With unemployment rates high, being offered any job is a call for a celebration! Pat yourself on the back for having the resume that stood out, and for making a great impression at your job interview. You deserve it! But… Before you jump the gun and scream your answer from the rooftops, make sure it’s what you genuinely want. Ask yourself the following questions to see if the position is right for you before accepting a job offer.
1. Am I sacrificing any serious goals?
You’ve always wanted to be a writer, but this job will have you on call 24 hours a day. When will you have time to write? Or what if the job calls for so much writing while you’re on the clock that you don’t have the desire to work on your novel when you get home? You have to weigh your goals against your desire for the job. If you’re ok with scrapping your novel and throwing yourself into the new job for a year or so, go for it! But if not, writing is going to make you feel horrible. Then the job probably isn’t worth it. Hold out for something that will fulfill you during the day, then give yourself time for your own passions and goals after hours.
2. Can I expand my skills and experience?
Will this position help you grow? Will it use skills you’ve already developed? Will it call on experiences from your past jobs? Once you’re out of college and done with retail jobs, you need to make sure that each subsequent job you take will help you move forward somehow. You don’t want to waste time treading water just to earn a paycheck. Make sure the job can use your skills and help you grow them to fit the position even better.
3. Do I understand the job duties?
Did your potential employer go over the job position with you? Do you know what you’ll be doing each day once you clock in? Make sure you understand all of the job duties. You need to know what’s expected of you, and you need to be sure that you can accomplish these tasks to satisfaction. Can you do these tasks every day without losing your passion? If you have any questions or issues with what’s expected of you, make sure to clear it up before you accept the job offer. Once you say yes, your employer assumes you’re saying yes to everything he’s outlined for you.
4. Will my needs be met?
Will you be happy with this job? Are your daily duties things you can (and will) enjoy doing? What about the pay – is it enough to meet your needs, or will you have to be on an extreme budget? Do you need insurance, and does the company offer it? Do the work hours allow you to pick your kids up from school? Make sure you’re getting what you want and need from this job before accepting it, realizing it comes up short, and feeling stuck.
5. Can I see myself working for the company?
Does this company have the same morals and goals that you do? If you’re passionate about recycling, you’ll want to work for a green company – or at least a company that will encourage you to start a recycling program! Don’t work for a big production plant that sends pollution up into the air during every working hour. What are the other employees like? These people will be your coworkers – do they seem happy? You’ll spend more time with them than you do your family! Could you be around them every day? Can you take orders from your boss, or does he seem like he’ll be too demanding and cause a lot of trouble?
6. Will I be able to move up?
Does the job hold any future for promotion? If you can’t be promoted, could your duties and title change if you prove yourself? You don’t want to be stuck in a job that won’t reward you for your hard work. Also, think about how loyal you’ll feel to the company. It’s important to have loyalty, of course, but will you feel tied to the job if something better comes along in the future? Will you feel guilty, like you put in so much time and effort with the company, you’ll be pushed into staying, even if you are being promoted or compensated? It’s great if you want to stay with the same company and move up the ladder, but if you’ll feel bad leaving them behind for something better in the future, then you probably should hold out for that dream position now.
7. Will I enjoy the job?
Look back at all your answers. How does the job look, now that you’ve been honest with yourself? Does it look like the right thing to do? Will you enjoy the job? Will you like going to that office, working with those coworkers, and complete tasks for that boss? If your answers were all pretty negative, don’t feel bad! It’s better you find out on the front-end that you won’t enjoy the job, instead of accepting it and feeling stuck. If so, congratulations! You’ve found a great new job that will help you learn and grow.
Featured photo credit: Bill Strain via flickr.com
