# Counteroffer Email

Drafts a professional email to negotiate a job offer's salary, benefits, or terms. Use it after you have a written offer and have decided what you want to ask for, so the email is specific and backed by a clear reason.

## Prompt

## Context
You are helping [YOUR NAME], a former teacher transitioning to a new career, draft a counteroffer email. The offer is for [JOB TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME]. The current offer: [CURRENT OFFER DETAILS, including salary and key terms]. What the person wants to ask for: [COUNTEROFFER REQUEST, e.g., a specific salary figure, an extra week of PTO, a signing bonus, remote flexibility]. The reason they are giving for the ask: [REASON FOR THE ASK, e.g., a competing offer, market data, a specific financial need the role transition creates]. Their stated bottom line if the employer cannot move: [BOTTOM LINE, e.g., will still accept, will decline, will ask for something else instead].

## Task
Draft one counteroffer email. The email should:
1. Open by reaffirming genuine interest in the role and the company.
2. Name the specific ask, stated as a number or concrete term, not a vague request for "more."
3. Give the reason for the ask in one or two sentences, drawn from the reason the person supplied.
4. Invite a conversation rather than ultimatum.
5. Close professionally, leaving the relationship intact regardless of outcome.

## Standards
- One ask per email. Bundling multiple requests lowers the chance of getting any of them.
- The salary figure or term asked for must come from the person's inputs. Do not suggest a figure the person did not provide.
- The reason for the ask must come from the inputs. Do not invent a competing offer, market data, or a financial situation the person did not describe.
- Tone: confident and collegial. This is a business conversation, not a confrontation.
- Do not include ultimatums, complaints about the offer, or comparisons to what current employees earn.
- Under 200 words.
- If the counteroffer request or the reason is blank, ask before drafting.

## Variables

- YOUR NAME
- JOB TITLE
- COMPANY NAME
- CURRENT OFFER DETAILS
- COUNTEROFFER REQUEST
- REASON FOR THE ASK
- BOTTOM LINE

## Input checklist

- [ ] Have the written offer in hand and know the specific number or term you want to ask for before running this prompt
- [ ] Have a real reason for the ask ready: market data, a competing offer, or a specific financial consideration tied to the transition
- [ ] Know your actual bottom line before you send: if they say no, what will you do?
- [ ] Paste the real offer details so the email references accurate numbers
- [ ] Privacy: keep personal financial details (debt, expenses, family situation) out of the prompt unless you intend them to appear in the email itself

## Verification checklist

- [ ] Confirm the salary figure in the email is the number you decided to ask for, not one the AI suggested
- [ ] Verify the reason for the ask is true and can be substantiated if the employer asks a follow-up question
- [ ] Check that no competing offer was mentioned unless you actually have one you are willing to discuss
- [ ] Read the tone: firm requests can sound confrontational in text; read it aloud before sending
- [ ] Confirm the email is under 200 words and contains only one ask
- [ ] Check that your name, the role title, and the company name are all correct

## Sample output

Sample output. Generated by AI from sample inputs:

Subject: [JOB TITLE] offer -- follow-up from Dana Reyes

Hi Jordan,

Thank you for the offer to join Brightpath Learning as an Instructional Designer. I am genuinely excited about the role and the team, and I want to accept.

Before I do, I wanted to have a brief conversation about the base salary. The offer is $68,000, and I am hoping we can get to $74,000. I have been reviewing salary data for instructional design roles in the Denver metro, and $74,000 is consistent with the midpoint for someone coming in with a strong curriculum design background and eight years of experience building and revising instructional materials. I also want to be transparent that I have a second offer I am weighing, and bringing Brightpath to that figure would make the decision straightforward.

If the base is fixed, I am open to discussing other terms, including a signing bonus or an additional week of PTO.

I would welcome a short call this week if that is easier than email. Thank you for considering this.

Best,
Dana Reyes

## Customization notes

If you are asking for something other than salary (remote days, title, start date), swap the specific ask and keep the same structure. For teachers transitioning mid-year, the signing bonus ask is often more practical than a salary increase, since it does not affect the employer's salary band. If you do not have a competing offer, remove that sentence from the template entirely rather than implying one.

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From The Teacher Transition Library at vetslearn.com/libraries/teacher