Evaluating a Job Offer

When you receive a job offer, exciting as it may be, you are faced with the decision of whether to except or decline the job. Most organisations will usually give you a few days for you to ponder on the offer at hand.

There are many issues that you should consider when assessing a job offer. Will the organisation be a good place to work? Will the job be interesting? Are there opportunities for advancement? Is the salary fair? Does the employer offer good benefits? Below are some points to consider then evaluating your job offer.

The organisation. — Background information on an organisation can help you to decide whether it is a good place for you to work. Factors to consider include the organisation’s business or activity, financial condition, age, size, and location.

You can generally find background information of a company through the Internet. Background information on the organisation may be available at your public or school library. If you cannot get an annual report, check the library for reference directories that may provide basic facts about the company, such as earnings, products and services, and number of employees.

Career centres at universities often have information on employers that is not available in libraries. Ask a career-centre representative how to find out about a particular organization.

Stories of the organization from TV, magazines and newspapers can tell you about the company’s success, failure and plan for the future. Are they inline with your plans?

Does the organisation’s business or activity match your own interests and beliefs?
It is easier to apply yourself to the work if you are enthusiastic about what the organisation does.

How will the size of the organisation affect you?
There are advantages and disadvantages for working for large and small organisations. Large firms generally offer a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more managerial levels for advancement, and better employee benefits than small firms. Large employers may also have more advanced technologies. However, jobs in large firms may tend to be highly specialized.

Jobs in small firms may offer broader authority and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization.

Where is the job located?
If the organisation is located far from where you live or even another state then you must consider the cost of living. Is it worth spending 2-3 hours on transport? Is it worth relocating?

Should you work for a relatively new organisation or one that is well established?
New businesses have a high failure rate, but for many people, the excitement of helping create a company and the potential for sharing in its success more than offset the risk of job loss. However, it may be just as exciting and rewarding to work for a young firm that already has a foothold on success.

Salaries and benefits. — Are you happy with the salary you are paid? In order to know if the offer is decent you should already have a rough estimate at what the industry is paying.

You also should learn the organisation’s policy regarding overtime. Will you be compensated with money? Time off? Find out how many hours you will be expected to work each week and whether you receive overtime pay or compensatory time off for working more than the specified number of hours in a week.

Benefits can also add a lot to your base pay, but they vary widely. Find out exactly what the benefit package includes and how much of the costs you must bear.

Is the organization in an industry with favorable long-term prospects?
The most successful firms tend to be in industries that are growing rapidly.

Nature of the job. — Even if everything else about the job is attractive, you will be unhappy if you dislike the day-to-day work. Determining in advance whether you will like the work may be difficult. However, the more you find out about the job before accepting or rejecting the offer, the more likely you are to make the right choice. Actually working in the industry and, if possible, for the company would provide considerable insight. You can gain work experience through part-time, temporary, or summer jobs, or through internship or work-study programs while in school, all of which can lead to permanent job offers.

Does the work match your interests and make good use of your skills?
Make sure you are told the kind of jobs and responsibilities you will be given. Is it something that you will be interested in?

How long do most people who enter this job stay with the company?
High turnover can mean dissatisfaction with the nature of the work or something else about the job.

Opportunities offered by employers. A good job offers you opportunities to learn new skills, increase your earnings, and rise to positions of greater authority, responsibility, and prestige. If this is not the case then frustration and boredom can affect the way you work.

The employer should give you some idea of promotion possibilities within the organization. What is the next step on the career ladder? If you have to wait for a job to become vacant before you can be promoted, how long does this usually take? When opportunities for advancement do arise, will you compete with applicants from outside the company? Can you apply for jobs for which you qualify elsewhere within the organization, or is mobility within the firm limited?

Are you comfortable with the hours?
Most jobs involve regular hours—for example, 40 hours a week, during the day, Monday through Friday. However, other jobs require night, weekend, or holiday work. In addition, some jobs routinely require overtime to meet deadlines or sales or production goals, or to better serve customers. Consider the effect the work hours will have on your personal life.