Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before You Accept A Job Offer

 

You received the good news - you are hired! Are you going to sign on the dotted lines and call a party for celebration immediately or take some time to do a bit of thinking work first? Although we hate to admit it, most often than not, we allow our emotions to get the better of us and rule most decisions. If you find yourself accepting an offer when… “I think I’ll take the offer since the hiring manager is so gorgeous”, then this is a red flag. Knowing this is part of our human flaws, we should develop some kind of formula to help us to be as objective as possible so that our decision will be a “thought-through one” backed by good common sense.

So what are some of the relevant questions you should be asking? Perhaps this list will be helpful.

1. Is the job scope what I’m looking for?
2. Can I perform the job? [to be found incompetent can be a stressful ordeal]
3. How stable is the company? Have I done enough research?
4. Can I work with my immediate superior [usually the Interviewer]? Do I think we have a good working chemistry?
5. Is the location appropriate? Can I see myself traveling to the office day in day out in the next few years and will not be affected by the distance?
6. Does this job provide me the opportunity for growth? If I have to leave the job in two years time, what kind of opportunities await me? [similar to if you are buying a new car, the question is,  what’s the resale value?]
7. Am I fine with the business philosophy or ethics practiced by the company?
8. Is the package offered a fair and reasonable one?
9. I started out hunting a new job with this reason – is this being answered upon me taking this offer?

If your answer is “Yes” to all or at least 80% of the questions, then you should open your champagne to celebrate. But if you answered “Yes” only to 50% or less, this opportunity is probably a questionable one. If that’s the case, take some time to evaluate again. This exercise seems simple and sensible enough and the questions are by no means exhaustive. You might want to add a few more that are unique to your situation. The purpose of this approach is simply to make you think.

Do not accept an offer without much thinking and when another better offer comes along, you change your mind. That’s bad job ethics. Never accept an offer when you are not sure you are going to start work for certain.