Have you been offered a new position?

Struggling to decide whether it's right for you?

Sometimes when a new career move arises it can be very difficult to know the right step to take. While you may be very excited about a new job you're offered, before you make the leap, you'll want to consider a few things to ensure you're making the best choice.

Below are a few important factors you shouldn't forget to think about before accepting a new job offer.

1. Salary Considerations

Of course, one of the first things you'll want to think about is the job's salary. While a higher salary can be very appealing, you have to make sure that it will be enough for your needs and that it's all that it seems.

Besides the dollar signs you're seeing, other factors need to be considered as well. Don't make the decision based on the higher rate of pay alone. Make sure to do the math. A long and costly commute and other factors may change how much money you are actually taking home at the end of the day.

Don't forget to consider what the job offers when it comes to a health insurance and retirement plans either. You might want to use a calculator such as this one to determine how much money you'll actually be making with your new job compared to your current one.

While a job may pay less, if it includes certain desirable health benefits, paid time off, or other perks it may end up being a great option.

2. Doing the Work

If you don't feel like the work itself you may want to reconsider a job offer. Does the job include work that you can really see yourself doing day after day and week after week?

No matter how much a job pays or what other perks you receive, if you'll just be counting down the hours until you can go home, you won't be able to give the job your best. You'll also probably be miserable.

While you're unlikely to like everything about a given job it's important that you can see yourself doing the work and enjoying the position. If not, you may want to reconsider the job altogether and stick to your current position or continue on with your job search.

3. Your Surroundings

Even an otherwise wonderful job can be tainted by working with a bad boss or people who are unprofessional, overly demanding, or don't appreciate what you bring to the table. If you're not impressed with the bosses or managers for a position, you may want to pass on the job.

It can be difficult to find out about the specifics of a work environment early if you don't work there, but there are ways to get some insight into what it will be like.

Don't forget to use the interview time wisely. When being interviewed for a job, you should be evaluating a company and its people just as much as they are evaluating you. Be sure to prepare some good questions to ask the company during your final interviews.

A few subtle questions about a work environment can give you some insight into what working there may be like. The interview style and personality of your interviewees can also say a lot.

Additionally, it's sometimes possible to find information online on websites such as Glassdoor. Do your research the best you can and you may find out that you don't want to work for an employer - even if they're ready to hire you.

4. Next Steps

Before taking your next position you may want to think carefully about where it will lead you. Do you have a certain ideal future job or career trajectory in mind? If so you need to think about whether the position you're considering now will be a good step in your career or not.

These days most people change positions every few years. It's important to think a few steps ahead and consider what you will be doing after you leave the job you're being offered. Even if you don't have a specific future job in mind you'll still want to ensure that the job you're taking now will give you some form of upward mobility.

Make sure to consider what options there are for moving up in the organization or if it can potentially lead you to the next step on your career path. At the very least, you need to make sure that the position can add something substantial to your resume. 

Final Thoughts

Be sure to think about the things listed above before accepting a job offer. If you do, you may just find that you aren't dissatisfied with your decision.

It may be a long time before this job search and the next, so you'll want to be sure to consider all of the factors before jumping on an opportunity. By following the tips above you'll know exactly what you're getting into and you'll be sure that you've evaluated your potential new position from every angle.