A SOFTWARE ENGINEER'S OFFER AT JOBCAT VANISHED THE

A software engineer's offer at Jobcat vanished the moment they asked for $10,000 more.

The poster had just received a verbal offer for a Software Engineer role in California: $75,000. To them, that number looked thin from the start. As they put it, "that's pretty low for California especially for SWE roles."

Still, they did not come back swinging. They asked a simple question: "if there was flexibility to move it to $85,000." It was a $10,000 bump, and they said even that would still be on the low end for the market.

The request, according to the poster, was careful and polite. They said they were "actually polite and expressed enthusiasm because I really need a job now." They told Jobcat they were "excited about the role and team," and they framed the ask around "market rates and cost of living." In other words, they were not trying to push the offer far beyond the original number. They were trying to make room for the realities of California pay and daily expenses.

Jobcat's response was immediate and final.

The company told the poster they were rescinding the offer because "we're not aligned on compensation expectations."

There was no drawn-out negotiation, no counteroffer, and no revised number coming back across the table. The poster says, "There's not even a back and forth or like a final offer." They also pointed out, "I didn't even jump from their base offer." The whole conversation ended after that one ask.

Now the poster is left with regret. They say they feel "really bitter" and wish they had simply accepted the original $75,000 offer.

Instead, they are back where they started: searching, interviewing, and applying everywhere they can, including LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Hiring Cafe, Jobcat, and "anywhere that's hiring."