Do I take the Offer or Continue to Interview?

“Well maybe I shouldn’t take this offer because after all, it is my first interview.”  If I had a nickel every time someone said that but then again a nickel’s not worth a dime anymore.   Keep in mind your first offer may be your only offer!  No joke, we have seen job candidates not take an offer because they felt a better offer would come along and spent the next year still looking for a job.  You hate to say “I told you so” but!

If you were to get an offer and you’re currently unemployed then you need to take it!  That would be my recommendation today in this market, even if the money is a lot less than your last job.   The new job is not preventing you from continuing your job search.  Plus it’s always better to have a job when you are interviewing.  Also keep in mind that now that you’re not working and making money your currently at zero!  Clients know that the job candidate with no job is at zero.  Candidates tend to forget that fact when they start to negotiate salary.

If a company offers you a job for less money than what you were previously making, they are aware of that fact.  If another offer comes your way then what you need to do is to consider which job is best for your career.  Don’t jump ship for more money unless the job is what is going to continue your career on the right path.    I am not one that believes in taking a counter offer so from my prospective I would not try to get more money to stay.  Talk about killing your career.

That is why a client should never give someone a crappy offer, because the new hire is always going to be looking for a better offer somewhere else.  Common sense, no?  Well you know what they say about common sense!  When we are negotiating we want to make sure that both  parties are happy with the offer.  No company wants to have a new employee who is not happy with their offer and a company never wants to feel that they overpaid for someone.   Just because the economy isn’t great doesn’t mean it’s time to make lousy offers to potential new hires.  I always ask a client “How long do you want to keep them?”

Happy companies have happy employees in any economy!