8 Reasons You Shouldn’t Accept the Job Offer

So, you get a job offer… that’s brilliant! Congratulations.

Your hard work paid off.

But before you throw your hands in the air, CHEER and say “yes” straight away, take a moment to breathe and think to yourself…

Do you definitely want the job?

You see, too many people these days jump into jobs they’re not 100% sure about, usually because they’re a little bit desperate to escape their current situation.

Don’t be one of those people!

Here are 8 things you really need to consider, before accepting any job offer:

1. Will it fit your current lifestyle?

Before accepting any new job, you need to consider how it will affect your personal and family life.

So for example:

• If the company don’t allow people to take time off during school holidays then that could seriously affect your personal life, if you have kids.
• Or if they’re not willing to be flexible, should you need to take time off last minute for Doctor’s appointments etc.
• Unconventional working hours or on-call duties might interfere with your buzzing personal life.

Of course, you should also consider the company culture. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, you may quickly tire of a slow, unsociable office.

2. The salary is too low.

This one speaks for itself really.

Is the salary way too low for you to maintain your current lifestyle? Or do you think they’re offering a sub-par package?

Unless you can see almost immediate opportunities for progression and promotion, don’t undersell yourself!

Remember, employers will pay you as little as they think they can get away with. And if you think the offering is too low, this is the time to negotiate.

You might be desperate to leave your current workplace, but don’t make any snap decisions that you’ll regret.

3. There’s a lengthy commute.

Not enough people take time to consider the commute to a new workplace.

But this could seriously affect your lifestyle and happiness.

Do you want to have to get up really early to make it into work on time? And do you want to be getting home late at night?

And aside from the additional hours you’ll spend “working” every day, how much will the extra journey cost you in fuel or public transport costs?

Spend some time calculating the pros and cons of a lengthy commute, before committing to it. It will affect you more than you think.

4. Emotion is clouding your judgement.

Accepting a job offer out of desperation is never a good idea though — as your emotions could be clouding your judgement.

Is it really worth taking a 15% dive in salary just to get away from a manager that you despise? Think logically!

It’s far better to hold on for just a little bit longer to find your dream job, than to flit to and from jobs that aren’t quite right for you!

5. You’re not experienced enough.

You might be able to convince an interview panel that you’re qualified but do you in your heart of hearts think you actually are?

Do you really want to show up at work, unable to actually get anything done?

Taking a job that you know you cannot do will only end up in professional embarrassment for you down the road. And you’ll soon find yourself looking for a new job again.

6. The job role has changed.

It isn’t unusual for the original description of a position to change.

This could be a communication issue between HR and hiring manager, or could simply be due to changes in demands.

Whatever the reason, you need to make sure that you are happy with the new terms of your position.

If the position you are accepting is now described as having a different salary or a different set of responsibilities, consider whether you are still happy to accept it.

7. There are no opportunities for growth.

You probably don’t want to be stuck in a job where there is no room for progression or development.

So before accepting a new job, you should consider where you are right now and where you want to be. And whether the company can help you to get there.

If not, you should seriously consider whether it’s really what you need in your life right now.

8. They have a bad reputation.

Before accepting the role, be sure to check out Glassdoor.

This is a great website which allows current and former employees to rate and review their experience working for a company.

You should definitely heed the warnings of former and current employees, but also try to take things with a pinch of salt — many people don’t like their jobs, even if the company they work for is good!

If all of the reviews are bad, that’s definitely a bad sign.

Summary

I hope you’ve found these tips useful.

It really is important to consider all factors when you’re deciding whether to accept a position or not.

Because life’s too short to hate your job!

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Need More Help With Interviews?

We know, preparing for interviews can be an absolute mind-boggle.

So if you need some (free) help prepping, check out this resource:

The Ultimate Interview Research Checklist.

It’s short, sweet and great for structuring your preparation.

Because if you fail to prepare… you’re preparing to fail.

Good luck.