To accept or not accept the job offer?
Mark Byrne | Digital Marketing Specialist | Ward Technology Talent | Twitter | LinkedIn
You’ve searched, you’ve interviewed over the phone and face-to-face and now you’ve finally been offered the job. But should you really accept the offer? There can be a temptation to panic and take the first offer that comes your way instead of asking yourself if this is what you really want.
Here are some things to consider before signing the dotted line to make sure it’s the right choice for you.
Get it in Writing
This may seem like an obvious one but it is important not to overlook. Before you evaluate any job offer you’re going to want it in writing. This should include your job title, compensation, key responsibilities and deliverables. It’s important that you have such a document to allow for the discussion of your performance down the road.
Ask the Right Questions
In the interview stages it’s useful to get a feel for who has filled the previous position and why it’s currently open. Could the previous employee not fulfill the required tasks or did they leave for other reasons – poor management, uncomfortable work environment, for example. If you get a sense that a lot of people have filled this role in the last few years then it’s important to ask yourself why this is the case.
Research
As with a lot of situations, Google is your friend in the job acceptance scenario. A quick search can return experiences (both good and bad) had by previous employees and shared by them online. Do your research and look for backup to claims made about the size and historical growth of the company. This will give you a solid grounding if the company is a good fit for you.
Meet the Team
Cultural fit has a huge impact on your happiness in a company. If possible, it’s beneficial to meet who you’ll be working with, especially in a non-work environment. Many companies have after work drinks on a Friday, if you can spend a few hours with the team in a relaxed atmosphere you’ll get a good idea if you’ll fit nicely.
Time
This includes both your allotted work hours and the commute. Is it a fixed 40 hour week? Or can you come and go at a time of your choice as long as you get your tasks done? The commute is very often not given a huge amount of thought but anything over an hour or and hour and a half can really start to affect your work life balance. Once the honeymoon period of the new job is over and you’re staring blankly at your reflection in the subway window for 90 minutes each way, you may rethink your position on commuting.
