Recently, I have been looking for other opportunities for personal reasons. After sending out expression of interest to some online advertisements, I was lucky enough to go into some interaction with a couple of them.
The first opportunity just went into the first stage. It did go further as the agent in charge of recruitment just so keen of moving ahead of the process. Moreso, asking for a referee on a managerial position. What? I am not silly enough to use them as referees unless I want hang myself now.
The second opportunity went much further down up to an offer package. I was very happy that after sending numerous applications to this company in the past, it is only now that it have gone to this stage. By the way, this company is the among the top 5 EPC companies in the world. It is still a family owned corporation despite other similar companies going public.
Back to the offer, it is something that any body looking for a wall to lean will accept at the first instance. The package offer is much more than what I have now but I did not accept it. The reason, the base salary does not match what I have now. Okay, fine – money is not everything. I know that – but if you are on my position, will you?
How did I turned it down politely? As I am still looking forward to joining this company in the future if there is another opportunity ( I will explain it later why), I told them that after assessing the package, the offer was very good that it is really difficult for anybody to turn it down.
By the way, I have also queried if the base salary they have offered is the final. the company responded ‘yes’ as they don’t want to break their policy of salary grading.
To politely turn down their offer, I told them that despite that package being good, it is the base salary that is preventing me from accepting their offer at this time. Then I added that I am still looking forward to joining them in the future.
Yes! I have turn down the future without aggravating any possible future opportunities. As the global economy is now getting better, their will be a possibility of a brain drain. If that time will come, another crack will provide me a better bargaining power as their will be a shortage of qualified people to fill in jobs.