Take a good look at the futility of his situation. Meeting the "standards" his supervisor regularly held him to be clearly impossible. He knew that complaining would do little good, and could actually harm his future prospects besetting him apart as a troublemaker. The boss's personality was definitely not the kind that lent itself to a "heart to heart "conversation over coffee; she simply considered her subordinates dirt and treated them accordingly. (Such managers are, sadly, not as rare as one might wish.)
Finally, the poor fellow decided to quit which didn't do wonders for his resume. And what exactly was he supposed to say when asked in a subsequent interview about exactly why he left his previous position?
So remember: your new job is only as good as your new boss.
Negotiation
Suppose you've decided that you are close to saying "yes" to your prospective employer, but are disappointed with the salary (or Age job title, or the benefits, or the bonus plan whatever). What to do? Negotiate!
Don't worry about losing your job offer. Think about why you got it in the first place. The employer believes that you're the best person available. A great deal of time and effort has gone into your selection, and the last thing the employer wants to do is reopen the search.
Believe it or not, you've got some negotiating power. Use it, but don't let that power spoil a perfectly good opportunity, either. If some aspect of the position is less than you had hoped, discuss it reasonably with your employer. Come right out and say (politely) that you had hoped for a higher salary, larger bonus, or better health plan. Ask how flexible the company can be in arranging your entry to the firm. And be sure to have a specific goal in mind foray element of the package you attempt to negotiate. In most cases, the employer will ask what would make you happy. This usually leads to some kind of compromise.
What's the worst thing that could happen? The employer could refuse, and say something like, "I'm sorry, but the starting salary is set by company policy and is non negotiable." At least you know where you stand and have decent glimpse into the corporate "mindset" on these matters. More likely, the employer will tell you that he or she can't give you a final answer immediately, and will contact you within a specific time frame with an answer to your request.
In either case, you should decide ahead of time what your action will be if your request is denied or if you' re offered less than your goal. Usually, the employer will try to make you happy because the happier you are, the harder you'll work and the better your results will be.
Some Dilemmas in "Winding It All Up"
Most job hunters who are actively pursuing a career oriented position will have several choices in front of them at this stage of the game. As a result, there's a good chance that the first offer you receive will not be your first choice position. Even if you've been able to come to this conclusion using the methods outlined above what do you say to the "second choice" employer?
This is, frankly, a difficult situation. Basically, you have two choices: accept the job and terminate discussion with other prospects, or say "thanks, but no thanks" to your "second tier" contact and hope for the best.
Many job seekers would offer a third alternative: accept the "second tier" job, keep your other applications active, and write a letter of resignation if something promising comes up two weeks later.
Wrong.
Playing "footie" with anyone in an industry you've spent this much time trying to get into is, quite simply, nuts. Even if you were somehow able to keep word of such a back door maneuver from reaching other employers in the short term (which is doubtful), you will have thoroughly and intentionally burned a bridge, which is the ultimate sin in any contact network. You never know how deeply you may eventually regret the decision to mislead a potential employer.
Be honest and say that you have many active possibilities that you must terminate amicably. Be prepared for some tight scheduling: unless you're entering some kind of special training program, chances are that you'll have no more than one or two weeks to decide what to do. This is enough time, however, to contact all your leads and relate your story.
What story? Tell all other potential employers that you have an offer, and that because you're still very interested in their company, you'd like to know where they stand on your candidacy. This tactic will often encourage quick action, and result in the firm supplying you with a definite yes or no answer before your deadline.
Now, after trying this, it's great to hear something like,' you're in, Abigail; we feel you're going to take the shoelace field by storm, and we don't want our competitors at Amazing Lace to have the first crack at you." But what if the response you get is a little less clear cut?
If you feel you're getting mixed signals, or are unclear about what you should do after talking to the company in question, try to look at the "subtext" beneath the message you receive.
