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With employers eager to hire, a job offer could be in your future if you decide to look for a new position. But before you accept a job, take a moment to make sure that the new opportunity is a good match for what you want, both professionally and personally. Mid- and late-career workers have some specific concerns they should pay attention to before saying yes, says career coach Lisa Lewis Miller, host of The Career Clarity Show podcast.
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Here are nine questions to ask yourself — and your prospective employer — to help ensure the opportunity is a good fit for you.
1. How did the interview process feel?
The time you spend interviewing with the folks who may be your coworkers can offer insight into the company and its people. So think about how you feel about the opportunity and environment along the way, Miller says. One warning sign is if the interview process feels rushed. “Make sure that it felt like you were able to get all of your questions answered; ensure that it didn’t feel rushed,” she says. “A quick process or a much higher-than-expected offer can be symptomatic of an organization that is suffering from some pretty severe talent problems.”
2. Does the company share your values?
When a company’s values match your own, you will have a better sense of what it will prioritize and how it will respond to various situations, says entrepreneur Josh Steimle, creator of the 7 Systems of Influence approach to enhancing your personal and professional impact. If you ask questions about how the company puts its values into action, the interviewer should have ready examples. Think about whether the values the company espouses were evident in your interview experience.
3. Is the culture a good fit for you?
In addition to the company’s values, what is its office culture like? Think about how you were treated or what you saw during the interview process, Miller says. Were you treated with respect? Did the employees seem engaged and motivated? Sometimes a job offer can look so good on paper that it’s tempting to ignore warning signs that the culture may not be respectful or healthy, she adds. Do you share the team’s “work hard, play hard” approach? Does the company prioritize family or personal obligations? These are questions to explore, both during the interview process and with yourself, she says.