Getting a job offer is exciting! Now the question is, should you accept it? I PROMISE YOU, it’s not all about the money. How do you know if you are actually going to be happy there? Here are 4 things you need to consider before accepting the offer.
How to evaluate a job offer:
– Compare the benefits. Ask for their benefits package so you can compare the cost and coverage. What if it’s going to cost you hundreds more? Then you should counter their offer and ask for a bit more money. Same thing goes for the 401(k)…Ask them if they have a match and how much it is. If they don’t offer one or it’s a lot less than your current employer, then you are losing money and you should ask for a higher salary.
– PTO. First, make sure you know how much they are giving you each year and tell them about any vacations you already have planned. You aren’t going to get that planned PTO + what they say you get. Your planned PTO comes out of the amount they are giving you. So if the company only gives you 2 weeks and you have a 1 week vacay already planned. You only have 1 week left this year. Ask them for more PTO! They can only say no.
– Bonus. Ask them what goes into getting the bonus. It could be your goals, team goals, and company goals – or just your goals. And how often have they paid out the full amount? You don’t want to think you’re getting 20% at the end of the year and only get 5% because that’s actually all they pay out. It happens and you should ask!
– Glassdoor. Go to glassdoor.com and search for the company to read recent reviews. Then search for that job title specifically. Don’t take 1 bad or good review seriously. You want to look for 3+ saying the same thing before you take it seriously. I have turned down a job because the job title had SO MANY bad reviews. I also told the hiring manager this when I turned down the job.
– Start date. Don’t be pressured to start in 2 weeks. Take a week off (or at least a day!) Time off will allow you to decompress from your last job and start the new job feeling refreshed. You deserve some time off – even if it’s just for a day.
Navigating corporate America is hard, but you got this!
Xo, Celine Kaye
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