Alan Stutts | BLOG | Education Author

An analysis of an offer requires you to look at several facets of both the offer and the company who is making it. You can make your decision objective if you apply the same type of analysis to every job offer you get. One of the tools that can help you do this is a checklist that lets you rate each item on the list based upon how well it meets your expectations.

The criteria list below comes from the career office at Colorado College (Colorado):

         Will I enjoy working with my future co-workers and supervisors?

         Will I have a good opportunity to express myself on the job?

         Is the working environment satisfactory?

         Will I be fully using my primary skills?

         Is there sufficient diversity and challenge?

         Will I be able to get the kind of feedback I require to actually see the results of my efforts?

         Is there an opportunity to learn and expand?

         Is the commute to and from work within satisfactory limits?

         Are there open avenues of communication?

         Will I be able to dress comfortably?

         Will I be able to get value from my work to the extent that I make a contribution?

         Am I motivated and satisfied with the ultimate purpose of the organization?

         In terms of work pleasure, is this opportunity close to any of my “dream jobs?”

         Do I really want to do this kind of work?

         Is the salary and benefit package satisfactory?

Most job offers to management personnel are made in writing. A verbal or written jobs offer ought to tell you these things:

        Title

        Base salary

        Supervisor

        Benefits

If any of these are missing, ask for the information. If the offer is verbal, write down what you heard and give the interviewer the note and ask them to verify it. Also ask them when you will receive a written confirmation of this offer.

Do not discuss the terms of the offer until at least 24 hours after you receive it.

The letter in your hand is on the letterhead for Really Big Company. You interviewed with them last week and talked on the phone with several potential co-workers the next day. You take a deep breath and close your eyes for a second. Your hands are trembling, but you open the envelope and unfold the enclosed piece of paper.

Dear Ms. Applicant;

Really Big Company is excited to offer you …

You don’t finish reading because you know all you want to know. You got the job!

After all the “thanks, we’ll keep your resume on file” letters, receiving a job offer – any job offer – is a cause for celebration. Before you pick up the phone and accept, however, you need to sit down and do a serious analysis of the offer.

       Is this a company that can offer me what I want?

       Will I be learning new things all of the time or doing highly specialized, routinized work?

       Do I like the atmosphere I experienced when I went in for interviews?

       Do I like the people I will be working with?

       Do I like this job enough to relocate?

       Can I live on this salary?

A job offer is just that, an offer. You can accept it or reject it. Making the decision needs to be based on both objective analysis and “gut feeling.”