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WHEN IT'S OKAY TO TURN DOWN A JOB OFFER

14/10/2019

In our previous blog we talked of some of the challenges to expect as a fresh graduate, but turning down a job offer might be the biggest challenge in this day and era. You might have been searching for a job for a long period and then amongst hundreds of qualified graduates and going for numerous interviews, you finally land this job offer. Probably the pay is good, the job description sounds good and everything during the interview seemed perfect, but is that enough to say yes to that job offer?

Here are a few things you might want to weigh out before taking that job.

  1. The mission and aim of the job offer

Sometimes you might be offered a job that sounds and looks good on paper, but does the job align with your goals? It is very okay to say no to a job that you feel will not help you grow your career. If there are serious gaps in what you want to achieve and what the job is offering then this can lead to frustrations and lack of advancement for you. 

  1. Growth opportunities

  Getting a job offer after a long period of searching or when you are a fresh graduate, might make you overlook this fact. Both personal and professional growth are equally important in the workplace. No matter how good the job offer may sound or how good the salary might be, if it’ll not help you grow your skills or expand your expertise, then it’s a dead-end for you.

  1. The salary

Sometimes the offered salary might sound good, but then compared to the workload there’s no balance. It’s important to do salary research on the job description before-hand to know a reasonable scale for you. Of course, money is not everything when it comes to job offers, but if it’ll financially strain you, then you might want to think twice.

Another situation is where the salary mentioned in the job advert is different from what the manager tells you when offering the job. This proves dishonest business and that’s a red flag right there.

  1. The distance to work

   If commuting to work will wear you to a frazzle, then you might be getting to work in bad moods and in the evening you get home with unraveled nerves. This might exhaust you so much that it’ll reduce your productivity. During Interviews pay attention to the distance and weigh if it’s something you can handle twice a day and every day if the job is full-time. The other thing to check with the distance is the cost and if the job will comfortably cover for that.

 The company’s reputation is wanting

   Is the company financially stable, Is it expanding or downsizing? If it’s downsizing and you get a job offer from them, it means you’ll be doing more work for less pay or your position might not be available in a few months down the line. If it’s not financially stable it means you might experience salary delays or no salary increment. The other thing to check is if the company is involved in scandals like pollution or corruption claims or violating employees working policies. It’s good to protect your brand.

  1. Inappropriate work behavior

   We all know that elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about, but WE WILL.

Recently BBC Africa produced a documentary on “SEX for GRADES” and what’s worse than coming from such an ordeal, ready to grow your dream career only to experience the same thing at the workplace. Sexual advances or harassment from hiring managers to get the job should always be a clear sign that you should decline that offer.

  1. When you get a better offer

  This is one of the best reasons, to say no to a job offer, saying Yes to a better one.

You have to weigh your options, one might give you a good house allowance and transport allowance, but no medical, others might be more flexible or even have better pay. Some people might go for the one that’s concerned about their well-being, but if you feel having a house allowance over a medical cover is for you, that’s your reason to turn down the lesser.

 

These are just but a few of the reasons. Remember at the end of the day you have to trust your gut. Do you feel right about this job? Are you comfortable with the work environment, working hours, allowances, job description? You should not take it lightly to turn down a job. Take time to think about, then give an official communication that will come out as professional and grateful for their time and consideration.