I’m undecided between job offers. What to consider?
The emergence of a new work proposal can take place in several ways, either because we were looking for a new job, or because we came up with an unexpected proposal from someone with an interest in our profile, or from someone we know…
We may even have to decide between more than two new proposals…
When we think about changing jobs, there can be many doubts, many fears… the truth is that any change in our lives causes us a lot of insecurity and a lot of uncertainty, but when it comes to our professional life, on which, in a way we depend financially, it is difficult to take a rational attitude and consider all relevant aspects, especially when we are given a limited time to do so.
In this sense, I will therefore present to you the main aspects to be taken into account. These aspects are ordered from the most important to the least important (in my opinion of course):
Job/Function: Can I grow as a person? Will it allows me to grow up as a professional? Will it allows me to learn new things? Am I going to do what I like? (It’s important to be transparent with the interviewer during the interviews in order to understand what role you will actually perform, to expose what you like to do, what you don’t appreciate…). You need to ask: “Will I acquire new skills? Will I work with internal software/tools (less value for the labor market) or universal tools? Can I go a long time without a project? Why is this offer available to me (replace someone, new projects…)?
Personal and Professional Investment: What training does the company offer us? (Ex: certifications, access to platforms such as Udemy, training and learning tools or softwares…). Will I be able to develop soft skills that I consider important? Ex: to make demonstrations / presentations, have responsibility and autonomy, participate in the organization of events, public speaking …
Career Progression: I’s important to understand what level of role I will perform and how that same role can progress over the years. In the case, for instance, of a Junior Business Analyst, understand the following levels within the Business Analyst function (e.g. Senior Business Analyst), understand whether you can progress to another role (e.g. Team Leader, Product Owner, Product Manager…).
Associated with this topic is also the evaluation/feedback regime and it’s extremely important to understand how career progression and salary progression are carried out. There are goals/objectives to be met? What kind of goals? Years of experience? Will I get feedback? Whose? How regularly?
Note: If the company can’t give you information about the career progression plan it may mean that it doesn’t exist and you won’t have a career progression plan outlined.
Work Environment: The work environment is mainly related to the people you work with. I believe that is possible, through the interviews, to understand what type of people are you going to work with. Usually the final interview of a recruitment process is with people from the team where you will work or with the people to whom you will report… You need to ask some questions: “what kind of people am I going to work with?”, “ Will it be people who will accompany me and support me?”, “Are they people who care about our interests/characteristics or only our professional skills?”, “ Are they people who have asked pertinent questions?”.
Salary/Salary Progression and other perks: It may be relevant to ask the following questions: Will I receive less, the same or more? Will I have an annual prize? What about health insurance? How much is the food allowance? Will I have allowances? What other benefits do I have? It’s also important to understand if salary reviews are made every year (and based on what?). It may be possible for more than six years without a pay raise… Try to understand if there is wage transparency, or if the values are met with the function and level to have as few surprises as possible.
Note: In my opinion and especially in early career, it doesn’t make much sense to change jobs to receive a lower salary. However, each case is a case. If I’ve reviewed all the previous points and found that the new offer has more positives than negatives, it might be an option…
Flexibility: Will I have a flexible schedule? Can I do six hours on a given day and then make up for it? I’m going to work an average of eight hours a day? Do I have to work on weekends/holidays? Note: in a few years this topic may be at the top…
Type of Contract: What type of contract will I have? (Compare to what you have now). E.g. fixed-term contract, internship contract, fixed-term contract, fixed-term contract…
Holidays: Will I have the flexibility to take a vacation or does the company close at a certain time? How many days of vacation do I have the right to?
Location/office conditions: In case of face-to-face work or 50% in person, how is the access to the office? How far away is my house? Is it a parking area or do I have to pay for a parking lot? Is it a nice office? Do you have a canteen or do I have to eat out every day? What other conditions does the office provide to the worker (e.g. terraces, coffee room, games room…)?
Travelling: Will I have to travel? How often? Which countries/continents? For how long?
Remote Work: With the context of the pandemic, the theme of remote work is increasingly discussed by those who are favor, by those who are “50–50” and by those who are against… The questions to be asked will be: can I always work from home? Is there a mixed regime in the company (and am I the one who chooses the days or is the company)? Do you always have to be in person?
Finally, after weighing all the pros and cons, I advise you to consult the company in question in the glassdoor through the following link: https://www.glassdoor.com. Glassdoor is an American website where workers or former workers evaluate companies anonymously and, therefore, it is possible to have access to company information that is not as transparent during the contractual process.