Take This Quiz Before You Take That Job Offer!

After looking for a new job for days, weeks, or months, it’s tempting to jump on a new job offer without a second thought!

But more often than not, when you take the wrong offer you’ll be thinking about jumping ship as soon as possible. Then it’s back to square one, minus the time spent learning your lesson.

That’s why it’s so important that before you take a potential employer up on a job offer, you take the time to figure out if it’s really what you want and need from your career.

Thankfully, we’ve made it easy for you to do exactly that! So before you take that job, take this quick quiz to see if it’s just right for you!

Have you replied to the offer?

First things first: you need to follow up with the employer, acknowledging that you’ve received their offer.

Keep it short and sweet, and make sure you:

Say thank you
Ask for the offer in writing if you haven’t been given it already
Say you will take some time to review the offer
Ask when they need your decision by

Does the offer offer enough?

Make sure your written offer details all the compensation items you need to know to make an informed decision:

Salary or Wages
Vacation & Paid Time Off allowances
Health Benefits and Life Insurance
Retirement funds
Education & Training assistance
Work hours
Transportation & Relocation assistance

Compare this to your financial needs, and make sure your compensation covers your lifestyle!

Does the work schedule fit in your schedule?

Make sure that the job can support a healthy work-life balance, and you can reasonably adhere to the work schedule.

This includes factors such as:

Start date
Contract length (if not permanent)
Work hours
Flex hours & WFH options
Commuting schedule
On-call times when not at work

Also explore the company policies on after-hours work and contacting. Do they respect personal time?

Does it keep your career on path?

Unless this is your dream job, it’s important to ask yourself if this job will help you get there one day.

Consider if the job title is in line with the type of work you want to do.

Is the organization in your target industry? Does it offer room for professional advancement and personal development? Would you be happy to put this job on your resume when you apply for a promotion or a better position elsewhere?

How well do you know the employer?

Have you taken time to research the company to get a clear understanding of what your day-to-day life would look like with them?

You should start by trying to get a better picture of their company culture. The values they strive to uphold, and the behaviours they exemplify might mean the difference between a great place to work, and one that just isn’t working out.

You should also consider your future with the company. Do they have the financial stability to keep staff employed long term? Are they working towards a goal you share, or respect? Does their reputation shine in the industry?

And besides just looking at the company, consider your management and coworkers themselves. Did you have a chance to meet them? Did you feel comfortable around them? Do you respect the way they work?

Should you negotiate?

Here, we break down when you SHOULD and SHOULD NOT try to negotiate for a better deal.

You SHOULD negotiate if:

You have thoroughly understood the offer
You have evidence that you deserve a better offer (such as market standards)
You will not be happy or satisfied with the current offer
You cannot afford to live comfortably with the current offer

You SHOULD NOT negotiate if:

You already took the offer
They say the offer is non-negotiable
The offer meets or exceeds your expectations
It’s your dream job

If you do decide to negotiate, be sure to keep it as professional as if you were already working there! That means you should present a specific offer, back it up with data showing why they should believe that is a reasonable counteroffer, and be polite no matter their decision.

By going in knowing what you need from the job in order to make it work, you can negotiate knowing when you should walk away. And if negotiations are successful, make sure you get the new agreement in writing before you accept!

Now, are you ready to accept?

META works with employers directly on your behalf, to help ensure your acceptance goes smoothly. If you want better assurance that you’ll get what you need from your next employer, consider finding work by working with us!

Take This Quiz Before You Take That Job Offer!