Congratulations, you got a job offer!
After all the hard work of applying, interviewing, and following up, an employer wants to hire you. But before you eagerly accept the position, it’s important to take a step back and carefully evaluate the job offer as a whole. You want to make sure it’s the right fit for your skills, interests, needs, and goals.
As a decision-making coach, I’m here to walk you through the key factors to consider when evaluating a job offer.
With my guidance, you can make a well-informed decision about whether to accept, negotiate, or decline the position.
Let’s get started!
Compensation
One of the first things most people consider in a job offer is the salary.
While money certainly isn’t everything, it’s an important factor in supporting yourself and your desired lifestyle.
Consider:
• Is the salary in line with the market rate for your position, experience level, and location? Websites like Glassdoor, Payscale, and Salary.com can help you gauge the going rate.
• Is there a sign-on bonus or any performance-based bonuses?
• How often are salaries reviewed for potential raises?
• If the salary is lower than you’d like, are you willing and able to negotiate for more?
In addition to base salary, also look at the entire compensation package including any commissions, profit-sharing, stock options or other monetary incentives. These additional sources of income can make a big impact over time.
Benefits
A strong benefits package can be just as valuable as a high salary. After all, benefits keep you healthy, secure, and supported in your personal life.
You want to look at:
Health Insurance
• What type of health insurance plans are offered (HMO, PPO, HDHP, etc.) and how much do they cost per paycheck?
• How much is the annual deductible and out-of-pocket maximum?
• Which providers are in-network?
• Is dental and vision insurance also included?
Retirement Plans
• Does the company offer a 401(k) plan and if so, do they match employee contributions up to a certain percentage? (The most common 401(k) match is 50 cents on the dollar up to 6% of your salary.)
• Is there also a pension plan?
Time Off
• How many paid vacation days, sick days, and personal days are provided per year?
• What is the policy for rolling over unused vacation days?
• Is there a paid parental leave policy for new parents?
• Are employees given time off for volunteering or participating in professional development?
Other Perks
• Take note of additional benefits like flexible work schedules, work-from-home options, gym memberships, free snacks, employee discounts, tuition assistance, etc.
While some benefits may not seem as flashy as a big paycheck, they provide significant value and shouldn’t be overlooked.
For example, a lower salary may be more attractive if it comes with comprehensive insurance that will save you money on healthcare expenses in the long run.
Career Growth Opportunities
When considering a job offer, think beyond just the position you’re being hired for. Ideally, you want a role that will help you advance your overall career.
Reflect on:
• Does the position teach you new, valuable skills that you can add to your resume?
• Is there a clear path for advancement within the company?
• Are there opportunities for leadership roles or managing projects/people?
• Does the company invest in professional development through training, conferences, mentorship, tuition reimbursement, etc.?
You don’t want to get stuck in a dead-end job, so make sure there is room for you to learn and grow.
Even if you don’t see yourself at the company long-term, it should at least be a stepping stone that opens up doors for your future.
Work-Life Balance
Finding harmony between your career and personal life is essential for your overall well-being and job satisfaction.
When reviewing a job offer, ask yourself:
• What are the typical work hours and is overtime expected?
• Is the time-off policy generous enough to let you recharge as needed?
• Does the company allow flexible work arrangements or remote work if that’s important to you?
• Is the company culture more focused on facetime/hours worked or results achieved?
If you have children or plan to start a family, you’ll also want to look at the parental leave policy and whether the health insurance plan has good prenatal/postnatal coverage.
Company Culture & Values
We spend so much of our lives at work, so a company’s culture and values must align with your own. To get a sense of what it would be like to work there:
• Research the company: Check out their website, social media, and articles/interviews with company leaders. What is their mission and do they seem to be living up to it?
• Talk to current & past employees: See if you can connect with people who work there through mutual connections or LinkedIn. Ask what they like about the company and what challenges they face. If you know anyone who left the company, find out why.
• Pay attention during the interview process: How did you feel interacting with your potential manager and would-be colleagues? Did they seem passionate about their work, or tired and disengaged? Was the office environment energizing or depressing?
• Consider your gut feeling: When you imagine accepting this job and going to work at this company each day, do you feel excited or filled with dread? Listen to your intuition.
Commute
Your commute to and from the office each day can have a big impact on your quality of life. Research has found that adding 20 minutes to your commute has the same negative effect on job satisfaction as receiving a 19% pay cut!
Before accepting a job, map out your route and consider:
• How long will it take to get to work?
• Will you drive or take public transportation?
