Landing the Job and keeping it
This step assumes you've made it through the interview phase and it's time to accept a job. In order to find success at your new job, it's important to fully understand the job offer made to you, be comfortable negotiating if necessary, and to live up to the promises you made during the interview process.
Understanding a Job Offer
Your hard work has paid off and you’ve received an offer for a job. Now what?
Your first impulse might be to make an immediate response that yes you’d really like the job. However, by failing to take the time to evaluate the offer, you cheat yourself out of an opportunity to match yourself to the perfect position.
Before saying yes, consider the following things:
- Compensation. Are they offering you the salary, health benefits, retirement options, etc. that appropriately reflect your skill set and experience?
- Culture. What is the attitude of the company you’ll be working for? What are their values, beliefs and practices?
- Coworkers. Who will you be working with? You’ll be spending a lot of time with these people so it’s an important (and often forgotten) factor in the decision making process.
- Commute. Is the journey a distance you can manage? Consider factors like time, fuel costs and traffic.
- Challenge. Are there opportunities for professional development, skill building or growth?
Negotiating the Offer
Negotiating a job offer can be nerve wracking. But, like all components of a successful job search, a little homework and thought given to the process ahead of time will yield outstanding results.
To assist you in your negotiations, we’ve put together a quick list of dos and don’ts to get you started.
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Do research salary information for your field and for your location.
- Do consider how much experience you have to offer.
- Don’t talk about how much money you need.
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Do talk about the compensation package you deserve. Give concrete reasons why.
- Be flexible. Are there creative ways to negotiate an agreeable package?
The following articles are posted in the Learning Library and offer more in-depth help with the negotiation process:
Negotiating a Better Job Offer
Negotiating Your Pay
Success at Work
Congratulations. You’ve evaluated the offer, negotiated your compensation, and accepted the job. Don’t take it for granted. Here are some things to keep in mind as you get situated in your new job.
Make good on your promise.
You’ve been hired based on the skills you showcased on your resume and in your interview. Now it’s time to live up to the expectations at your new company.
To do that, you need to understand the following:
- What’s expected of you
- Your role on the team
- How your work contributes to the overall mission of your department and company
Show up—on time, ready to work.
Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest impressions. Show that you value your new position by arriving on time and ready to go.
Be helpful.
If a coworker seems stressed about a deadline and you are familiar with the project and can help, lend them a hand. Offering to assist the people in your department is a great way to manage new relationships, and it's an opportunity to show your new boss that you’re a team player.