How to choose the right job offer? Thinking about whether a job is right for you is far more complex than simply considering the salary. There are many important job offer considerations.
Is the position the right long-term career move? Are you going to be happy in your new job? These are just a couple of the many factors to consider before accepting a job offer.
Ultimately, your decision will also hinge on what the alternatives are. If you have received multiple job offers, you will have to weigh up the pros and cons of each and make a decision. Choosing the right job can be difficult.
If not, you will need to consider whether this is the best offer you can get. It’s important to figure out whether the specific position, company and industry are the right fit for you. Don’t accept a job you don’t want – by declining it later, you’re only making things difficult for the employer. Don’t feel the need to make a snap decision
It is crucial that you take advantage of opportunities to ask questions and find out as much as you can in the job interview. It is a two-way process and your chance to see if the company is right for you.
Do you have to accept a job offer right away? It is an important decision to make so take your time. Don’t instantly accept, ask the employer when they need to know by. What to look for in a job offer? Consider the following points…
Salary package
It is important for you to assess the total, before accepting a job offer. You deserve to be paid fairly and in line with the market rates for that role. Is the salary on offer enough? Could you negotiate a better deal? You need to be able to get by each month and your time is precious, so don’t sell yourself short.
If you’d like to get an idea of what an acceptable salary is for a particular job role, do a quick search on websites like Indeed or Glassdoor or try to find a salary survey for that specific job. Some recruitment agencies publish salary surveys for jobs at different levels in a specific industry/location. This will give you an idea of what salary you should be expecting.
Aside from the basic salary it is also important to consider other benefits when choosing a job. These may include health insurance, retirement plans, paid vacation, sick pay.
It is important to take the time to work out how valuable these benefits are, especially if you’ve had more than one job offer. The overall package of one job may be worth more than another which initially seems better.
If it is your first job, don’t assume you should accept a very low salary. Make sure you have a strong entry-level resume and weigh up your options.
Does the company offer bonuses and raises?
What is the company’s policy ? Do they offer performance-related raises or bonuses? Is your salary likely to be stagnant? You might want to find out how often your salary will be reviewed and how the bonus is calculated.
This is an important consideration. If you are looking for a company to build a long-term career you will want to know that the conditions will improve over time. If you see the company as a stepping stone this may not be so important to you.
The expectations
It’s important you are clear on what is expected of you before you accept a job offer. This isn’t always easy but asking these questions should help:
- How will my performance be measured?
- What would you expect me to achieve over the next 6-12 months?
As you ask the questions, observe the interviewer’s body language when discussions about workload come up. You don’t want to wait until you start a new job to find out that your targets or deadlines are completely unrealistic.
Career progression
Research the company and ask plenty of questions in the job interview on this topic. How long do employees stay in the same position for? Does the company promote from within?
If you’re looking for a company to rise and grow within it’s best to make sure that the culture of a firm is compatible with this. It’s not uncommon for companies to fill more senior positions with external candidates.
Training and development
Are you going to grow and develop within the company? Is the role going to make you even more employable and push you professionally? Some companies will even offer reimbursement of tuition fees for relevant higher education courses or a degree which is an amazing opportunity for someone looking for a career progression
Will the job improve your professional resume and give you industry-specific skills and knowledge?
Training is also a great topic to bring up during the interview; it will show your willingness to learn and grow with the business.
Big companies are more likely to offer formal training sessions though in smaller companies there are opportunities to take on more responsibility and be more involved in key decision making.
Decide on your goals and think about whether the company is the right fit for you.
Stress
Most jobs involve some degree of stress and there is no such thing as the perfect job. You know yourself better than anyone and know how much stress you can cope with.
If you think the stress levels will have a negative effect on your health and social life, it’s not worth it.
Normally jobs come with a warning that it will be stressful, if an employer tells you this, take it seriously. Will you be able to reach your targets? What will happen if you don’t?
Make sure that the job is manageable. Your work life should be rewarding, not a constant source of worry.
Will you be bored?
On one hand you don’t want to be stressed, on the other you want to be pushed and challenged professionally, and to improve your resume. This balance can be hard to find.
Our brains need stimulation and sometimes the easiest jobs are not the most rewarding. Ideally you want to be developing new skills and pushing yourself. Will the new job provide the environment for you to do this?
The commute
Before accepting a job offer make sure you test the commute a couple of times as this could have a big impact on your finances and how much free time you have.
A 2h (one-way) commute can make an incredible difference to your lifestyle.
Being late for work consistently may make you feel stressed and get you into trouble with your boss.
Also think about the daily conveniences of the location. Are there cafes, shops, a gym, a park near the place of work? If not, what will you do for lunch?
Of course, in the post pandemic world, many companies do offer remote work options, but it’s important to clarify how often you’d be expected to be in the office before accepting a job offer.
The vibe
What type of environment do you thrive in? Do you feel more comfortable in a suit or dressed more casually?
It is important to feel at home in your surroundings and every company has its own vibe. Try to get a feel of the atmosphere and find somewhere which fits your personality.
Of course it’s not just about what you wear for work, but what’s the company culture like? These days there is a wealth of information available online on most companies – check out Glassdoor, their social media platform and previous projects.
If you can’t find much information on the Internet, ask the interviewer to describe their company culture and what their vision for the future of the company is. You can also ask them what they like the most and the least about working for that company.
Summary: As you can see, there are many factors to consider before you accept a job offer. Some might be important to you, other not so much and the perfect job doesn’t exist – but you want to feel satisfied with what you’ve got.
Trust your intuition as well – if something doesn’t seem quite right, listen to your instinct and try to figure out why you’re having these doubts.
Good luck with making the best decision for your career!
