Evaluating Job Offers

As you develop a network of colleagues, you may asked to provide advice to someone on job offers. In addition, I have been lucky to have job offers in the past (and hope in the future). The advice I give is to focus on seven key elements.

1. Content of the Position
-What are responsibilities and authority of the position, the day-to-day activities, the what is to be done and how is it to be done.
- imagine what you will be doing in a month, six months, two years
- you should be honest with yourself and look at the negative aspects of the position (and there are such aspects to every job)

2. Challenge of the position
- Does the position provide the opportunity to make a significant difference to the success of the unit or the organization as a whole, immediately, short term, long term?
- You have to be realistic and recognize whether there's too much challenge or whether the tensions and stress connected with the challenge may more than you want, particularly if the stress is likely to be sustained over a long period.

3. Work environment
- you need to assess the climate and environment of the position, department or organization.
- remember you will not be working in isolation and what happens around you is important and will have a major impact on how you will operate, whether you will be happy and whether you will succeed or fail.

4. Chemistry
- How well will you get along with your direct supervisor, peers, colleagues, subordinates.
- are your values aligned with the organization?

5. Concern for Results and People
- Your reputation and future, livelihood, and job satisfaction are at stake and thus, you should be concerned about whether you are investing yourself in the right company.
- Ideally, an organization that has an outstanding future and strives to be better no matter how good it is now. The best can get better!
- Does the organization go beyond profits, and concern for the people who work there?

6. Compensation
- Not this is at #6, but will be different for different people, especially at different stages of their career.

7. Location
- If there is relocation involved (which so many executives turn down positions that require relocation), assess the impact on family, change in lifestyle, climate, removing oneself from family and friends.
- Assess the community where you will be living


Maybe these seem obvious, but changing jobs or selecting a new one is an important decision.