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4) Offer Evaluation & Negotiation
Reading offer letters properly
A U.S. offer letter can be 2 pages or 20 pages. You must look for three specific things: 1) Employment 'At-Will': Almost all U.S. jobs are at-will, meaning the company can fire you at any time—this is normal. 2) The Start Date: This must align with your OPT or CPT start date. 3) Contingencies: Most offers say 'Pending a background check.' This means the job is yours only if your background check and drug test come back clean.
For international students, some benefits are worth more than cash.
- Health Insurance: Healthcare in the U.S. is incredibly expensive. Look at the "Premium" (what you pay monthly) and the "Deductible" (what you pay before insurance helps).
- Immigration Support: This is your #1 priority. Does the company pay for your H-1B lawyers? Do they have a policy for sponsoring Green Cards? Ask for this in writing if it's not in the letter.
- PTO (Paid Time Off): In the U.S., 15–20 days is average. If you plan to fly home to see your family, you need to make sure you have enough days to make the trip worth it.
Free Resource: How do Employee benefit plans work
Resources
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