10 Things to Look at in a Job Offer Beyond Salary

When assessing at a job offer, often times (especially younger professionals) tend to be fixated on the salary and the salary alone. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see candidates make.

When looking at a possible position, I always advocate for people to look at the “macro” view of the job offer.

What does that mean?

  • Benefits: Do the health and dental benefits offered give you good options with doctors, copays, and services?
  • Equity: Is it a startup offering Options? A corporate company offering RSU’s? Not every company dishes out equity, but if they do it’s worth weighing in your job offer.
  • Culture: Is the company culture strong? Are they a cohesive team or a bunch of ego’s?
  • Product/Service: Is the product or service the company offers viable? Is it something you are passionate about?
  • Role: Does the actual job requirements interest you? Is what you would be doing on a daily basis give you satisfaction or get monotonous?
  • Growth: During the interview process, did they give you examples of how you can grow professionally? What are the internal career paths and professional development opportunities?
  • Perks: Most companies these days have small perks in addition to benefits. It is worth asking if they have things like commuter benefits, gym reimbursement, work from home policies, etc.
  • Leader: Who is your leader? Does he/she seem like someone that you could work for on a daily basis? Do they motivate you?
  • Retention: Take a look on LinkedIn how long the majority of your “would-be team” has been with the organization. This will give you a good sense of company retention.
  • Corporate Responsibility: Does the organization give back? Do they have programs in place that help the local community or charity organizations?