Four things worth more than the starting salary

One: a manager who has themselves done the work and will actually review yours. Two: exposure to the real thing — the core work of the field, not adjacent admin. Three: a name that other employers in the field recognise, which is not the same as a name your relatives recognise. Four: a culture where people move up rather than only out.

A slightly lower offer with all four beats a higher offer with none of them, and the gap widens every year.