Say you have been in the job market for a while. You’ve been spending all your free time applying for open positions, polishing your resume, and going on job interviews. Now, you have finally received that coveted job offer after several rounds of interviews with an organization. After all the hard work you have put into getting that offer, you’re ready to accept it and finally end your job hunt. While a lot of job seekers today are anxious to accept the first job offer they receive, it’s important to consider certain aspects of the position before making a commitment. You don’t want to end up wasting your time on a position that isn’t a great fit, nor do you want to waste any more of the company’s time. To help you make sure you are making the right decision when accepting a job offer, we’ve provided a few key factors to consider before saying yes.
- Make sure you fully understand the scope of the position: Now that you have presented yourself as a capable candidate in job interviews, make sure you are honestly capable of handling the day-to-day responsibilities of the position. Also, make sure those responsibilities are something you will enjoy doing day in and day out.
- Will the position provide an opportunity to grow? Make sure that the position and the organization provide opportunities to grow as a professional and help to build your career. Don’t accept a position that will turn into a dead end job with no upward mobility. Find out if the company is known for internal hiring to fill open positions or if they have a tendency to hire externally.
- Check out the work environment: While you are interviewing with a company, take advantage of the opportunity to peek inside the corporate culture. Make sure the social and professional environment of the office seems like some place you would be comfortable working in. Also, it doesn’t hurt to ask questions regarding company culture while you are interviewing.
- Test out the commute: When you go to the office for interviews, you might not be traveling there during rush hour. Test out the commute both in the morning and evening rush hour to make sure it is doable and bearable for you to make each day. If you have to deal with a long commute in traffic or deal with the hold-ups of public transportation, you need to consider those factors in your decision making process.
- Are the salary and benefits reasonable for your lifestyle? A lot of job seekers that have been in the job market for a long time say that any money is better than no money, and are willing to take a major pay cut just to get back in the office. It’s important to consider if the salary offered to you will actually be able to cover your cost of living. Also, make sure the benefits package is able to provide for you and any dependents in your life. This includes the amount of sick, holiday and vacation days you will be allotted in your new position.
Before making a commitment to a company by accepting their offer, make sure that commitment is something you will be willing to stand by for some time. If you accept a position that will only make you miserable, you probably won’t end up working there for long, and you’ll find yourself right back in the job market where you started.
