Can I still negotiate after verbally accepting an offer?

Is it possible to negotiate a job offer from Microsoft after a year of accepting it?

• I have done an internship with Microsoft during the summer of 2012 and soon after accepted a full time offer. However, as I had to change university I spend one year extra for my graduation. Hopefully I'll graduate this August. I contacted Microsoft couple of times, keep them updated of my status and they agreed to defer my joining date. But since the compensation package was negotiated in 2012, I cannot help but feel like the compensation package is not as attractive in 2014. I understand I should not interview other companies as I already give them commitment and they were generous enough to wait for me. So I don't have the leverage to negotiate my salary at this point with another offer. What would you do?

• Answer:

  As a professional, when you accept an offer, you must honor it. It would be short-sighted to endangered this offer by negotiating or considering other opportunities. The moral argument: You have already extracted value out of your potential employer by enjoying peace of mind and stability while studying, on the back of their promise to hire you. You gave them your word and they gave you theirs. Their word benefited you, so now it's your turn to be a professional and keep your word. You should ideally work there, with a positive attitude, for at least one year and more normally 18 months, before considering alternative opportunities. The cost-benefit argument: Your best-case benefit from negotiation could be anywhere up to (I'm being generous) $10K; not because you're particularly more skilled, but because you're coasting on talent shortage and a year of extra education. (Realistically this delta is much closer to under $2.5K) Your costs: 1. First, tax your income gains 30% on behalf of Uncle Sam. 2. Second, tax your integrity 100% for "biting the hand that feeds" 3. Third, tax your "expected pay" by 50% for the probability that you'll leave a bad taste in your employer's mouth and they'll figure out a legally low-cost way of bringing in a player with a better attitude. These are honestly not meant as sharp rebukes, though hearing them from other professionals may come across as such. They're simply logical consequences. Most employees are at fault for erring on the side of never negotiating. But you can't negotiate when you've already accepted the outcome and shaken hands. The tradition argument: When you negotiate for terms of employment offer, be ruthlessly selfish. Then, when negotiation is over and you utter the words "I accept", honor your word for the expected term of the contract with all your heart. Your investment in integrity will grow your future a thousand-fold of the marginal dollars you leave on the table. You will not notice them at all, and gain them back in a few years; and then some. Because you asked, it's already clear that you'll do the right thing. You should already take pride in your integrity. Those with questionable integrity would not have asked.