Christopher Massie
Getting an Offer Isn’t the Only Goal
When you’re job searching, it’s easy to become focused on one thing: getting the offer.
But getting a job and getting the right job aren’t always the same thing.
A position can look great on paper. The salary might be attractive, the title might be exactly what you were hoping for and the company might come across as everything you could hope in a job.
That still doesn’t mean it’s going to be the right opportunity for you. Before saying yes, take some time to think about what you actually need from your next role, where you’re willing to compromise and where you’re not.
Know Your Priorities
It’s easy to assess an opportunity when you already know what’s important to you. Before you get too far into your job search, think about things like:
- Compensation and benefits: What salary do you need? How important are health benefits, vacation time or other perks?
- Schedule and flexibility: Are you looking for remote, hybrid or in-office work? Are there certain hours or days that won’t work for you?
- Location and commute: Can you realistically get to the workplace every day? If you’re taking transit, what does that commute actually look like?
- Responsibilities: Do you want to spend your days doing the work described in the posting?
- Learning and growth: Will you have opportunities to develop new skills, take on more responsibility or move forward in your career?
Then separate those priorities into must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Maybe you’d prefer to work from home three days a week, but you’d accept two.That’s a nice-to-have with some flexibility. On the other hand, if you rely on public transit, a workplace that’s impossible to reach without a vehicle could be a genuine dealbreaker.
Very few jobs will check every box. It’s important to know which boxes are critical to you before you’re faced with an offer and feel pressured to make a quick decision.
Look Beyond the Job Title
Job titles can be misleading. An “Office Manager” at one company could have completely different responsibilities from an “Office Manager” somewhere else.
Use the interview to find out what the role actually looks like day to day. What would you spend most of your time doing? What would success look like after three or six months? Who would you work with most closely? Why is the company hiring for the position?
And while compensation absolutely matters, try not to evaluate the opportunity based on money alone. A higher salary can become much less appealing if it comes with a two-hour commute, a schedule that doesn’t work for your life or responsibilities you know you do not want to do.
Pay Attention During the Interview
An interview isn’t just the company’s opportunity to evaluate you. This is your chance to evaluate them too.
How are you treated when you arrive? Does the interviewer seem prepared? Can they clearly explain what the position does? How do employees interact with each other? Does the workplace feel organized or chaotic? Then ask questions.
You might want to know:
- What does a typical day in this position look like?
- How would you describe the manager’s leadership style?
- What does training and onboarding look like?
- What would you expect the successful candidate to accomplish in their first few months?
- How does the team typically work together?
- Why is the position available?
- How long have other members of the team been with the organization?
You’re not trying to interrogate the interviewer. You’re trying to picture yourself actually working there.
Watch for Green and Red Flags
Sometimes the most useful information you get during an interview isn’t part of the formal interview at all. Pay attention to what you notice.
Green flags might include clear and respectful communication, realistic expectations, transparency about the position, a thoughtful onboarding process and employees who seem comfortable and engaged.
You may also notice that the interviewer is honest about the challenges of the position rather than trying to convince you that everything is perfect. That’s often useful information.
Red flags can include responsibilities that keep changing depending on who you ask, poor communication throughout the hiring process, unrealistic expectations or answers that don’t quite line up.
Staff turnover can also be worth asking about. One person leaving doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong. But if the company struggles to explain why several people have left the same team or position in a short period of time, it’s reasonable to ask more questions.
A red flag doesn’t always mean you should immediately walk away. It means you should pay attention and dig a little deeper.
Choose Based on the Bigger Picture
No job is going to be perfect. There will probably be something you would like to change. The question is if the overall opportunity makes sense for you.
Before accepting, ask yourself:
Does this role give me what I need at this point in my career?
Will I gain experience, skills or relationships that move me toward where I want to go?
Can I realistically see myself working with this manager and team?
Am I comfortable with the compromises I’m making?
Is there anything I’m trying to convince myself isn’t a problem because I really want the offer to work out?
Don’t automatically reject an opportunity because one small thing isn’t perfect. But don’t talk yourself out of concerns that genuinely matter to you either.