• How much will gas/parking or train/bus fare cost?
• Is the commute relatively easy or will you be battling heavy traffic daily?
While you may be willing to take on a longer commute for your dream job, be realistic about the time and energy it will take. If you’re already dreading the daily trek to the office, it will quickly take a toll.
Job Responsibilities
Of course, a central factor in any job offer is the actual work you’ll be doing day-to-day. The job description likely spelled out the key responsibilities, but you’ll want to dig deeper to understand:
• What specific projects or initiatives will you be working on?
• What teams/departments will you collaborate with?
• What does success look like in this role and how will your performance be measured?
• What challenges or pain points will you be trying to solve for the company?
Ideally, the majority of the work should align with your skills, interests, and what you find fulfilling.
We all have to do some less-than-thrilling tasks as part of a job, but if you’re feeling lukewarm about the core functions of the role, it may not be the best fit.
Alignment with Career Goals
Take a step back and consider how this particular job fits into your larger career aspirations. While we can’t always predict exactly where a job may lead us, it helps to have an idea of how it will move you closer to your professional goals.
Ask yourself:
• Does this job make use of your key strengths and abilities?
• Will it give you the chance to make a meaningful impact?
• Does it align with the industry and type of work you want to pursue long-term?
• Will it help you develop new skills or gain experience that will make you a stronger candidate for future roles?
You may not have your whole career mapped out, but reflecting on these bigger picture questions can help you gauge if a job is a good next step.
Potential Drawbacks
As you evaluate a job offer, it’s just as important to consider the potential downsides and deal breakers.
For example:
• Does the role require skills or experience you don’t have (and aren’t sure you can learn)?
• Will you have to work long hours or be on call, sacrificing work-life balance?
• Is the company culture overly competitive or lacking in collaboration?
• Are there high turnover rates that may signal underlying problems?
• Is the industry dying or being disrupted in a way that could eliminate this type of job in the future?
No job is perfect, so you’ll have to weigh the good with the bad. But if the cons of a job seem to outweigh the pros, think carefully about whether the role is right for you.
Comparing Multiple Offers
If you’re lucky enough to be juggling more than one job offer, congratulations! Having multiple offers is a great position to be in, but it can also make your decision more complicated.
Start by making a side-by-side comparison of the key elements of each offer:
• Salary/compensation
• Benefits
• Opportunities for growth
• Work-life balance
• Company culture/values
• Commute
• Job responsibilities/impact
• Alignment with career goals
From here, you can see how the offers stack up against each other and get a clearer picture of the trade-offs. For example, one job may have a higher salary but fewer learning opportunities, while another may be more aligned with your interests but require a longer commute.
If you find yourself torn between the choices, think back to your most important priorities in a job. Is salary your top concern or do you care more about doing meaningful work? Are great health benefits a must-have or are you willing to pay a bit more to have extra vacation time?
Rank your priorities and see which offer best matches them. Let’s say you’re deciding between Job A which has a 10% higher salary and Job B which would allow you to work from home 2 days per week. If a more flexible schedule is higher on your list than pay, then Job B is probably the better choice for you.
You can also try negotiating with your top-choice employer to see if you can get the best of both offers. For instance, if you prefer Job A’s mission but Job B provides more PTO, you can share this with Job A and ask if they can increase their vacation package to make the offer more competitive.
The key is to think holistically about how each job offer fits into your overall career and life goals. By weighing all the factors, you’ll be able to choose the path that’s right for you.
Making a Decision
After carefully considering each aspect of the job offer(s) in front of you, it’s time to make a decision. If you’re feeling stuck, come back to your gut instinct.
Close your eyes and visualize accepting and starting each job. Which scenario fills you with more excitement and energy? Which manager and team can you see yourself thriving with? Which company’s mission most inspires you to want to give your best effort?
Choosing the better job offer isn’t an exact science, but it is a choice that will impact your day-to-day life and long-term career.
By taking the time to evaluate the opportunity from all angles, you can feel more confident that you’re making a well-reasoned decision for your future. And if for some reason it ends up not being the right fit, chalk it up as a learning experience that will inform your next career move.
Quiz: Should You Take the Job?
Now that you know the key factors to consider in a job offer, let’s see how they apply to your situation. For each question below, choose the answer that best describes the job you’re evaluating.
1. Does the salary meet your expectations and allow you to cover your living costs?
A) Yes, it’s within my desired range.
B) It’s a bit lower than I’d like, but the benefits/perks help make up for it.
C) No, it’s not enough to support my financial needs.
