Maybe they already know the offered compensation package, maybe knowing their basic salary is going to be bigger than what they received previously was enough.
But money isn’t the only item you’re agreeing to when you accept a job offer.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
17 Important Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Job Offer
Maybe they already know the offered compensation package, maybe knowing their basic salary is going to be bigger than what they received previously was enough.
But money isn’t the only item you’re agreeing to when you accept a job offer.
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I think if I learned something new this summer working my internship it was for sure what questions to ask the company before starting. The first interview I had was very informative about the company and the work they produce so I accepted all of it. After working on a show that I thought was going to be something else, I realized how important it is to ask detailed questions. This article is appropriate to any job, but I would like a theater perspective on questions to ask. I really like the question of 'What are the goals of this job?' If the employer does not have a clear idea of what they want out an employee in the position that would be worrisome, so it should be a clear answer, that will reveal a lot of information. Of course where I am in my professional career it is important to not be too picky, but I think the right questions will come with time and more experience with different employers.
While some of these questions are fairly simple like start dates and salary amounts and the people you will work with, there are some really good questions here. Having never had a salaried job, I didn’t know that benefits don't have to start right away, that there might be a period during training that they don't give you everything. What really made me frustrated is how in the UK you get 28 days of vacation a year when in the US if you get like 5 that’s good and 10 is impressive. The work culture of our country is absolutely ridiculous. Burnout is encouraged with no one complaining. Working really hard for short times is fine, but if you never get days off it’s not healthy physically or mentally. All these questions are really important to ask before accepting a job offer because if the answers sound grim you probably aren’t going to be happy there no matter how cool the work.
This is a great article as it calls attention to certain questions you don’t normally ask when applying for summer stock jobs or short-term commitments, which have been all of my jobs so far. I never really expected having to ask about daily expectations, but when I think about it, it does make a lot of sense to know what could potentially be on the docket for your Monday thru Friday schedule. Another interesting question this article brings up is the availability and call times of non-office hours. Getting the scoop on expectations regarding email reply time on weekends and holidays would certainly be helpful, especially if your boss ends up being the type of person who never stops working and expects the same out of you. I was surprised by a few of these questions, namely the 401k and other benefits related questions as most of those would be outlined in a contract or pre-agreement, or so I hope.
As I get closer and closer to graduating from CMU the fact that I’ll have to get a job after I graduate looms every bigger. I’ve never held a full time job since I came right from undergrad, but I find this article to be a great road map when I am deciding where I’ll go after graduation. The question and explanation I found to be the most helpful from the bunch was one directed at human resources: “How Long Do Employees in My Role Last?
If your predecessor left to chase after a dream job, that’s great. But if they had to hire for the same position every year for the past five years, that’s a red flag. A bad boss, demanding schedule, lack of growth, and company politics could be the cause of the turnover.” Most jobs seems as though they try to hide the fact that certain positions aren’t always as good as they appear on the job posting.
As I worked for four years before I came back to school, I feel slightly more comfortable about going back into the work force, but this these questions are good ones, and perhaps ones that would have helped me the first time round. I was so grateful to have gotten my full time job in theatre, I was going to pretty much accept anything handed to me. After a year in the work force I realized I should have tried to negotiate, and think that concept should really be advocated to others. Number 13 What’s the Onboarding Process Like is very important to consider as is number 15 What Will My Schedule Be. If I had known that my job was going to call for 90/100 hour weeks at some points, I would have pushed for higher pay or more PTO days. I also think it is important to talk to your peers about what you are making and what tips or tools they have used. We as a society are often so awkward about money, but without having a point of reference, how do you really know if you are being lowballed.
Having freelanced as a stage manager before coming back to school, these were not the kind of questions I had luxury to ask before accepting any job offer. I had to take any job that was available to keep myself working and get my name out. I expect the situation will not change much after graduation. I may have more chances as I get by in the future, but when you walk into the job searching pool for the first time, you are bound to land the jobs that people rejected for certain reasons--the director may be known difficult to work with, the commute may be horrible because of the isolated location, or the pay may not reflect the hours you need to work. Even if you are not accepting a full-time positions, these are great questions to be aware of and ask around to coworkers before starting work. Being in the know is better than walking in without any information. But also, it would be better to keep in mind that you may not be in the position to ask these questions for a while until you have people to ask around and know the norms in the business.
This article was definitely intended for people looking for full time positions, but it was still incredibly useful. The main takeaway, which I already knew but is still the most important thing, is ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS get everything in writing. Verbal agreements are never enough and they can be disputed. It does not matter if it is a full time job, a freelance contract, or an internship - get it in writing. Also I found the part about your non-negotiables important. Personally I would add don’t sacrifice your goals, but occasionally that is not financially possible. The second main takeaway I got was make sure you know what you are walking into, which I think is incredibly important. You never want to be put into a situation where you signed up for something that could cause negative effects on yourself and your family. Once you reach higher positions, this is why people hire lawyers. You do not want to be taken advantage of, regardless of what kind of position you are applying for.
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