What is an offer call prep calculator?

An offer call prep calculator models the components of a job offer, including base salary, bonus, equity, vesting, sign-on bonus, and refreshers, then compares the offer against a target number to choose one clean ask and a recruiter script.

How should software engineers calculate total compensation?

Software engineers should calculate total compensation by year, not only by headline grant. Add base salary, target bonus, equity vesting for that year, sign-on bonus, and expected refreshers, then compare year one through year four.

Should I negotiate base salary, equity, or sign-on bonus?

If base salary is capped, engineers usually have more room in equity, sign-on bonus, refreshers, relocation, or review timing. If the role scope appears one level higher, level should be resolved before negotiating the money.

Offer call prep

Model the offer before the call.

Prepare my call Local-only math Call-ready script

Use this before the recruiter call to leave with the number, the lever, and the exact words. Nothing leaves this browser.

1: clean lever
4: years modeled
0: data sent

Inputs

Your offer

Context

Currency Current annual TC Market target TC Competing offer TC

Offer components

Base salary Bonus target % Equity grant, four-year value Annual refresher vesting Sign-on year 1 Sign-on year 2

Advanced vesting and risk Optional

Vesting schedule

Even 38/32/20/10 5/15/40/40

Private equity / options Private discount 40%

Base is probably capped Scope may be one level higher

Best year $312k

Four-year total $1.19M

Gap to target $0

Runway

Year 1-4 compensation

Vesting checks out

Offer-call plan

Number, lever, words

Calculated locally

Equity

$50k sign-on

Push the grant or sign-on, not base.

The prep workflow

Open this before the recruiter call and leave with one number, one lever, and one script.

Model the offer.Turn base, bonus, equity, sign-on, and vesting into a real four-year view.
Confirm the level.If the scope is one level higher, fix that before chasing a small base bump.
Pick one lever.Base, equity, sign-on, refreshers, relocation, or timing. One ask lands cleaner.
Copy the script.Name the number, stop talking, and let the silence do its work.

Open the prep kit when the call matters.

The calculator gives you the number. The prep kit gives you the sequence: level, lever, script, silence, written close.

Model the offer

See the real four-year shape before you react to the headline number.

Pick the lever

Choose the cleanest move before the recruiter asks what you want.

Take the call

Use the script, hold the line, and move toward the written close.

Need the full prep room? The Leverage kit adds the handbook, worksheet app, scripts, source appendix, and emergency playbook.

Prepare my offer call

Common offer math questions

Short answers for the parts people usually misread before the recruiter call.

Why model four years instead of one headline TC?

Because equity vesting changes the shape. A back-loaded grant can look fine on paper and still create a year-one or year-two dip that should be bridged with sign-on.

What is the easiest lever to move?

Usually sign-on or equity. Base touches bands and internal equity; one-time money is often easier to approve.

When should I stop negotiating?

When the package clears your target, the level is right, and they have moved once or twice. Past that, you can spend goodwill faster than you gain money.