2. Does the benefits package provide health insurance, time off, and other perks that are important to you?
A) Yes, it’s comprehensive and generous.
B) It covers the basics, but isn’t as robust as I’d hoped.
C) No, it’s very minimal or key benefits are missing.
3. Does the role provide opportunities to learn, advance your skills, and grow your career?
A) Yes, there’s a clear path for growth and development.
B) There are some opportunities, but career advancement seems limited.
C) No, it appears to be a dead-end job.
4. Does the company culture and work-life balance seem to fit your needs?
A) Yes, the environment and policies align well with my values/priorities.
B) It’s not perfect, but I could make it work.
C) No, there are some major red flags around culture or lifestyle fit.
5. Is the commute doable and something you could sustain long-term?
A) Yes, it’s a reasonable distance/time and I’m comfortable with the transportation method.
B) It will add some extra time to my day, but it’s manageable.
C) No, it’s a deal-breaker of a trek that will negatively impact my quality of life.
6. Are the majority of the job responsibilities things you want to be doing and that match your skills?
A) Yes, I’m excited to take them on and confident I can succeed in the role.
B) There are some tasks I’m unsure or less enthusiastic about, but I’m willing to do them.
C) No, too many of the duties don’t align with my abilities or interests.
7. Does this job as a whole move you in the direction of your larger career goals?
A) Yes, it’s a logical next step that builds my experience and expertise in my desired field.
B) It’s somewhat related to my end goal, but may be a more indirect path.
C) No, it would be a complete detour from the direction I ultimately want to head in my career.
Scoring:
For each A, give yourself 2 points
For each B, give yourself 1 point
For each C, give yourself 0 points
12-14 points: This job is a great fit! The offer aligns with your priorities and goals. If everything feels right, accept that offer and get ready to dive into an exciting new chapter of your career.
8-11 points: This job has potential, but a few question marks. Review the factors you marked as B or C and consider if you’re comfortable with those trade-offs. It may also be worth negotiating with the employer to see if you can improve the parts of the offer that are lacking.
0-7 points: This job is likely not the right fit for you. Too many elements of the offer don’t align with your needs and could lead to dissatisfaction or burnout in the role. Even if it’s the only offer you have, think carefully about whether it’s worth compromising your well-being and career goals. It may be better to keep job searching until you find something more suitable.
Key Takeaways
As you evaluate job offers, remember:
• A high salary is great, but also look closely at the benefits package and additional perks/incentives.
• Consider how this job fits into your overall career path and if it will help you reach your professional goals.
• Company culture, work-life balance and commute all have a major impact on your day-to-day quality of life. Don’t discount these factors!
• Trust your gut instinct. If an offer feels wrong for you, it probably is.
• It’s okay to negotiate for a better offer if parts of the package aren’t quite meeting your needs.
• Accepting a job is a big life decision. By thoughtfully evaluating the opportunity, you’ll be better positioned for career success and satisfaction.
FAQ
Q: What if I can’t decide between two offers?
A: Make a side-by-side comparison of the key elements like salary, benefits, growth opportunities, work-life balance, etc. From there, rank how important each factor is to you. See which offer best matches your top priorities. If you’re still stuck, share your dilemma with a mentor or trusted friend who may offer a new perspective or help you talk through the decision.
Q: I don’t love every single thing about the job, but it has a lot of positives. Should I still take it?
A: No job is perfect! As long as the positives outweigh the negatives and the role as a whole aligns with your career goals, it may still be worth accepting. Think about whether your hesitations are true deal breakers or just minor preferences. If you’re on the fence, you can also try negotiating with the employer to see if they can sweeten the deal in your areas of concern.
Q: I know the job isn’t quite right for me, but I’ve been searching for a while and am worried I won’t get another offer. Should I just take it?
A: While it can be tempting to take any job when you’re in the midst of a tough search, be careful of settling for a role that’s a poor fit. If multiple core aspects of the job don’t align with your skills, interests and needs, it likely won’t be sustainable and you may find yourself back on the job market before long. It’s better to keep searching for a true match than to accept an offer out of desperation. That said, if you need the income in the short-term, you can take the job while still actively looking for a better fit.
Q: What if I realize after a few months that I made the wrong choice in taking this job?
A: Give yourself permission to make a change. You’re not obligated to stay in a job that isn’t working for you. Start by identifying what exactly isn’t clicking in the role. Is it the actual tasks, the management style, the culture? See if there are ways to improve the situation like taking on a new project or moving to a different team. If you’ve tried to make the best of it
