There aren’t so many things one should consider before accepting a job offer, you might say, since nowadays it's really hard to even get a job in the first place. I must tell you that you are really lucky and that you did really well during your student years if you’ve been offered an important position in some company once you’ve graduated. But even though the temptation can be quite big, you shouldn’t rush into any emotional decision. Instead, try to carefully deliberate before accepting a job offer. First, you should give yourself enough time to analyze all the pros and cons of accepting that job. Here is, in my opinion, what you should consider:
I believe that one of the most important things one should consider before accepting a job offer is, of course, the salary. Ask yourself if the remuneration is fair and if you’ll manage to support yourself with what you’ll earn because most companies will offer an inexperienced person a lower salary than they deserve. Try to see first what other jobs are available in your field of expertise and then decide if you’ll take that job or not.
You should always ask yourself before accepting any position you might have been offered, if you are really okay with the work schedule. Don’t rush! First, you should try to think things through. Find out if you’ll have to work long hours or if you’ll have to come to work during your weekends or during your vacation days. Also, make sure you’ll get paid for all those extra hours. Try to take all the precautions necessary, so you won’t regret your decision later.
Try to find out where your future office is located. Is it too far away from where you live? Will you have to spend too much money on your daily commute and will this affect your monthly budget? How much time will you spend commuting to and back from work? Will that company cover the costs of your daily commute? You should consider all those things before saying yes to any job offer, no matter how much you would love that job, because after all, you still need to be able to support yourself.
I know this may seem a very superficial reason for some people, but I think that you should consider if you would enjoy working in that work environment since you’ll spend most of your time there. Will you be surrounded by nice, eager to help coworkers? Is that work environment in line with your values or with your ideas? Take all your precautions before accepting any job offer because this way, you will avoid feeling miserable afterwards and you won’t become one of those people who hate their jobs.
I know that you could be quite excited if you’ve been offered a job soon after you’ve graduated, but try not to hurry and think about your career prospects if you accept that position. Will you be able to climb the career ladder or will you be stuck in the same position for the next five years? Is that company growing or expanding? By not being able to promote, you’ll risk becoming demotivated over the years and this may lead to depression or even to other affective disorders. Make sure you’ll choose wisely, so you’ll have nothing to regret afterwards!
Before you accept that job you’ve been offered, make sure you really understand exactly what you’ll have to do and what that company wants from you. Are their expectations realistic? If this isn’t very clear to you, you could request a document that will detail your responsibilities and the company’s expectations. This way, you’ll be able to better think things through before taking such an important decision that will affect your professional evolution. Also, this way, a detailed job specification will prevent your potential employer from giving you all kinds of irrelevant tasks that will have nothing to do with your job.
Do your research and find out what other benefits you will receive besides your salary! Will you get a dental plan, private health insurance or any other facility, like a gym membership card, or different bonuses if you’ll be able to reach your targets? There are a lot of companies that organize team building in order to motivate their employees and some will even offer movie, theatre or concert tickets.
In order to make your decision much easier, try writing down on a little piece of paper all the pros and cons of taking that job offer. Take your time and analyze every little detail, because this is an important decision and that’s why you shouldn’t hurry. What other things do you think we should consider before accepting a job offer? Please share your advice with us in the comments section!