4 Considerations Prior to Accepting a Job

1. What Are Their Expectations for You? Are They Realistic?

As a job seeker, the last thing that you want to do is take a position in which you are destined to not live up to expectations. Some managers and companies simply do not have realistic expectations for the output of their employees and it is your job to gauge whether or not you can meet their expectations. Failure to do so can quickly make employment at the company less than desirable.

2. Do You Want to Work at a Larger or Smaller Firm?

There are benefits and drawbacks to working at big companies as opposed to smaller, start-up organizations. Preference varies per person, but here are some quick points to consider:

• Larger firms usually have more stability as a company.

• Larger companies typically give better benefits.

• Larger companies will not allow the job seeker to wear as many hats and, in most cases, learn as much as smaller companies.

• Larger companies tend to be more bureaucratic than smaller firms and getting promotions within these firms can prove more difficult. Of course, bureaucracies are not exclusive to larger companies.

3. Perceived Longevity.

Bouncing from job to job will lower anybody's value on the market. Therefore, if you think that the company does not have longevity as a firm, stay away regardless of the compensation they offer. The high pay will quickly fade and lead to much lower future pay packages.

4. What Do You Think of Management?

As a job seeker, you should believe in the leadership ability of the managerial team who will be leading you. If you are not growing at a company, it is simply not worth your time and employment at the firm will soon become mundane, thus making you unhappy and unproductive.

You have to get along with your manager from the first interview and have some facets in common or you risk getting fired - a proposition which not only bodes poorly on a resume, but can hurt psychologically.