How to Evaluate a Job Offer

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

Career Counseling April 12, 2019

How to Evaluate a Job Offer

Expert Tips for Assessing Job Offers and Making the Right Career Move

​Evaluating a job offer goes beyond salary. Learn how to assess benefits, career growth, and company stability to confidently land your ideal role and secure your dream job.

5 Ways to Assess a New Job Offer

When you are looking for a job, you naturally want to find one quickly. If it has been a while since your last paycheck, you might be a bit on the desperate side. Even so, it is unwise to say yes to a job offer if you do not know the answer to the following five questions.

1. Business Stability

• How stable is the company?
• Does it have a good track record? Reliable funding? A solid business plan?

It is not necessarily bad to work for an organization that is just starting up, going out of business, or dependent on irregular funding, as long as you understand what you are getting into. A shaky start-up or struggling business might be just the place to hone your skills, but it could also mean you will be looking for another job in six months.

You should understand the company's situation before you start, so you can decide if it fits your plans.

2. Working Conditions

1. What will your working conditions be?
2. Will you be part of a team or work primarily by yourself?
3. How much autonomy will you have?
4. Will you work at home or in an office, on a flexible schedule or 9 to 5?
5. Remember, one day you will have to write about this job on your resume and identify your functions. Take a look at the job description. Are these responsibilities quantifiable? In other words, do you see the potential for any accomplishments that you can proudly write about on your resume and your portfolio?

3. The Company's Mission Statement

• Are you aligned with the company's Mission Statement?
• Does the company culture match your value system?
• ​​If not, will the differences cause problems for you or the organization?

4. Career Growth

• Do you foresee any kind of "career growth" for yourself at this company?
  
• How much career advancement is possible?
• Does the organization provide advanced training or support for continuing education?
• Will you be able to use your newly acquired skills in future jobs?

​Some jobs do not provide much opportunity for advancement, but offer skills or experience you cannot easily get anywhere else.

5. Salary and Benefits

• Is the salary competitive?
• Will you have health insurance coverage?

1. Will you have an opportunity to contribute to a retirement plan?
2. Will you have adequate vacation time?
3. Will there be "paid sick leave"?

Final Thought

Remember, you do not have to accept every offer you get. If the answers to these questions do not fit your needs, you might be better off continuing your search.

• Make sure you build a solid LinkedIn profile.
• Learn to network professionally online and offline. 
• Find the hiring managers and introduce yourself.
• Actively connect with recruiters and use their help.
• Always be prepared for the right opportunity. ​

Recommended Reading

• Waiting for a Job Offer
• Job Offer Counteroffer
• Conditional Employment Offer
• How to Handle Multiple Job Offers

SOURCE: ​https://www.market-connections.net/blog/how-to-evaluate-a-job-offer

About the Author

Mandy Fard is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW, CMRW) and Recruiter with decades of experience in assisting job seekers, working directly with employers in multiple industries, and writing proven-effective resumes.
 
Feel free to connect with Mandy Fard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandyfard/
 
Please follow Market-Connections Resume Services on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/market-connections-resume-services.com​