How to Evaluate a Job Offer?

When you decide to look for a job change it clearly means you don't like something at your current place of work!

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You should carefully analyze and note down the factors that drove you to to look for a change in the first place. These factors are very useful for evaluating a job offer.

After applying to hundreds of organizations and after interviewing with a few that decide to call you and consider you beyond the resume screening stage and if all goes well till the very end, you end up with that fantastic e-mail in your inbox.

"Congratulations! we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected; please find attached the salary details. Please note that this offer will be deemed cancelled within 1 day if you do not accept the offer in writing/email."

Suppose you are currently in a company C and you get an offer from another company O.

What do you do next? How do you evaluate the job offer?

The best way to evaluate whether to bite the bullet and go ahead with the change is to do a "Stay versus Quit" analysis for C and "Accept versus Reject" analysis for O.

Company C - Reasons to Stay

Even though you want to leave, every company has something good about it!

Examples include:
  • Tax-friendly salary structure
  • Get to stay with family
  • Work pressure is manageable
  • Company is stable
  • Office is close to home and driving time/distance is bearable
Company C - Reasons to Quit

These are the reasons that got you started on this journey to move out!

Examples include:
  • Decent hike over your current salary - consider both In-Hand Salary and Net Cash-flow (never go by the CTC Salary!)
  • Sick reporting structure
  • Problem people with big egos
  • Issues related to disparities in experience versus role versus grade versus responsibilities
  • Forced to report into someone who is highly toxic and totally incompetent
  • Lack of motivation to do work  beyond the bare minimum due to above
  • Coterie culture formed by the top man
  • Group of stooges around the top man
  • Glass ceiling created by the coterie and stooges
  • Top man and senior folks don't inspire confidence in company's future
Company O - Reasons to Accept

You went through the hiring process and invested your energy because you would have certainly liked several aspects of the prospective organization!

Examples include:
  • Better designation and job title
  • Escape sick reporting structure
  • Escape all reasons mentioned above in Company C - Reasons to Quit
  • Get to work in an interesting area
  • Chance to get into a different though related line of work
Company O - Reasons to Reject

As you went through the hiring process you may have made certain observations and in addition got to know several aspects from your sources that appear concerning!

Examples include:
  • Excessive work pressure
  • Office politics and cultural issues
  • Work nature may be very different from what has been promised
  • HR policies not in line with accepted norms in the industry (too less leaves, no work from home)
  • Reporting structure different from the impression that is created around it
  • Net salary not significantly higher though increase in CTC shown in the offer may appear that way
  • People in top management do not seem too professional
  • No laptop even at senior levels
  • May need moving away from family
  • Exit option not clearly visible
The last point is worth highlighting.

You should always be completely aware of "What Most Companies End Up Lying About When Hiring Someone?".

Even before you join a company you should have a clear thought out exit plan firmly in place!

The reason is when you join Company O it immediately becomes Company C and even though you decided to join, just like every company has something good about it, every company also has something bad about it!

As the curtains come apart, the play starts and the various scenes unfold in the new organization, you may soon realize that you need to look for an offer from another company O!

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