You have done the hard
part – completed the application so that they cannot fail to call you for
interview – and you performed well. You decide that maybe, just maybe, if the
phone rings and they offer you the job, you will snap their hand off.
And then, time passes, and you get
to thinking.
You have performed
well. You have improved and so much so, in fact, that they have offered you the job. It is you ‘dream’ job,
working for the leading company in your field of expertise and skills.
Surely, it is a forgone
conclusion that you will accept.
In
most circumstances, people do; as soon as the phone rings and those words ring
out ‘we would like to offer you the position’, people gush they will accept the
sentence have been finished. There are times when this is
the right decision but, there are other occasions when you need to make careful
consideration.
But, what factors
should you use to make your decision?
#1 The people
You
may be forgiven that money should be in top spot. However when it comes to
work, you do need to be uber-confident that the people you will spend the
majority of the time with, are the people that you want to spend the majority
of the time with.
Of course, it is hard
to form judgements from only meeting people for a few moments but those first
impressions count. It takes seconds for our intuition to kick in, telling us
when someone is personable and approachable, and when they are not.
#2 The place of work, environment and atmosphere
It may be THE place and
the next step up, but is it the right place for you. Being offered a job and
choosing to accept it is, primarily, a
personal decision. As great as the company may be, with an enviable reputation,
if it did not feel right, then trust your gut.
How they work is
important. Some offices and businesses opt for
an open plan office. This great in so many ways – but, if you are an ordered,
‘need my own space’ kind of person, this will not be the right environment
conducive to neither your happiness nor productivity.
#3 The benefits
The package of benefits
offered should reflect the calibre of candidate that the company wants, and how
well they look after them. Employees that are not only appreciated but ‘look after’ tend to remain with an employer for
longer.
Ask them about their
benefits package; what perks are they offering staff and new employees? If the
money does not quite come up to scratch, you may find that you financial gain
in other ways. Anything from private medical care to cut price gym membership
is worth looking into.
#4 Company performance
Before leaving a sound,
stable job (possibly) you need to make sure your next move is to another
stable, sound ship. If not, you could be setting yourself up for fall from
which it may be hard to bounce back.
Asking around about the
company, and how well they are performing financially is important. The most
recession has taken out some big names from various industries, all names and businesses that have survived previous
recessions, depressions, world wars and conflicts. Sometimes, the smallest and
lightest straw can break the biggest, strongest camel.
#5 Salary
Clearly, looking for
and getting a new job is about taking a step up, including a step up in the
money.
For many people, this
is the driving factor and thus, their decisions are easy to make but, for
others, the environment and people are more important.
Neither does money
equal happiness in a role, thus take care when basing your decision solely on
the salary. There are two options in terms of finance – one is the amount you
need to live on and the other, is the amount of money that would make the job
simply irresistible.
Perhaps seeing the
potential of the whole package is more important that just one factor alone
In summary
Looking
for, applying and interviewing for a new job is a high-stress situation, and
not one that many people gladly throw themselves into. Unless it is the job,
that represents the next logical step up for them.
On the
downside is the fact that many people can be disappointed. This is because they
go the place where they think it is all happening, the competitor that they
need to be part of and yet, their gut tells them a far different story when they
get there.
And when will you know? The moment you walk out of the
interview.