Overview

Either you are holding an offer, or you are in the final stages of your interview process and are pretty confident that the conversation will progress to the offer stage. This is a great position to be in, and is a testament to your skills, attributes, and hard work up to this point. There are many aspects to consider, and we encourage you to come and talk with a coach to determine your next steps.

Offers

The MBA Career Management Group works with recruiters to help them understand our policies around offers. If you accept an offer of employment, you need to immediately withdraw from all other interview processes or conversations (both on and off campus). Accepting an offer is a serious commitment – please notify other companies that you have accepted an offer. If you need help with managing these conversations please schedule an appointment with a CMG Coach.
  • MBA Career Management communicates the following guidelines to employers to give you time to consider/negotiate your offers:
    • Students who receive full-time offers from their summer internship employer have until November 14, 2023 or at least 15 business days from the written offer date, whichever is later, to respond
    • Students who receive full-time offers during Fall recruiting have until November 30, 2023 or at least 15 business days from the written offer date, whichever is later, to respond
    • Students who receive investment banking internship offers in November/December have 10 business days from the written offer date to respond
    • Students who receive summer internship offers as a result of pre-MBA and diversity offsite conferences have until February 14, 2024 to respond
    • Students who receive summer internship offers during Spring recruiting have until February 14, 2024 or at least 15 business days from the written offer date, whichever is later, to respond
    • Students who receive just-in-time summer internship or full-time offers in the late Spring should ask for a written offer and at least five business days from the written offer to make a decision.
  • If you have questions or concerns about an offer acceptance deadline, please contact that your MBA Career Management Relationship Manager
  • As a courtesy to your fellow MBAs, do not hold more than three active offers at one time
  • Please note that the MBA Career Management Group cannot require companies to adhere to the above-stated guidelines but we do partner with you to help request decision extensions if possible. We encourage you to make an appointment with a coach to discuss whether or not you wish to negotiate, and if you need to ask for an extension to their deadline.

Declining an Offer

We encourage you to talk to a coach if you are considering declining your offer. This will help you prepare in the event of a counter-offer from the firm, and how to gracefully withdraw from the process whilst maintaining a strong professional relationship with the firm. You never know when your paths may cross again in the future.

Reneging an Offer

This is a term that refers to the practice of accepting, and then subsequently declining, an offer of employment.

The Haas School will not tolerate reneging after an offer.

  • This practice can have far reaching and long term consequences for your school and classmates. It puts the school’s reputation in jeopardy and is viewed by companies as cause for not hiring at Haas in the future. If you find yourself considering reneging on an offer, immediately make an appointment with MBA Career Management

Consequences for reneging on an accepted offer will include any or all of the following:

  • One hour Reflection Conversation with Sr. Director, Coaching & Programming
  • School Service Project assigned by Haas Leadership Team (16 hours total)
  • As a Berkeley Leader exemplifying the Defining Leadership Principles, you will plan to have in-person meetings with the recruiter, hiring manager and those you networked with at the company to communicate your decision. You will send an email to all of these people explaining the situation, indicating your concern about the implications on the company and ask for time to meet in person to discuss how you came to your decision

The MBA Career Management understands that there are circumstances in which you need to decline an accepted offer. These can range from the personal (change of location, change of personal priorities, partner has accepted a role elsewhere), to the unforeseen (company changes material terms of the original offer, company commences lay-offs). We are here to support you through this decision-making process, and help you navigate these conversations in a professional manner, displaying behaviors that uphold the Defining Leadership Principles.

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