How to Weigh the True Value of a Job Offer

Let's Talk About Values 

At the core of our busy lives, we carry values. Our values, much like other things that make us unique, vary in priority and how they are expressed in our lives. A job is something that is meant to help us live out our values, and enable us to actualize the best expression of our talents. At Advize, we're all about balance and making mindful moves–not taking action just because it's what should be done. The end goal is strategic, timely, and meaningful action. 

A high salary can seem appealing at first, but it can cause you to act fast and make decisions before really considering how the outcome manifests. Advize is here to help you slow down and strategically reflect so you can put your best foot forward while on the hunt for a great career. 

A Tale of Two Job Offers

Job offers occur at the beginning of a career, but they continue throughout your life as you grow and make life changes. At times, you'll feel caught in the middle of two really good offers, and knowing how to analyze, weigh a job offer's true value, then negotiate based on your personal values and interests is a very valuable skill, especially when it comes to managing a full lifestyle, and your need to change jobs arises. 

For instance,  if you value your relationship with your aging parents more than anything, and you get two job offers–let's say one with a high salary, but with onsite and weekend on-call requirements, and the possibility of working overtime hours, and the other: a hybrid position with a lower salary, but also, special benefits that include caretaker services to help support people with aging parents (grocery delivery, etc), would the higher salary help you live out your best values? Most likely not. You would be sacrificing time and the ability to care for the people you value spending time with the most. This choice most likely would not lead to the highest expression of your talents if you give up something that you dearly value. You don't have to give up something you dearly value to find a good job: you just have to find a balanced fit for your needs.

The Job offer: What to Look for Checklist

Instead of hyper-focusing on the salary when job hunting, as you scroll through jobs, make sure to consider the items listed below and how they relate to your values as well as their actual financial value (i.e. a job offer with a 100K salary and 401k first year match up to 4% has a true financial value of 104k): 

• 401k match terms

• Job contract type and length

• Insurance plans

• Onsite commitment requirements

• Bonuses

• Paid time off (PTO) rules

• Probation period

• Office location and commute length

• Parking expenses for onsite positions

• Hybrid or remote opportunities

• Building amenities

• Leadership demographics (Are there people like you in leadership? Can you see yourself growing towards a leadership role?)

• The company's mission statement

What to Say to A Recruiter In the First Round of Interviews

Meeting with your recruiter for the first time is a great time to make a solid impression. Check out the tips below to help showcase your best attributes as a prospective employee:

Don't

Do

Make up experience that you don't have, or weave a giant tale (they can tell). Talk about anything that is personal to your wants, yet. Give any verbal or attitudinal indication that the job is not important to you.

Talk sustainably about what you can offer. They will expect that you deliver what you say you can deliver. Use examples. Present how you're the best fit for the position before you ask about things they have to offer you. If the recruiters indicate interest in you, usually near the time of an offer, you can begin asking questions about what they can do for you.  Find genuine energy or ways to indicate that you really want the job. Whether it's enthusiasm when you speak, conducting thorough research about the company, asking questions, or genuinely admiring something about the company and stating why you'd be glad to work there will help recruiters understand that you are truly interested.

Here are some recruiter-approved questions to ask at the end of your first interview that show interest and help you gauge more about the opportunity:

• How is the team structured? Who would be my direct boss and what are they like?

• Why is this position open?

• What does a day in the life of this position look like? 

• What does success look like in the first 30 days of this job?

• How would you describe the team culture?

• Who has been the most successful at this job and why?

• What software/ administrative/tools will I be given to do my job?

• Does this position require public speaking/presenting?

The Final Interview Approaches

As you get close to your final interview and job offer, select a few of the questions below to ask. 

Note: Make sure to only ask these questions when you're getting close to the offer. 

• Is there a probation period for this position?

• Are there bonuses offered for my position?

• What are the standard benefits offered for this position?

• What is the expectation for coming into the office? How has this changed or evolved since the pandemic?

• What is the path to leadership like and how do promotions typically work?

Don't Leave Yourself Out of your Job Search

All in all, job hunting can seem daunting, but in time, it's something you just get the feel for. As you start out, do your best to not accept a job offer in its standard offering, and (at the appropriate time in the interview stage) negotiate the best start date for you, and ask all the questions that you need. 

Keep in mind when you ask questions, especially when you're negotiating, that it's important to understand what you're bringing to the plate. If you ask for too much, and you still need to accumulate value and demonstrated experience in the professional world, it could cause your understanding of the position to appear misunderstood and come across poorly to the company.

If you need to check in with your values and interests, taking the Advize career quiz is a great place to start your job hunt and complete a self-check in at the same time. A career is more than a number– and so are you! Hang in there with the job search and keep the energy high, and don't leave yourself out of your own job search.