Congratulations, you’ve
been offered a job. But what do you do next? The short answer is stop
and think. Don’t rush in and immediately say yes. A thank you and
then time to consider your options is important.
The questions below should help you to think through the career elements
you need to consider. Please
contact us
if you have any further questions or queries.
Answers
1. Making the Right Choice
Clearly any prospective employer is looking for the best candidate to
do the job. However once they have satisfied themselves that a candidate
has the necessary skills and experience, what differentiates one candidate
from another is the simple answer to the key question all prospective
employers will ask themselves:
"Which of these candidates would I rather work with? (Or which of
these candidates would fit in best?)"
In other words personality is paramount. How much they like you as a person,
how interesting they find you and how they think you will fit in with
the other members of the department are key. So be enthusiastic, show
a genuine interest in the company, come across as passionate, interesting
and energetic and you will put yourself ahead of most of the competition.
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2. Choosing the Right Offer
When assessing different offers, start by referring back to your long
term strategy and evaluate each option against it. An opportunity which
looks good might not be constructive to your overall career development,
whereas a rather unusual looking move could be an extremely good stepping
stone, even a short cut toward your long term goals. Once you have done
this, make a list of the pros and cons of each route.
If you have the luxury of choice, trust your intuition - which one feels
right? If you are more inspired by one role and company than another,
you are likely to function much better in that role and thus progress
your career faster than you might in a role which inspires you less.
If you are turning an offer down, do so graciously on the phone and in
writing. Take the time and trouble to explain your reasons when letting
down companies who have invested a lot of time and money in trying to
recruit you. Not only is it good manners, it will also leave doors open
later in your career, or even sooner if anything goes wrong with the offer
you initially accept.
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3. Negotiating the Contract
And Closing the Deal
If you are using a recruitment consultant, they should handle all negotiations.
Don’t negotiate directly with the employer unless you really are
confident in doing so as having an intermediary gives both parties much
greater flexibility. Consultants conduct negotiations regularly so their
expertise and knowledge can really make a difference.
Handle the process well - raise all of your points together rather than
going back and forth to avoid the appearance of bickering or moving
the goal posts. Ensure that you give your consultant all the necessary
information to negotiate effectively on your behalf.
Clearly, the way you handle the money issue is very important. Demand
too much and you might not get the job, or you might make things difficult
for yourself by over-inflating your new employer’s expectations
of you or even making yourself look too mercenary, thereby calling into
question your interest in and enthusiasm for the job itself. Being greedy
at this stage could work against you - how your salary improves is much
more important than where it starts.
Getting a written commitment to review your salary within certain time
scales not only achieves the same end if you have demonstrated just
how effective and valuable you are, it also outlines your confidence
that you will do so. Make sure you are not being unrealistic about your
salary expectations. That said, it is also important not to settle for
too little - the salary level you go in at is an important indication
as to how you are viewed and how well you are likely to do.
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4. Resignation
The process of resignation involves two things - writing a letter and
breaking the news. The letter is easy but breaking the news can be harder.
Having written the letter, you will need to give it to your boss and
explain your reasons for leaving. At this point your current employers
may try to persuade you to stay. This is referred to as a "buyback"
and is a common occurrence, so you need to be prepared for it.
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5. Being Bought Back
Faced with the possibility of losing an employee and the time, cost
and trouble of recruiting a replacement, many companies will try relentlessly
to persuade their employees not to move on. There are many ways they
can do this:
- Offering more money or additional benefits
- Promotion
- Change of reporting lines
- Offering to move you into a new role.
They might try any or all of these, but what is the reasoning behind
this? Your first reaction to a buyback attempt should be suspicious
- if a company has been undervaluing you or under-utilising you then
how good an employer are they? Also consider that they now know that
you are not committed to them for the long-term. A buyback is a panic
solution to a short term problem.
For these reasons, if there is something your company could do to keep
you from leaving, raise these issues with the appropriate people at
the company before you start looking for another job. Being aggressive
about your career progression demonstrates ambition but using a job
offer as leverage is likely to backfire.
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6. After Accepting the Offer
You really need to maintain the goodwill you have created and continue
to show your interest in the new company by staying in touch with your
new employer prior to starting. This will make a difference as to how
favourably you are received when you do start work.
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7. Starting Work?
The impression you make in the first few weeks will be very hard to
shake off and may influence how high and how fast you can climb within
your new company. One of the best ways to approach your new job is to
remember that before you can stand out, you have to fit in. It’s
very hard to recover from a bad start and you could easily tread on
people’s toes without realising it, so impress by being friendly,
professional and enjoyable to work with. Agree with your new boss your
objectives for the first three months and focus on achieving them -
delivery is everything.
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