer.