Guide: Reversing a Downlevel Offer
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You can say: “I’m excited about the team, but I don’t believe L5 reflects the impact I’ve delivered. Can we revisit the level decision?”
Meta downlevels most engineering offers. Not because you failed the coding rounds, but because you didn’t show enough impact in the rounds that determine the level.
Levels aren’t standardized. “Staff” at Google does not equal “Staff” at a startup. That makes the game fuzzy and easy for manipulation.
Your goal is to clarify your value and shift the conversation from “sign the offer right now” to “let’s make sure this is the right fit.”
If you’re trying to reverse a downlevel, don’t be too nice. You’re negotiating. Bring receipts, stay calm, and aim for clarity.
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