On Careers

5 Things to Do When You Get a Job Offer

July 19, 2010 RSS Feed Print

Comment (6)
Tweet

Alison Green

You wrote a great cover letter, you wowed them in the interview, and now you have a job offer—congratulations! But, in your excitement about getting an offer, take care you don't say yes until you've done the following five things:

[See 21 things hiring managers wish you knew.]

1. Ask for the offer in writing. Always, always, always get every detail of a job offer in writing, if you want those details to be respected. Otherwise, you have little recourse if you start the job and notice that the insurance premium that they told you would be covered actually isn't, or that the relocation stipend they mentioned suddenly shrinks. (Even just an E-mail outlining what's been agreed to is fine. Or you can send your own summary, asking them to write back with confirmation. Just get it in writing on both sides.)

2. Ask any outstanding questions you have in your head. If you don't feel like you have a good understanding of the manager, the culture, or the expectations of the job, now is the time to ask. You don't want to learn two weeks into the job that the manager believes fear is the way to motivate people, or that the office culture is very formal, when you like cultures that are more casual.

[See 5 things to consider before you quit your job.]

3. Negotiate. Unless you've already talked about salary earlier on and indicated you'd be happy with what what's now being offered, it's always worth it to try to negotiate for a bit more money at this stage. I've hired many people who never even tried to negotiate salary, when I had it in my budget to give to them if only they'd asked for it.

4. Ask for time to think it over if you're not 100 percent sure. Any reasonable company will give you a few days or a week to think it over. And if they balk at even a few days, that's a huge red flag.

[See 5 ways job seekers sabotage themselves.]

5. Listen to your gut. Unless your gut often steers you wrong, you should listen if it's setting off alarm bells. If something doesn't feel right, or you experience inexplicable dread when you imagine yourself in the job, pay attention. Your subconscious is probably picking up on danger signs.

Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management issues. She's also the author of Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader's Guide to Getting Results and former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization, where she oversaw day-to-day staff management, hiring, firing, and employee development. She now teaches other managers how to manage for results.

Tags:: careers

« Previous Post Next Post »

Reader Comments Read all comments (6)

Add Your Thoughts Comment Name State Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

nh

tim of CA 2:09PM October 12, 2011

i realy love your points, cause sometimes after the inteview,and the interviewer,asked do you have any question on this job offer you would like to discuss,you would say oh yes ,we understand,but deep down sometimes we dont and then we begin the job we realized it was not a good job offer,so it is so trure we must be negoiable in expecially with the salary cause is what we settle for with the employer that what we are going to get,so asking for a written conformation is important at frist.

pat gibbs of CA 2:12PM August 06, 2010

I really needed to accept the job I was offered when I applied, because the brand name was good, and I thought it would be a good resume builder (as opposed to working for a smaller fry place less able to weather the shaky post-recession climb out of the depths of chaos that followed the 2008 crash).
I assumed that the serious air conditioning/indoor air quality issues were going to be fixed, even though I noticed serious problems at TWO different workplace locations during the same summer. Now, almost a full year later, I still can barely breath due to the stale, stuffy indoor air quality (I think part of the air circulation/AC unit is in serious need of repair, because it only works on the top floors really well, where the executive offices are, no doubt). Nope! Still awful.
I have insurance bennies, but can elect COBRA continuation for a few months if I (knock on wood) find something with similar pay and bennies, but where you can actually BREATH already.
Please, check into the indoor quality of the workplace location. I know people without a job are more anxious to get working, but for those who are looking to switch work environments, you have to find out before-hand if it's something you think you can live with long term.
By the next summer, I'm really thinking the company doesn't care; they've not been able (or willing?) to fix the problem, and of course, everyone's afraid to file a formal OSHA complaint for fear of retaliation.
It's awful. Elderly clients complain regularly, and I seriously wonder what's going to happen during an upcoming event where it will be hot, muggy, and very crowded. I wish I could help out in advance and just be the one who dares to file a complaint, but it's probably more wise to just find a different work environment and elect COBRA continuation to keep my bennies (insurance) in the interim.
Employers, if you don't care about the safety of your people (heat stroke and asthma do occur during heatwaves) in terms of indoor air quality, they will jump ship as soon as they find something similar or better in pay, but much more suitable in terms of health and safety.
Who allows elderly people to come into a place of business and deal with a half-broken AC unit and stale stuffy indoor air during a 90 degree heatwave???!! Unbelievable.
Job seekers, SPEND TIME AT THE SITE IF YOU CAN. Ask questions. Will the problem be fixed? Soon? Ever? Get a definitive answer prior to switching jobs and ending up unable to breath well.

Had Enough, On Turbo Job Hunt of IL 12:33AM July 23, 2010