---
name: respond-to-a-job-offer-deadline
category: get-hired
description: Respond to a job-offer deadline by verifying terms, prioritizing open questions, requesting bounded time, and recording accept, decline, or negotiate decisions. Use when an offer expires before diligence is complete.
---
# respond-to-a-job-offer-deadline
## When to use
- Use for a genuine written offer and named decision-maker.
- Do not bluff another offer or accept terms you have not received.
## Procedure
1. Record exact deadline, time zone, offer version, contingencies, and contact.
2. List material missing terms and decisions.
3. Complete highest-risk diligence first.
4. Request a specific reasonable extension with concise rationale.
5. If extension is denied, compare accept, negotiate, decline, and conditional risk.
6. Send the decision in writing and retain confirmation.
## Failure plan
- Decline or state unresolved conditions when pressure prevents informed consent.
## Worked example
A candidate requests three days to review absent equity documents and relocations terms.
## Done
- An offer-deadline report records deadline, terms, gaps, priorities, extension, options, decision, and confirmation
- Version, time-zone, contingency, missing-document, truth, contact, response, and receipt checks verify closure