Do due diligence on a job offer before you sign

What does this setup do?

Break a job offer into total compensation, compare it against market data, and surface red flags and negotiation points.

Who is it for?

Anyone with an offer letter who wants to know what it is really worth before signing.

How do you set it up?

Tools

• ChatGPT or Claude (free tier works)
• The written offer: salary, bonus, equity, benefits summary
• Your current compensation for comparison, if any

Steps

1. Get the offer in writing with the benefits summary. Never evaluate a verbal offer.
2. Paste the details into the prompt below: base, bonus, equity, PTO, health costs, retirement match.
3. Ask the AI to convert everything to an annualized total compensation number.
4. Ask it to check the salary against market ranges for the role, level, and location.
5. Ask for red flags: vague equity terms, clawback clauses, below-market PTO, high health premiums.
6. Use the AI’s negotiation points to draft your counter. Ask for what the data supports.
7. Get every agreed change back in writing before you resign anywhere.
8. Set three numbers before the call: your walk-away number, your target, and the number you will actually say first (above target, still credible). Then ask for a counter script in four parts: enthusiasm about the role, one specific number, one or two reasons tied to market data and your experience, and flexibility on other items. Review the script before the call; you say the words.
9. Ask for a second script for when base will not move: a signing bonus, a written salary review at six months with criteria in the offer, or extra leave. When they answer 'that is above the band,' ask what the top of the band is, then pivot to the non-base items. Follow any agreed change with an email restating the new terms and asking for the updated offer in writing.
10. Thank them and ask for a few days to review. Get the full compensation details in writing before you counter.
11. Look up market pay for the role, level, and city. Note the number you can defend.

I received a job offer and want to evaluate the total compensation before I respond.

Offer details:
- Role and level: [TITLE, LEVEL]
- Location (or remote): [LOCATION]
- Base salary: [AMOUNT]
- Signing bonus: [AMOUNT, and any clawback terms]
- Annual bonus: [TARGET PERCENT OR AMOUNT]
- Equity: [TYPE AND AMOUNT, vesting schedule]
- PTO and holidays: [DAYS]
- Health insurance: [MONTHLY PREMIUM AND DEDUCTIBLE, if known]
- Retirement match: [DETAILS]
- Other perks: [LIST]

My current situation: [CURRENT SALARY AND BENEFITS, OR "this is my first offer"]

Please:
1. Convert everything to an annualized total compensation figure and show your math.
2. Compare the base salary to market range for this role, level, and location.
3. Flag red flags: vague terms, clawbacks, weak benefits, or anything unusual.
4. Give me three to five specific negotiation points backed by the numbers.
5. Tell me what questions to ask HR before I decide.

Do not invent market data. If you are unsure about a range, say so and tell me where to check.

Which chat tools work with this prompt?

Paste the prompt into any of these assistants (free or paid tiers).

• ChatGPT
• Claude

What tips make it smoother?

• Benefits are 20 to 40 percent of compensation at many employers. Ignoring them means misreading the offer by five figures.
• Evaluate equity at today’s price, not a hypothetical exit. A future valuation is a story, not money.
• Ask what percentage of people actually hit the bonus target last year, not just the target itself.
• Negotiate on data, not feelings. "The market range is X" beats "I was hoping for more."
• Never negotiate on a verbal offer: thank them, ask for the full package in writing, and take a day or two. Pressure to decide immediately is a warning sign about the company, not about you.
• Counter with a specific number, not a range. Ranges invite the bottom of the range.

Where do the claims come from?

Summaries use public sources linked below, not independent verification. How setups are picked.

• Read Capella University’s write-up (www.capella.edu)

  Capella University: Job offer checklist: salary, pay period, benefits, schedule, and comparing offers on the same factors.

• Read Mokaru’s write-up (mokaru.co)

  Mokaru: Total compensation breakdown for 2026: cash, variable pay, equity math, benefits worth 20 to 40 percent of salary.

• Read Josh Doody’s write-up (fearlesssalarynegotiation.com)

  Josh Doody: Supports the step-down counter script: respond at each offer level, maximize base first, then walk through priority benefits (vacation, remote, reimbursement).

• Read JobsForMyCV’s write-up (jobsformycv.com)

  JobsForMyCV: Supports the four-part counter script (enthusiasm, number, justification, flexibility), handling 'above the band' and 'best and final' replies, the walk-away/target/ask trio, and getting terms in writing.

• Read PayScale’s write-up (www.payscale.com)

  PayScale: Counter-offer scripts; get the offer in writing and ask for review time before countering.

• Read sira_ai, DEV Community’s write-up (dev.to)

  sira_ai, DEV Community: Counter structure (specific number, research-based reason, ask about flexibility) and fallback asks.