5 questions you should ask yourself before accepting a job offer
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Woo-hoo! You got a job offer. You’ve successfully navigated your way through the recruitment process, everyone is happy and you’re feeling elated. Congratulations! But now it’s your turn to ask: Is this job right for me?
It’s tempting to quickly blurt out “Yes!”, and accept the offer on the spot, especially when you’re eager for a new opportunity. But before you blindly take the job offer, it’s important to think through all of the options and scenarios. It might seem like it’s a perfect fit, but it never hurts to do a little more digging.
The following five questions will help you discover what you really feel before you accept a new job so that you can make the right decision.
1. Am I excited about the job?
How did you feel when you got the job offer? Were you instantly excited and smiling ear to ear? Now ask yourself: Am I excited about this job, the company and the people I’ll work with? Or am I excited because I received an offer?
If you find the answer is the latter, give yourself more time to find an opportunity that truly thrills you. If your gut reaction about the offer wasn’t positive, it’s worth exploring why. You want to go into a new job with a positive attitude, not reservations about whether it’s the right choice.
Changing jobs is a big deal. You’ll need to insert yourself into an entirely new organisational culture and acclimate yourself to a new position and responsibilities. If the position doesn’t excite you in the beginning, chances are it won’t satisfy you over time.
2. Is this position interesting and challenging?
You may be looking for a new job for many reasons. Maybe you’re bored in your current role, you want to switch industries or you don’t get along with your boss and/or team. While those (and many more) are all valid reasons to leave a position, it’s important to make a strategic move, too.
Think about the things you like about your current role and how you want to improve in the future. Taking a position and then getting bored in a month is a bit of a waste. Make sure you’re not only able to do the job, you also find it difficult (in a good way) at times. Otherwise you’ll probably lose interest a lot faster than you think.
3. Is there room to grow?
You don’t want to hop into a position where, after a year, you feel stuck. After all, that might be the reason you’re seeking this new job opportunity in the first place. It’s important for your jobs to be stepping stones to your ultimate career goal. How else will you get there if you’re not constantly working towards it?
Sketch out a quick career map with your end goal at the top and the steps to get there. The steps could be education, skills, experience, or any combination of them. Will this new role help you acquire new skills, and push you to the next level of your career? Does the company provide professional development and career advancement opportunities?
If the job offer fits into your career map––great! If not, it might be best to keep looking, otherwise you might find yourself in the same position three years from now. Keep an eye out for opportunities with global leaders in the cosmetic industry.
4. Will I fit into the company’s culture?
Although “fitting in” can feel more like the concern of a high school student, it’s just as important in your professional life with co-workers. There’s a good chance you might spend more time with these people than with your family, so make sure you feel like you can fit in with ease.
Another crucial question to ask: Is this a company that you’ll be proud to work at? Whether you want to evaluate this based on your values or on the company brand, think about how you’ll feel to be associated with this employer.
Having pride for the work your company does is one of the intangible things that can make a surprising difference to how much you end up liking your job.
5. Am I going to be happy in this job?
Now that you’ve considered the logistics, ask yourself one last question: Will this job enhance my life and make me happier? Happiness is key for productivity, and it’s important to evaluate if this job will help you thrive.
You might have a gut feeling answering this question, but experts suggest jotting down a pros and cons list. Talk with your mentors, your significant other, your family––anyone who can help you gain additional perspective. Accepting a new job is a big move, so be sure you feel good about your decision.
Finally, it is worth considering whether you might already be in the right job. Consider whether a smaller change––like shifting your focus to more interesting projects, or moving to another team within the company––might bring you greater job satisfaction.
However, if your wages or opportunities for advancement and learning have maxed out, then it might really be time to move on.