1. Is This Position Really What You Want to Do?
You’ve gotten an offer for a position you applied to. There must have been some reason you applied for the position. Perhaps it was for a company you wanted to work for, or maybe you just wanted a job in the industry and it was what was available. An important consideration to make before you accept a job offer is whether the position is really what you want to do. Why were you interested in this position? Do you need a job as soon as possible and are willing to take anything? Are you taking the job just because you have done a similar role before but want to move on from it? The reasons for taking a job will depend on your desires and your circumstances, but these are points worth considering. It may be OK to take a job that isn’t something you really want to do right now, if it allows you to get into a better position in the future. That brings us to the next question…
2. Will This Position Get You to Where You Want to Go with Your Career?
Most of us know what we want to do. If you don’t have a plan, I suggest [developing one for your career]. It lets you know where you want to go and how to get there. A consideration to have for this job offer is if it will allow you to get to where you want to go with your career. Is it on the path of where you want to go? Does it allow you to improve and develop the skills for progressing your career? If not, then why did you apply for this position? Even though it may not be the ideal job you want, there are jobs we need to do along the way to improve our skills to the level they need to be at, and to gain the experience we need.
3. Is This a Good Company to Work For?
There’s more to the job than the position and the money you’re getting paid. We should consider the company that’s offering you the position as well. Are they a good company to work for? Do they share your values and priorities? If not, does this matter to you? We can’t all work for the same company, and each company is different. Try to picture yourself working for this company and imagine if you’d be happy there. Work out what you want in an employer, and how important it is, and see if this is satisfactory before you accept a job offer. The reputation of a company and other factors may or may not be important to you, but it’s probably something to consider anyway.
4. If You Accept This Job Offer, Will It Challenge You?
One of the most satisfying parts of the job for many people is that the job challenges them. It allows them to think and focus on problems and solutions for companies. It’s more than just a desk job. Are you someone that needs to be challenged at work? The amount of challenge that a position brings varies between all of us. Some of us like a little bit of a challenge, some of us like to be “thrown in the deep end” and many are in the middle. You should work out how much of a challenge you need at work, and assess if the new position meets that criteria, before you accept a job offer. This will help your satisfaction in both the short and long term. Again, your circumstances may mean this is more or less important to you. For example, if you really just need a job, or if it’s only a two month contract, then the challenge of the job may not be as important. However, it’s still something we should consider. All of that said, getting a job offer is still a great thing and you must have done a few things right to get there. Congratulations! What other points should we consider before accepting a job offer? Share your thoughts in the section below.
