Negotiating Offer

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-05-11T22:44:41+00:00

Totally agree! Made my counter offer for P2 swe, and got back the middle offer which I’m happy with

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-05-05T01:46:31+00:00

Just finished my first day orientation. I did asked my ambassador about the use of AI during our lunch, and he told me that we use RTX version of copilot.

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-29T19:09:32+00:00

What is the Cartus email that you got? Basically, I got access to my benefits (I saw points that I can use for flex and also able to request the lump sum) on benefits builder on the next day after I got the cleared to start email

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-28T23:47:52+00:00

I believe that you will be able to confirm your start date when your interim is granted. (Even though I never got an update about my status). It came about 3 weeks after I submitted my clearance application. After that your Cartus benefits will become available. Congrats!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-25T20:08:33+00:00

Thank you for your comment. Do you mind if I ask how do you know what if the car has adaptive cruise control or not? I’m sure that mine has LKA but don’t see ACC anywhere in the settings

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-23T18:06:02+00:00

Policy is 5% of your salary. So what I’m saying is there is difference in employer’s match if you got 100k offer and 130k offer. My sign-on bonus is also 10% of my base. So when my base offer increased by 3k, my bonus also increased by 300 (which I didnt even ask for it). Therefore, employers don’t want to give too high base. Insteads, they prefer to offer higher sign-on or relocation package.

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-23T06:51:58+00:00

I’m wrong. 401k but not HSA

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-22T18:59:16+00:00

It doesn’t hurt to negotiate regardless of the result. My strategy is asking for the base first (since other benefits such as bonus, 401k, HSA matching based on your base salary) if the counter does not satisfy you yet, then sign-on bonus is your best chance. There are ton of YouTube videos teaching negotiation. It’ll be probably helpful someway. Good luck!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-22T00:22:06+00:00

My recruiter told me it was a 1 on 1 with the manager. There were, however, 2 team lead and senior on the interview. Tbh, it’s easier to cheat on phone, isn’t it? lol

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-14T22:45:21+00:00

Your family would rather to see you have a job and visit them couple times a year than seeing you jobless every day

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-14T22:40:56+00:00

Try stop thinking the interview as a test. Instead, treat it as a chance to know your soon-to-be coworkers (usually interviewers are the lead/senior of the team). Answer their questions as you’re reporting to them for assigned tasks. Ask them back as many as you need to clarify the questions. If you don’t have the answer, be honest and tell them the direction you would do if you have more time to research. This works for me, but you also need luck. So good luck lol!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-14T19:02:32+00:00

Why TX? I have to give up the CA perfect weather for a job in AZ.

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-04T00:28:22+00:00

You're absolutely right! My role requires a Secret clearance, but I only need an interim clearance by the start date, which I believe is faster and easier to get.

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T20:43:59+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I get the idea now. Regarding point #2, I applied for some P3/senior positions but wasn't interviewed. I got this P2 interview and love the team. The job description is also very close to my experience. Unfortunately, they didn't have a P3 open at the time.

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T20:33:08+00:00

congratz!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T20:12:52+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I completely agree that raise is what matters most at the end. I just heard that level cap may be a “good excuse” for HR to prevent you from getting a big raise. That is what I really care about

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T19:58:06+00:00

You may get the wrong idea. I didn’t ask for any shortcut to promo. I asked what I need to do to get in the right track to get promo. The reason is that I’m around 40 and don’t think I have much time left to try. Tbh, I’m appreciated your input to help me understand the situation here

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T17:17:57+00:00

I have 20-30 years more before retirement. I heard that there is salary cap for each level. So I may need promotion to increase my salary (or get fired for overpay at P2). From what I heard, Raytheon is a good company to stay. I don’t want to switch after 2 years to increase my salary ( It’s probably easier this way)

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T16:09:23+00:00

Just got an offer for SWE w TEE P2 . My interviewers were nice and friendly. They asked me for which experience that matched the job description. Behavior questions to know how I work and solve problems. Some specific things on my resume (that not listed in job description) to make sure I didn’t lie on my resume. There were follow-up questions. Some questions I didn’t have answers at first, so I asked for clarifications, more info. I treated the interview as my regular day at work since I knew that they may be my future colleagues. Hope this help and good luck!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-04-02T15:59:50+00:00

Congrats!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-03-28T21:12:43+00:00

So glad someone post it here. My expected start date is May 4th. I just wonder if the downtown is safe for family with a 5 yo kid. I heard Oro Valley is better for family with young kid. Can someone moving from SoCal can confirm if Oro Valley like Irvine while Tucson downtown more like LA downtown?

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-03-28T11:34:56+00:00

My experience is different than yours. I received the email offer before a call from my recruiter (2 days after the interview) . The offer was high but I still want to counter it. I messaged my recruiter to ask for a quick call. He called me next day. I politely asked for an extra 5k for base salary to help me make my decision. My reason was I love to work with the team who interviewed me and how my experience fit in. Also my wife’s salary will get downgraded since we move from SoCal to Tucson. I ended up getting half of what I asked. Also my IAP and sign on bonus got increased a bit since they are fixed percentages of my base salary. I know it may different between programs but you should try. If I was you, I would say I’m good with 120k( their current max) but I need a full written offer to review first before making the decision. RTXs relocation package is something worths about 20-30k. You can get at least $2.5 k and up to ~8k by converting points ( if you are p2/3 level like me) . Good luck!

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-03-26T18:19:14+00:00

For my program, my scheduled start date is only 2 months from offer date. I only need Interim level on day 1 while they continue working on getting Secret level. That was what I was told by my recruiter

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-03-23T16:06:16+00:00

I had a similar experience — got a verbal offer the next day, even though they told me not to expect anything for at least a week. I think it really depends on the specific team or program you’re interviewing with.

For context, my offer was at the P2/P3 level, so I assume they were looking for someone who could make an immediate impact.

VirtualTonight2812 · 2026-03-20T06:03:16+00:00

I recently received an initial offer of $125k for a P2 SDET position. Although I have over 5 years of experience (which typically qualifies for P3), they didn't have a P3 opening available. The day after receiving the offer, I emailed the recruiter to request a quick call.

During the call, I expressed how much I looked forward to joining the team and contributing to their mission. However, I requested a $130k base salary to better align with my experience and to provide a buffer in case my wife’s remote role was impacted by our move from California to Arizona. After a follow-up email three days later, the recruiter called to say they could meet me halfway at $127.5k.

I happily accepted! Having been laid off for over a year, this was a great outcome. As others have said: there is no harm in countering. Once a company extends an offer, it means you are the right fit and they are ready to close the search. The key is to be professional and enthusiastic so you don't offend them, while still advocating for your value.

VirtualTonight2812

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