5 Things to ask before accepting a Job Offer

I still remember the moment when I received my first job offer. I understand your enthusiasm and can absolutely connect to it. I was ecstatic too. After various levels of interviews and tests, I had made it. The salary was decent and the job was exactly what I wanted. My first step into the arena of professional writing. Sounds like a dream job, isn’t it? Well, I left that job very soon. It all turned out to be very different from what I had thought. Probably, because I said, “I am ready to take up the job”, very soon. I definitely don’t want you to go through the same experience. To help you, I am outlining a few things to know before accepting a new job.

5 Things to ask before accepting a Job Offer

Get Clarity on Your Designation

If during the job offer stage, your designation was finalized as a “Research Analyst”, and the offer letter says “Trainee Research Analyst”, it would feel like a complete betrayal. Trust me, you wouldn’t want to go through the embarrassment I felt when I accepted a job without a clear understanding of my title. I had enough reasons to regret my oversight and over-excitement just within a few days of joining. Make sure that you get enough clarity on your designation in the company.

Understand your Compensation Benefits

Employment benefits are not just about the annual salary package. You need to know: whether there’s a bonus plan, when does the performance and salary review takes place, if you are eligible for overtime, and if you are how is that calculated. Further, it is important that you are informed about the paid leaves, health insurance, and so on. Benefits become very important when it comes to the people back home dependant on you. Before you accept a job offer, you must get the details of the benefits in writing. It is possible that that company is new at the moment and not very strong financially. In this case, you can negotiate for a higher salary to cover the additional expenses for getting a medical coverage on your own.

Discuss the Objectives

Without a clear picture of your role in the company, you can hardly proceed with your job role. Every employee in an organization is important for a reason and there are certain objectives that the company envisions to achieve with them. If you are made aware of the goals even before you start, things would be much easier and better for you at the new job. Here are a few questions you might want to ask:

What are your expectations with my role?

I need to understand my job role in detail.

What do you think I should achieve at work, six months down the line?

Your job will occupy the major part of your day. Don’t you feel it’s important to understand why your work would make a difference in the organization?

Ask about the working hours and off-work communication

After 10 days in your new job, you wouldn’t want to know that you are expected to be available 24*7*365. Do not hesitate in asking about the number of working hours, the timings, and the weekends. There are companies where everyone packs up and leaves around 5 or 6 pm. On the other hand, managers in some companies don’t take it well if you leave your desk before 7 pm. Make sure that there is transparency regarding what your manager expects regarding your availability.

Go through the Employment Policies

The devil is in the details. Even if everything looks good to you, go through the employment policies very carefully. From the dress code to the notice period, everything is important. If there is something that you are not okay with, do not make a decision in a rush. In the longer run, it is about job satisfaction and it goes way beyond the brand you want to work with and your paycheck.

These are important things to ask before accepting a job offer. I did not know back then and it made a huge difference in my career. We at Energy Dais wish the best for you and would always make sure that you do what’s best for you in the oil and gas industry.

Feel free to reach out to us for any guidance in your oil and gas career. Explore our Career Help section for more insights.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Energy Dais.)