National Technical Institute for the Deaf

You've just been offered a job, now what? Evaluating an offer to make sure it is the right job for you is important. Besides the salary, there are many things to consider before you accept a job offer, such as career growth, networking and gaining experience. Remember that one job can lead to another opportunity in the future.

What to consider when evaluating an offer:

• is the job content or nature of work something you want to do
• is the work environment and location acceptable to you
• does the salary and benefits (medical, dental, retirement, vacation, etc.) meet your needs
• is the typical work week and hours per day acceptable to you
• does the employer offer training or tuition assistance programs to employees
• does the employer offer opportunities to advance on the job
• are there employee groups at work that you may be interested in joining

Tips to remember:

• know what the typical salary range is for the job (salary range information is available through the internet, Bureau of Labor Statistics, trade magazines)
• develop a monthly budget listing all of your real and anticipated expenses to figure out what your salary requirement is
• benefits an employer offers can add as much as 30-40% to your actual salary
• you do not need to accept any offer immediately, you can ask the employer for a little time to carefully think about the offer before you make your decision

In addition to salary, an employer may offer:

• medical insurance
• dental insurance
• retirement plan, pension, 401K
• tuition assistance
• vacation, holiday, personal time off
• sick leave
• relocation expenses
• company car
• stock purchases
• bonus
• flexible work schedule
• child care reimbursement or service
• membership in professional associations and related travel