Accepting a Job Is Just As Hard As Finding A Job

Don’t Accept Jobs Right Away

Obtaining a job offer for an office environment is not easy to do. When that job offer does arrive, you immediately want to say “Yes!” Prior to exclaiming your excitement to accept the job, consider taking the following steps or confirm that they have happened.

Take time to have lunch or tea with your new manager. During this informal time, you will want to get to know their personal background. Topics to consider include: Are they working 24 X 7? Do they have any outside interests? What books are they reading? Pay attention to their treatment of the staff at the restaurant. Did they leave a gratuity? Were they kind? This is a social interaction to get to know your manager in an informal setting. If you develop any sense of concern during this time, these are issues to go back and reconfirm for upcoming expectations.

Armed with a new job offer, now gives you leverage with your existing company. Take the time to schedule a 1:1 with your manager and the manager above yours. In this meeting, ask each manager “What role would they see for you in the next 3–6 months?” and you can ask them “How you can obtain a particular role that you are interested in.” During this conversation, do not reveal that you have a new offer. Obtain all the information that you want to know about upcoming activities and plans for you, your area and the company.

If you are completely miserable at your company due to the role you have, the industry and the people you work with, then quit as soon as possible and take the offer. While the new situation could be worse, in many cases you will learn a valuable lesson on what to look for when you select a job

Once you have the information about your career prospects, the company future and the comfort level that you and your new manager will have a synergy, you can make the final decision on whether to accept the new job or not.

This job accepting advice comes from years of experience in deciding whether to leave a job or not. For myself, here are the following situations that occurred that helped me to share this advice.

1. I was in a role that I was completely miserable in. I did not like the tasks, I saw no future and the company had no money. Some days I had to sit on paychecks before I mailed them. The people were really nice and given that it was my first job out of college, I was thankful for the opportunity. In the end, I found a temporary job just to stop being miserable to other around me.
2. I was working at large financial services company specializing in mutual funds. This company was a “Start-up” in nature (Yes, mutual fund companies start just like every other company). The firm was super busy and growing well. While I enjoyed my role, I did not see a path forward or any growth, so I obtained a new job, said “Yes” to the hiring manager on the phone and went back to the office and “Quit”. The next week of my life was a complete debacle. Upon hearing of my resignation, the Senior Vice-President called me into his office and asked “What was I doing?” I explained that I had a new role that I did not see at the financial services firm. The Senior Vice-President went on to explain their upcoming growth and hiring plans. He outlined that the role I wanted would be available in three months. He asked why I had not come to him sooner before embarking on the job search. My only response was my “youth” and in-experience. I ended up staying and it was a wonderful experience.

3. One day I was offered a job “on the spot” at the interview. I accepted that position. A day later the woman called me and said I would need to work a holiday weekend to have a deliverable finished on Monday. This is what taught me the value of meeting people informally for lunch to get to know them and their expectations. I have certainly worked my fair share of holiday weekends, I did not expect that to be my “orientation” to the organization.

Employers and Employees spend a lot of time to find the right match to join the “club” of a company. Before you accept, make sure it is right for you. A “Good” company will put in a lot of time to get you oriented to be successful and if you are going to leave months later because you don’t like your manager or your old company created the role you wanted, then you are doing a disservice to the new company.