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Career Advice

The most important things to consider when reviewing a job offer

Written by

Josh Bromage-Smith

Date posted

27 February, 2019

First of all, congratulations! If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you have been offered at least one job, possibly even two or three.

People leave their job and move on for many different reasons. You may have reached a ceiling in your current role and feel like you have no more room to grow. You may have a new manager who you just don’t work well with. You may have no choice but to move on due to circumstances outside of your control.

Whatever the reason, it happens, and it’s really important that you make a good decision when choosing your next role. The last thing you want to do is rush into a new job, just to end up no happier than before.

We’ve put together a list of the kind of things you’ll need to consider when making a decision on your next job.

But first...

Think about why you want to move on from your current position. Your motivation for moving on should be a big factor when considering job offers.

Is your move financially motivated? If this is the case, then you should be pushing to seek as high a salary as possible.

Are you looking to work for a company with a specific culture? If so, then you will want to meet your potential new team to get a feel for the working environment.

Do you want a role which offers flexible working to fit your home life? Some companies are more open to this than others. Try and establish their attitude towards it first.

Is your main goal to progress? Then you will want your potential new employers to be very clear about progression and development opportunities.

Make sure you evaluate all of your job offers

Before making the big decision and accepting an offer, make sure that you have fully evaluated it. Think about:

  • The salary being offered
  • What your working hours will be
  • Whether they offer any extra pension contributions
  • How much holiday allowance you will receive

The list could go on, so take everything into account. If you’re deciding between two or more jobs, then weigh out the pros and cons of each offer. Writing these down in a list makes it really easy to make a comparison.

What about any extra benefits and perks?

Perks are becoming more and more important today, particularly to younger people who are still in the early days of their career. Some employers have very good benefit packages to offer their employees.

To simplify benefits, you could break them down into two categories:

Major benefits - these would include life insurance, private healthcare, dental insurance, saving schemes, and sick pay.

Everyday benefits - things like a free gym membership, a discount or cashback scheme, childcare vouchers, even a free day off on your birthday.

If you leave a job with good benefits and go somewhere where they offer less, you’ll want to make sure they make up for it in other areas!

Never rush when making a decision!

We’ll say it again, your career move is a massive decision. Don’t feel rushed into making it. Your new employers should understand if you need a few extra days to give them an answer, so don’t be afraid to ask for it.

It can take some time to make a decision on a job offer, you don't want to rush in case you make the wrong decision. If you're not ready just ask for some extra time to make a decision.

Know what you’re worth and negotiate your salary

Before you even start applying for jobs, you should put thought into how much you think you should be earning. Obviously, everyone wants to get as high a salary as possible, but it’s also important to be realistic. Have a look around at jobs in your area and see what the salaries on offer are. This is a good way to gauge what kind of salary you should be aiming for.

When you have been offered a job, compare the offered salary with what other companies are offering. There’s no problem with going back to an employer and asking for a higher salary (if you go about it in the right way). Remember that some companies offer added benefits that can more than make up for a lower basic salary.

What about your new manager?

It can be very difficult to judge what people are really like in an interview, but it’s worth trying. If you are leaving a job because you’re not happy working with your boss or manager, you have to be sure that your new management team will be better. You could ask questions in your interview about what the management style is like, but be careful not to go too far.

If you want to try and find out a bit more about how a company works, ask to be shown around the office when you go for an interview. You will be able to see what the office looks like, meet your potential colleagues, and get a sense of the working environment. Some employers will also be impressed if you ask for a tour of the office at interview stage, as it shows confidence and a willingness to meet everyone.

What about the future?

Think about your career goals. Where do you want to be in three or five years time? Some companies offer excellent progression opportunities and have formalised development programmes to ensure their employees grow. However, not all businesses are like this.

Then again, not everyone wants to chase promotion and rise high. So, think about what you want to get out of your job. If you do want to keep growing, make sure the company you choose to work with will offer you the support you need.

Hopefully, if you’re trying to choose between job offers or can’t decide if you should accept a new job or not, this article has been helpful to you. Sometimes a new job can help people rediscover their passion and bring out the best in them. But equally, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. If you do choose to move on from your current role, just make sure you take your time and that you take all the factors into account.

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