Red flags that you should look out for when considering a job offer

Great job, you made it! You now have a job offer waiting for you. But wait, before signing the dotted line, take a step back and ask yourself “Is this the right job for me?” You should avoid taking a job just for the sake of getting employed, even if you’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. You need to play your cards right and break down the job offer in order to see if it’s the right match for you. Does it go alongside your goals?

Being overly excited over your job offer can cloud your judgment and possibly cause you to take on a job that doesn’t necessarily suit you. So, the career experts at Bayt.com have put together a quick guide to help shed light on warning signs that you might be oblivious of, which you’ll need to look out for before you decide to accept a job offer.

1. Vague Job responsibilities?

All job positions should have a job description, which should include certain duties and responsibilities. Upon applying for the job, you should’ve read the list of duties and responsibilities, your reporting lines and any other job specifications. However, if the job description was too vague and confusing with unclear job responsibilities, then it can’t be a good sign.

In most cases you will have the ability to check with the HR Officer or your potential manager about the exact duties and responsibilities the job would include, but in case you didn’t receive a clear answer then you should reconsider your decision to accept the job offer.

Having a job with unclear responsibilities and duties can certainly be a serious issue, as you won’t be able to properly understand what you will be held accountable for, how you will be rewarded for your work, or what your workload would look like. This could also mean a growing list of responsibilities without proper compensations for every additional task.

Before accepting a job offer, you should be well-versed on your responsibilities and what you will be held accountable for. If there was a need to expand your list of duties and responsibilities, then you should start discussing compensation options.

2.The workplace has low energy? In the course of the recruitment process, you should have visited your future workplace at least once. This means that you’ve gotten a taste of the vibe and energy at the office, which you should refer to when considering whether or not to accept your job offer. Just know that you’ll be spending a lot of time at this place, a minimum of eight hours a day, five days a week. So, you should be fully comfortable before you decide to join this workplace.

Do people there communicate freely? How’s the layout and design of the office? What is the energy level like? Do they seem agitated? If you felt something was wrong or unprofessional, then you should trust the vibes and try elsewhere. Always believe in your intuition. Energy never lies.

3. Limited opportunities for growth and development?

There’s nothing worse than having a stagnant career with little to no opportunity for growth and development. There’s a lot of jobs out there that get you to nowhere beyond a certain point, which you should know how to spot and avoid. It can certainly get quite tedious doing the same thing for a long period of time with no new mentally stimulating tasks and challenges.

When it comes to evaluating a job offer, you should have a good idea about the growth opportunities that will come along with this position. It’s completely normal to ask about this topic during the recruitment process, as this is an important piece of information and it will help give you an insight as to where your career is heading. These growth opportunities include training opportunities, learning resources, succession plans, company conferences and events, etc. The lack of growth and learning opportunities often translates to a vague or a nonexistent career path.

Reviewing the job offer that you have received, you might think that it is perfect for where you currently are in your career. But, the issue with this approach is that you are most likely not going to sit in the same place for so long. This is where career paths and succession plans arise.

Ask your potential employer about the career path of the position you’re filling, what is the next position that you can fill? And what can you grow into after a certain period of time at the company?

If you’re looking to spend a long time in a certain company, then you should be acquainted with what it takes to climb the career ladder, so you won’t end up doing the same job for years.

4. It’s a step back, not a step forward? Okay, so just when we thought that having a job with little opportunity to learn and develop was bad enough... Imagine taking a step back in your career path. First of all, it just doesn’t sound right, and second of all, it’s basically career suicide! Avoid it. Avoid it at all costs.

We recognize that placing yourself out there in the competitive job market and being faced with scrutiny by employers is very brave of you. We also understand that, sometimes, a person might settle for less than what they truly deserve. But this should only be the case in extreme situations.

You should always believe in yourself and your capabilities. Therefore, you should try to find a job where your competences will be appreciated, and where you can reach your full potential. You should think of your next job as a step forward in your career development scheme, not as a setback.

If you noticed that your job responsibilities will limit your skills rather than develop them, or that the job duties are not challenging enough to help you grow your skills and qualifications and move forward on your roadmap, then you should stop and think whether you should take the job or turn it down.

5. Unsatisfying financial compensation?

One of the most important parts of any job is the financial aspect, and you shouldn’t neglect it when you receive an offer. Even though we doubt that anyone would, are we right?

You should always trust your abilities and qualifications and never settle for less than what you deserve. Remember that settling for less than what you deserve might be viewed as lack in self-esteem and fear of not being good enough.

Use Bayt Salaries to know the range of salaries in a certain industry or company and have a general idea of what’s an appropriate compensation level for your prospective position before you get into the details of the job offer.

We hope these points can help you evaluate any job offer you receive. And in case you find that all of these points are irrelevant to your offer, then congratulations on the new job!