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[fraggles]

I am prepared to be embarrassed for asking this, but I have received an offer that I want to accept (yay!) but am wondering how to proceed. Do the candidates generally accept via email? A phone call? Do I contact the department chair or the Dean (I spoke to both). I would ask my advisor, but she is out of town. I keep seeing people on the fora mention "negotiating"...I'm guessing that's only possible if there's another offer on the table, right? It's a wonderful dilemma...but I feel a little silly for never having talked to my advisor about what happens at this point in the process.

[bacardiandlime]

You don't need another offer to negotiate. You may wish to discuss (and negotiate) salary, start date, a spousal hire, equipment, access to university daycare, course releases - and those are just for example.
There are a lot of threads here about the negotiation process.

[litdawg]

Congratulations, Fraggles! Celebrate! Like BacardiAndLime says, you don't need another offer to negotiate. Simply ask questions regarding the issues you want nailed down before you sign on the dotted line. You should definitely have phone conversations followed up with emails specifying content of conversations.

Now, don't forget to update the wiki! Your good fortune will be reduce the suspense, at least, of the other campus visitors.

[larryc]

Oh you can negotiate without another offer--but you don't have a lot of cards to play, particularly if you are in a low-demand field. Pick up the phone and call the SC chair. Tell her you will take the job, but wonder if there is any room to ask for a bit more salary, or a reduced load the first year, or startup funds, or moving expenses?

Be polite, enthusiastic, and do not make it sound like you will walk away if they don't pony up. Chances are good that there is little or nothing they can add to the offer, but it is worth a try.

[westcoastgirl]

Have some bacardi and lime! Awesome!!!

[dalekk]

Who made the actual offer?  That's the person you should negotiate with.  That's normally the dean, btw.

[offthemarket]

You definitely have room to negotiate. They want to hire you. There may be someone else, but for the moment you're the top pick.  Congrats.

The Dean has a variety of resources for new faculty, some of which are flexible and some of which are not. These can include release time, moving expenses, computer allocation, startup expenses. You want to move your salary up if possible. Negotiation is a conversation in which your mutual interests are met. They want to please and keep you, and you want to get market rate.

If it is a public university, you want to go to the public records (either a website, or an actual library) and find out the salary of the recent hires. Make sure you make as much as other junior faculty like you.

[brixton]

You'll want to talk by phone to the person who made the offer.  You'll want to be polite and take notes about what the offer includes.  Salary, of course; if you're lab based, start up costs for labs.  Moving expenses.  If you come with partner, contacts, and/or possible opportunities. Office needs.  Availability for professional development. Support staff or TAs, if it is that sort of school. Some of this won't be negotiation, per se, but you want to make mak sure you understand the parameters of the offer.

Good luck and congrats!

[zharkov]

So are people waiting for me to mention Getting to Yes?  

OP, get a copy of Getting to Yes, an excellent intro to negotiations.  Available at many bookstores and libraries.

People are generally expected to negotiate specifics when offered a new job, and thus it is not uncommon for an offer to be tad below what they really are wiling to pay.  

[polly_mer]

So are people waiting for me to mention Getting to Yes? 

No one wanted to step on your line.

[fraggles]

Thanks everyone! I've been offered startup money, moving expenses, and a course release, in addition to generous benefits. (I never thought to ask about a computer - I assumed I'd get one with my office.) Salary is about what I expected, but if they expect me to negotiate and can offer a little more I would be happy to take it. At the same time, I feel pretty lucky already and don't want to push it.

[systeme_d_]

If you think you can get them to raise the salary a bit, go for it.  Don't forget that it will be the base for all future raises, and salary compression does happen, so try to hedge against it as much as you can.

Congratulations!

[zharkov]

Thanks everyone! I've been offered startup money, moving expenses, and a course release, in addition to generous benefits. (I never thought to ask about a computer - I assumed I'd get one with my office.) Salary is about what I expected, but if they expect me to negotiate and can offer a little more I would be happy to take it. At the same time, I feel pretty lucky already and don't want to push it.

About a computer or anything else, don't assume.  If you need a laptop or a certain kind of computer or certain software, bring it up.  Maybe it goes in the offer, maybe not, but it helps (sometimes) to gain a commitment about supplying what you need. 

[porcupine]

Ask for things that are critical to your specific needs, e.g. freedom to attend the preeminent conference in your subfield which always gets scheduled in week 1 of the semester, ability to spend a week off campus during peak frog-collecting season, or similar things.

If you need specific items, ask about those - e.g. if you have a back problem and need an adjustable desk and/or chair, see if one could be provided.

And don't be afraid to ask about salary. systeme_d is right about salary compression. People often don't make firm requests about salary, simply because they are so damn happy to have a job. Give principled reasons supporting your request, and see what you and your chair can work out together.

[polly_mer]

Ask for things that are critical to your specific needs, e.g. freedom to attend the preeminent conference in your subfield which always gets scheduled in week 1 of the semester, ability to spend a week off campus during peak frog-collecting season, or similar things.

Ooooh, thanks for that suggestion, Porcupine.  I hadn't thought to negotiate upfront for the conference that will be timed badly in the term for my dream job.