Congratulations! You got the job. We know how hard of a journey this was. But before getting too excited, let’s stop for a second and analyze the full picture. We know that your job hunt wasn’t particularly an easy journey and might’ve included so many applications and interviews. So, right now you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and can’t wait to take the next step in your career. But before you take this step and accept the job, you should think it through carefully and take all aspects into considerations.
To help you making a very important decision in your career, we gathered below some of the most important points that you should take into consideration and evaluate before you decide to accept the job.
1. Limited growth opportunities
Once you receive a job offer, you might feel that this is the most perfect opportunity in the world, especially if you’ve had enough with your current job, or have spent too much time in one position that you’re feeling stuck. We hate to disappoint you, but first judgements are usually misleading.
When it comes to evaluating a job offer, you should have a good idea about the growth opportunities that will come along with this position. There is nothing wrong with asking about this topic during the interview process, as this is an important piece of information and it will help you evaluate where your career is going. These growth opportunities include learning resources, training opportunities, company conferences and events, etc.
The lack of growth and learning opportunities often translates to a vague or a nonexistent career path.
Looking at the job offer you just received, you might think that it is perfect for where you are in your career currently. But the issue with this approach is that you are most likely not going to sit in the same place for so long. This is where career paths and succession plans come along.
Ask your potential employer what is the career path of the position you’re filling, what is the next position that you can fill, and what can you grow into after a certain period of time at the company.
In case you are planning to spend a long time in a certain company, then you should know what it takes to climb the career ladder so you won’t end up doing the same job for years.
2. Job responsibilities are unclear
Every job has a specified list of duties and responsibilities, which make up the job description. Now, when you first apply for the job, you should’ve read the list of duties and responsibilities, your reporting lines and any other job specifications. But, in case you found yourself in a confusion of what your responsibilities are exactly, then it can’t be a good sign.
You can check with the HR Officer or your potential manager about the exact duties and responsibilities the job would include, but in case you didn’t receive a clear answer then you should rethink your decision to accept this offer.
The reason can be a serious issue is that without clear responsibilities, you won’t be able to understand what you will be held accountable for, how you will be rewarded for your work, or what will your workload look like. This could also mean a growing list of responsibilities without proper compensations for every additional item.
Before you start off your job, you should be clearly informed of your responsibilities and what you will be held accountable for. If there was a need to expand your list of duties and responsibilities, then you should start discussing compensation options.
3. The workplace has low energy
During your interview process, you should have visited your future workplace at least once. This means that you have picked some notes and noticed quite a few things around you.
Most importantly for this matter is observing the workplace environment and energy. Remember that you’ll spend a minimum of eight hours a day in this place, five days a week. So, you should be fully comfortable before you decide to join this workplace.
What is the energy level like? Are people communicate freely? Do they seem agitated? How’s the layout and design of the office? If you felt something was wrong or unprofessional, then you should trust the vibes and try elsewhere.
4. It’s a step back, not a step forward
We understand that, sometimes, a person might settle for less than what they truly deserve. But this should only be the case in extreme situations.
Trust that you’re a smart, hard-working professional who is seeking to grow your career in a positive environment. Therefore, you should think of your next job as a step forward in your career growth plan, not a setback.
If you noticed that your job responsibilities will limit your skills rather than developing them, or that the job duties are not challenging enough to help you grow your acquired skills and qualifications and move forward on your roadmap, then you should stop and think whether you should take the job or turn it down.
5. Unsatisfying financial compensations
The financial aspect is a very important part of any job, and you shouldn’t neglect it when you receive an offer. You should trust your abilities and qualifications and never settle for less than what you deserve.
Remember that settling for less than what you deserve might be viewed as lack in self-esteem and fear of not being good enough.
In case you wanted to know the range of salaries in a certain industry or company, you can always use Bayt Salaries to have a general idea of what’s an appropriate compensation level for your prospective position before you get into the details of the job offer.
We hope these points can help you evaluate any job offer you receive. And in case you find that all of these points are irrelevant to your job offer, then congratulations on the new job!
Don’t forget to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments box below. Feel free to share any other points you think are important when it comes to evaluating a job offer.
