Job Offer: Do Not Settle On The Wrong One

Sometimes job search takes time. It can be frustrating, stressful and flat out painful. At times, you would give up many things for that recruiter call, HR manager e-mail or some other communication that suggests you are on your way out of the abyss.

So what does it feel like to get a first offer during your search? Wow, it feels good. It validates your efforts to date and acts as a catalyst for future interviews. It provides negotiating strength both in terms of your confidence and in your ability to position yourself as a hot commodity. It also gives you an option if times are tight.

But let me ask you a few questions:

1. Are you the type of person who is a bit impulsive – someone who gets a bit jittery in stressful situations?

2. Is your spouse this way?

3. If you’ve been out of work for three months and have 4 weeks left on your severance, would you take an offer even if it didn’t match your objectives for pay, commute, title, etc?

I’ve heard a few stories about folks who got an offer at what felt like the right time. It wasn’t everything they hoped for but it solves the basic problem of being out of work, gets the “dollar faucet” running again and returns you to your permanent, confident self.

However,

Taking the wrong offer (too early, wrong title, poor base, etc) solves a short term issue but opens a longer term wound…

How do you know if you are settling? Well, you compare it to your targeted job and salary objectives. Don’t have them? Take the time to write them down so that you can be objective when it comes time to evaluate an offer.

So, don’t settle for something that is less than you deserve. You will only have to deal with it later. If it’s not the right job you may leave it within three months, ending up right back in the job search game. You will be e-mailing everyone to whom you sent your arrival note letting them know that you are needing their help once again. You will also be left to explain either a long gap in your resume or a lapse in judgment that led to your taking the wrong job.

If you get a great offer and have compared its merits to everything you identified on your wish list, jump on it. But do it for the right reasons.

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