Volume 4, Issue 3 March 2001 Job Link Evaluating a Job Offer Part I
Notable QuotableYour Employment Options at NRI
Update Your Information Online!Our Disciplines and Locations
EVALUATING A JOB OFFER PART I
THE ORGANIZATIONThe following article was written for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is a nationally recognized source of career information,. Revised every two years, the Handbook describes what workers do on the job, working conditions, the training and education needed, earnings, and expected job prospects in a wide range of occupations. The Handbook is available online at www.bls.gov/ocohome. In the next months, JobLink will outline Part II, The Nature of the Job, Part III, Opportunities Offered and Part IV, Salaries and Benefits
Once you receive a job offer, you are faced with a difficult decision and must evaluate the offer carefully. Fortunately, most organizations will not expect you to accept or reject an offer immediately.
There are many issues to consider when assessing a job offer. Will the organization be a good place to work? Will the job be interesting? Are there opportunities for advancement? Is the salary fair? Does the employer offer good benefits? If you have not already figured out exactly what you want, the following discussion may help you develop a set of criteria for judging job offers, whether you are starting a career, reentering the labor force after a long absence, or planning a career change.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE “Experience is not what happens to you;
it’s what you do with what happens to you.”
-Aldous Huxley
AuthorThe organization. Background information on an organization can help you decide whether it is a good place for you to work. Factors to consider include the organization’s business or activity, financial condition, age, size, and location.
You can generally get background information on an organization, particularly a large organization, by telephoning its public relations office. A public company’s annual report to the stockholders tells about its corporate philosophy, history, products or services, goals, and financial status. Most government agencies can furnish reports that describe their programs and missions. Press releases, company newsletters or magazines, and recruitment brochures also can be useful. Ask the organization for any other items that might interest a prospective employee.
If possible, speak to current or former employees of the organization. Background information on the organization may be available on the Internet or at your public or school library. If you cannot get an annual report, check the library for reference directories that may provide basic facts about the company, such as earnings, products and services, and number of employees. Some directories widely available in libraries include:
- Dun & Bradstreet’s Million Dollar Directory
- Moody’s Industrial Manual
- Standard and Poor’s Register of Corporations
- Ward’s Business Directory
- Thomas’ Register of American Manufacturers
Stories about an organization in magazines and newspapers can tell a great deal about its successes, failures, and plans for the future. You can identify articles on a company by looking under its name in periodical or computerized indexes in libraries. However, it probably will not be useful to look back more than 2 or 3 years.
The library also may have government publications that present projections of growth for the industry in which the organization is classified. Long-term projections of employment and output for more than 200 industries, covering the entire economy, are developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and revised every two years—see the November 1999 Monthly Labor Review for the most recent projections. The U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook, published annually by the U.S. Department of Commerce, presents detailed analyses of the globalization of U.S. industry and growth prospects for some industrial sectors. Trade magazines also have periodic articles on the trends for specific industries.
Career centers at colleges and universities often have information on employers that is not available in libraries. Ask a career center representative how to find out about a particular organization.
Does the organization’s business or activity match your own interests and beliefs? It is easier to apply yourself to the work if you are enthusiastic about what the organization does.
How will the size of the organization affect you? Large firms generally offer a greater variety of training programs and career paths, more managerial levels for advancement, and better employee benefits than small firms. Large employers may also have more advanced technologies. However, jobs in large firms may tend to be highly specialized.
Jobs in small firms may offer broader authority and responsibility, a closer working relationship with top management, and a chance to clearly see your contribution to the success of the organization.
Should you work for a relatively new organization or one that is well established? New businesses have a high failure rate, but for many people, the excitement of helping create a company and the potential for sharing in its success more than offset the risk of job loss. However, it may be just as exciting and rewarding to work for a young firm that already has a foothold on success.
Does it make a difference if the company is private or public? An individual or a family may control a privately owned company and key jobs may be reserved for relatives and friends. A board of directors responsible to the stockholders controls a publicly owned company and key jobs are usually open to anyone.
YOUR EMPLOYMENT OPTIONS AT NRI NRI offers you three employment options. Depending on your situation, you may prefer temporary, temp-to-hire or permanent work. Here are your options, and the benefits of each:
Temporary Work - NRI offers a wide variety of short-term and long-term temporary positions.
- Excellent pay, weekly paychecks, benefits available, referral bonus payments!
- Build your office experience.
- Make your own schedule!
Temp-To-Hire Work - Blending the benefits of temporary and permanent placements, Temp-To-Hire offers the opportunity to try a permanent job before you commit yourself to accepting it.
- Ideal if you're unemployed.
- An opportunity to explore new areas!
Permanent Placement - More efficient than using classified ads, NRI has a database of hundreds of opportunities.
- We work with you to make a smooth transition from your current position to your new job.
- Established in 1967, NRI is one of DC's largest and most diversified personnel placement firms.
Whether you’re interesting in Accounting and Financial, Administrative and Office Support, Clinical and Non-Clinical Healthcare, Legal or IT, NRI has, or can find, the right job for you!