He said it himself - it took years of prep work to get that job offer. Why did it take so long? Because there is a strong desire to get into the industry, lots

He said it himself - it took years of prep work to get that job offer. Why did it take so long? Because there is a strong desire to get into the industry, lots of potential candidates, and he didn't seem to have any connections that would get him an easy foot in the door. Plus zero experience in that role other than internships. In his situation, I would have just taken the offer and cranked for a year, then demanded more money. And if they refused, it should be far easier to find a new job with actual experience. A year of being frugal isn't that bad for entry into your dream career.