Assessing Your Job Offer

“Congratulations you have been accepted, here’s your job offer!” As a job seeker you look forward to hearing this phrase, but this isn’t the end of the road. Getting a job offer doesn’t mean that you should accept it without a second thought. Before you do so, you must consider a number of factors and make your choice wisely so that you wouldn’t end up being in a job that you hate.

Career coaches say that the key to making the right decision the first time is preparation. You need to establish your ideal wants and needs and make sure that the prospective job will help meet these. A good way to assess an offer is to evaluate the following factors related to the job:

- Understand the job and the offer
Get your offer in writing. If there are any aspects of the job offer and the work assignment that you’re not sure of, now is the time for clarification.

If you think you’ll need more time to decide, ask for it as soon as possible. Suggest a specific date by which you can let the employer know, and then follow up as you indicated; do not delay by even a day.

- Get information about the organization
Background information on an organization can help you decide whether it is a good place for you to work. Factors to consider include the organization’s business or activity, financial condition, age, size, and location.

Stories of the organization from TV, magazines and newspapers can tell you about the company’s success, failure and plan for the future. Are they inline with your plans?

- Interests and beliefs
Does the organization’s business or activity match your own interests and beliefs?
It is easier to apply yourself to the work if you are enthusiastic about what the organization does.

- Size
There are advantages and disadvantages for working for large and small organizations. Large firms generally offer a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more managerial levels for advancement, and better employee benefits than small firms. Large employers may also have more advanced technologies. However, jobs in large firms may tend to be highly specialized.

Jobs in small firms may offer broader authority and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization.

- Location
If the organization is located far from where you live then you must consider the cost of living. Is it worth spending a lot of time on transport? Is it worth relocating?

- New vs. old
New businesses have a high failure rate, but for many people, the excitement of helping create a company and the potential for sharing in its success offset the risk of job loss. However, it may be just as exciting and rewarding to work for a young firm that already has a foothold on success.

- Salary and benefits
Does the compensation package match the requirements of the job? Will you be paid what you feel you are worth? Keep in mind that while pay is important, you should be willing to negotiate, but not compromise, in order for your other needs to be met. In order to know if the offer is decent you should already have a rough estimate of what the industry is paying.

You should also learn the organization’s policy regarding overtime. Will you be compensated with money or time off? Find out how many hours you will be expected to work each week and whether you receive overtime pay or compensatory time off for working more than the specified number of hours in a week.

Benefits can also add a lot to your base pay, but they vary widely. Find out exactly what the benefit package includes and how much of the costs you must bear.

Nature of the job
Even if everything else about the job is attractive, you will be unhappy if you dislike the day-to-day work. Determining in advance whether you will like the work may be difficult. However, the more you find out about the job before accepting or rejecting the offer, the more likely you are to make the right choice. 

- Working hours
Most jobs involve regular hours- for example 40 hours a week, during the day, Sunday through Thursday. However, other jobs require night, weekend, or holiday work. In addition, some jobs routinely require overtime to meet deadlines or sales or production goals, or to better serve customers. Consider the effect the work hours will have on your personal life.

- Interests and skills
Does the work match your interests and make good use of your skills? Make sure you are told the kind of jobs and responsibilities you will be given. Is it something that you will be interested in?

- Your supervisor 
One of the top reasons people leave their jobs is due to a poor supervisor. Be sure you have met and talked with the person to whom you will be reporting. Speak with other employees in the department before taking the job to get a feel for the person's management style with his or her employees.

- Turnover
High turnover can mean dissatisfaction with the nature of the work or something else that is wrong with the job.

- Opportunities 
A good job offers you opportunities to learn new skills, increase your earnings, and rise to positions of greater authority, responsibility, and prestige. If this is not the case then frustration and boredom can affect the way you work.

The employer should give you some idea of promotion possibilities within the organization. What is the next step on the career ladder? If you have to wait for a job to become vacant before you can be promoted, how long does this usually take? When opportunities for advancement do arise, will you compete with applicants from outside the company? Can you apply for jobs for which you qualify elsewhere within the organization, or is mobility within the firm limited?

Sources:
www.ilr.cornell.edu
www.bls.gov


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Acceptance Letter