Get the Job Before You Reject the Job

Photo by Suzanne O’Brien 2021

In my practice guiding clients through launching and changing careers, I've noticed a trend. Candidates are neglecting to apply to jobs that don't fulfill their exact requirements. I noticed this happening both during the darkest days of Covid and also now as the job market picks up, and I think it’s a big mistake. I believe that candidates should be less picky in the early stages of a search, assuming they have around 70% of the requirements stated in a job posting.

It's so hard to evaluate a job based on the description that is often dashed off casually before gathering important information about the candidate pool and what is really needed in the job. I believe that candidates should go through the interview process with an open mind and learn as much as they can about a job prior to rejecting it out of hand. Many times, especially now that we're in an active market, characteristics of a job can be part of a negotiation process. No job is perfect and it's tough to tell what it's really like without investing time in research and meeting hiring managers. 

In the past couple of months, the job market has really heated up with experts calling it the best market in 10 years. Now that the tables are turning and it’s becoming a buyer’s market, it’s your chance to tailor a job to your desires, within reason of course.

So what kinds of things are up for negotiation, assuming you like the organization and your prospective supervisors? Here are a few items for consideration:

Location

Just a year or so ago, it was a given that most jobs, unless very specifically remote, would require employees to work in an office in a specific location. Prior to Covid, companies had become a bit more flexible about work from home arrangements, but usually on occasion or for a limited time due to personal circumstances. Flexibility often came with compensation reductions.

Stating the obvious, during Covid, companies and their employees have gotten a taste of what it’s like to work remotely and there may be no turning back from the revelations on both sides. Many companies have given up their office space or downsized to accommodate fewer people. Some are assuming a certain percentage will work from home indefinitely. Regardless of whether you’re interviewing at a company with a stated remote work policy, this is something that can be negotiated with much more upside than ever before.

Time Off

Fewer and fewer companies offer just two weeks’ vacation, with many startups and young organizations adding unlimited time off to their list of benefits. If you’re not happy with the amount of paid time off a company offers you, negotiate more.

Part-Time or Full-Time with Unusual Hours

Do you have a side hustle, a young family, or parents in need of care? Certain types of jobs can be made into part-time gigs or done in off hours with the right structures in place. Jobs where you work independently and don’t need to be on premise, such as software engineering, graphic design, data science, and many more are fair game. If working part-time or outside of typical company hours is a priority for you, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Title

Don’t like the title you’re offered because you feel it doesn’t reflect your experience level? See if they’re willing to change it. In large organizations titles are usually associated with specific salary bands, making this a taller order. But in smaller companies, startups, or nonprofits, titles can be more fluid. When asking for a different title it’s important to do your research and suggest specific titles you think are more appropriate.

Compensation

Of course compensation should be negotiated. But with entry-level jobs, some companies have a non-negotiable policy. If you find this to be the case, ask whether they’re willing to review you after six months, or see if you can be eligible for a bonus reflecting the fulfillment of certain criteria. Especially early in your career this may not be possible, but employers respect and value candidates who advocate for themselves and negotiating for yourself will only serve you well.

In any salary negotiation, do your homework on what this job pays, both at the company in question and at its competitors. The salary for a new job should not be tied to your most recent job’s salary, and it is illegal in most states to ask candidates what they’re currently making. You’re more likely to be asked what kind of salary you’re expecting, in which case you want to provide a range based on your research. It’s best to make the lower number in the range the high representation of what you’d expect. That way you don’t undercut yourself.

Cars, Travel Allowances, Moving Expenses, etc.

Depending on where you live, there are other items in your package you can negotiate. It’s always best to think globally when you’re considering an offer, since items that may mean a lot to you can be easy for a company to offer.

When negotiating your offer, always make sure to get it in writing before making any decisions, such as quitting your current job. Many times candidates quit right after a verbal offer, and sometimes the written offer never comes in.

If I can help you launch, develop, or change your career, I hope you’ll reach out.