Recently I had a bout of food poisoning which was completely self inflicted after eating a ready meal that was five days out of date! It is safe to say the results weren’t great and my boss had zero sympathy because realistically this was not the last available food option on the planet for me to eat.
However it did provide some excellent inspiration for my Blog this week.
As a recruiter one of the most common reasons (If I even get the courtesy of a reason) I receive for a candidate pulling out of an interview, is that they have “suddenly” received an offer elsewhere which they have accepted. Now this is like eating out of date food, sure it looks ok if you scrape the mould off, but in reality I should have explored the alternatives and come to a well informed decision not to make myself sick.
Whilst receiving your first offer can be great (and very flattering), it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is the best opportunity for you! You would be surprised how many times we see candidates back on the market just months after starting a new role. We are only human so of course mistakes can be made, but this is your career so why not allow yourself the opportunity to have as many options as possible so you can make the right decision. A future employer should actually respect that you want to explore a couple of opportunities so that when you join their company it is a well thought out decision and you are more likely to stay for the long term.
So what looks like a good opportunity and what looks like an out of date, pre-packed, lasagne?
- The Company: You spend the majority of your waking life in the office, so surely who you are working with and how they work should be a huge criteria for any job hunter. The chances are that you met your potential line manager during the process. Can you see yourself working for / with them? Who else did you meet? What was the atmosphere like in the office?
- The Role: The key to happiness is enjoying what you do so when it comes to selecting which offer you accept, make sure it is the role that you can see yourself enjoying for the next few years.
- Progression and Development: Will the role you accept offer you the training and progression that you are looking for?
So what are the lessons to take away from this Blog?
- Turn up to all your interviews and allow yourself the opportunity to make the best possible decision for your career.
- Definitely don’t eat out of date food. Self inflicted sick days will not get you any sympathy whatsoever.
- Read my weekly Blogs, because believe I am starting to give really good advice and one day you might agree.
I am always happy to offer any advice on any of the topics I have spoken about so feel free to email me at Samirose@js3recruitment.com