Evaluating a job offer is a critical step towards employment. As you grow in your career you should attempt to be intentional about career decisions. Ensure that your career goals clearly align with where you work.
Make certain that the skills that you are acquiring are adequately preparing you for your next assignment. With the exception of your first job out of school, endeavor to be strategic about choosing where you work.
Below are 7 factors that you should consider when evaluating a job offer:-
Career growth prospects
Besides the role that you are being recruited for, can you see a future role within that organisation? Growth opportunities are critical to explore. It is important to assess growth against your career vision to ensure that these can be fulfilled at your potential place of employment.
If this is not the case then you should keep your current role but keep your eyes open. Set timelines of potential dates to exit the company. With the rapid growth in technology and artificial intelligence, it is highly unlikely that people will spend twenty years working with the same organisation as in times past.
However on the other end of the coin, you do not want to be changing jobs every year as this can hamper growth so it is critical to see growth within the company you choose from the outset.
Companies that are in the start-up phase presents good potential growth opportunities. In addition, companies with many branches in many countries may present growth opportunities abroad as an alternative option.
Training opportunities
During job interviews, it is necessary to understand the types of training opportunities that the company can offer. Some companies also have opportunities where you can get sponsor to complete a degree in exchange for years of service.
Others allow you to source trainings which they will pay for. Companies also have online university platforms with a range of options available. Others have their own development plans which you can benefit from.
From my own career experiences, I have seen persons leave training opportunities on the table for all sorts of reasons.
My philosophy when it comes to training is if the company is paying for it, I am taking it. If the training is something that is not directly related to your field, complete it.
According to Sir Francis Bacon, knowledge is power. Life is unpredictable. You never know how precious that course may be in years to come or the doors that this new knowledge can open.
Pay and Benefits
This could be in so many forms besides money. Good job benefits should be considered if you feel that the take home pay is extremely low. At some jobs you learn so that you can earn at a different job.
Certain jobs can allow you to make valuable connections which you can monetise otherwise. It’s critical to look at the big picture.
Some jobs are not very stressful so it gives you sufficient time to take night classes seamlessly. You may also get a role where your hours are extremely predictable so you are able to start a business part- time.
Consider all the factors surrounding a job before discounting it based on the net pay alone. This depends on number of factors and life commitments.
Good job benefits that you should also look for is health insurance and also pension plan which allows you to get some savings put aside. Training opportunities are another form of payment as mentioned above.
Work environment
Ultimately, you have to be tremendously happy in your daily working environment. No amounts of money can compensation if you are uncomfortable and miserable at the end of every day.
Before agreeing to a job, reach out to persons who you may know and find what their work experience with the company is like. Also you can ask questions during the interview to the panel to get a sense of DNA of the company.
You can tell a lot about the company by also observation during the job interview, interaction with the company personnel and how generally the interview process was handled.
ay close attention to how you feel after the interview. Did you have anything negative to say about anything or a person on the panel?
Try to get a sense of the personality especially of your immediate boss and ask his/her expectations of you. After meeting that person, what word would you use to describe him/her?
Pay attention to the word you select as you will need to work with this person closely. Your gut reaction is never wrong.
Glassdoor.com is also a good source where you can see reviews from previous employees and their sentiments about the organisation.
Reputation of the company
The reputation of the business that you are looking to join should be a factor that you should consider in evaluating a job offer. Your professional brand will be directly related to the success or failure of the company whether you like it or not.
For example, if you are the marketing manager for a firm, this role is usually a public role. If the company has a poor reputation for producing sub optimal advertisements you professional character will be assessed by what other employers see in the marketplace.
If you are able to improve on this, then you can get organisations who may want to hire you. However, if the production of poor quality advertisement is due to limited budget, then you should strongly consider whether this role is one to pursue.
Hours of work
This can be a tricky one as it depends on the type of job and industry that you go into. There are some roles where you are required to work an extensive amount of hours. It is therefore prudent to access the hours of work against the pay that you are getting.
A slightly lower pay might be advantageous over a higher pay depending on the number of hours that you are required to work.
You are trading a higher amount of time for the dollars that you are earning. In some life seasons, this may be ideal while it others it could be to your detriment. So consider hours of work versus pay in choosing an employer.
Reporting structure
Depending on the nature of your role, who you report to can make or break your job performance. This is essential in roles of a compliance nature. Roles of this nature focus on ensuring that the business adheres to prudent operational practices.
They are not usually directly tied to revenue and some managers can see them more as an expense. In these instances, if your manager does not buy into your goals, then your role could be frustrating.
Therefore, examine the role carefully and confirm the reporting structure while evaluating the job offer.
There are several other related articles that you may find valuable during your job search. Feel free to click on any of the links below to explore:-
How To Survive The First 90 Days At A New Job
11 Valuable Tips For Starting A New Job
A Thank You Prayer For A New Job
How To Calm Your Nerves Before Starting A New Job
6 Groups Of Persons Who You Can Use As A Job Reference
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, careful reflection and prayer are of paramount importance when evaluating a job offer. Weigh all the pros and cons to ensure that that job you select is most suitable for you. Hope these factors above helps your decision making process.
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