5 Questions To Ask Before Accepting A Job | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

5 Questions To Ask Before Accepting A Job

Don't rush. Choose your job wisely.

47
5 Questions To Ask Before Accepting A Job
Ruslan Burkala

Graduation is days away and if you're anything like me, chances are, you're flipping out. Senior year is the time when pressure increases so suddenly, that even the smallest things like going to the career services center feel like an emotional roller coaster. I know that finding a job is your number one priority right now, but be careful. I jumped on the first offer I got, only to end up fired three months later. Be sure to ask these five questions before accepting a job.

1. What's your turnover rate?

So, you've just busted your butt for four years and even sought out professional resume writing services, to put years of hard work on one piece of paper. You deserve a job that will value you and keep you for the long haul. Believe me, there's nothing more frustrating than ending up at a company where you see people come and go every day.

My first job was as a salesperson for an outsourced company. I went in super excited. They told me that they promoted quickly and from within. It turned out that they did, but they only promoted one out of ten people because the rest quit or got fired. If the recruiter gets intimidated or tries to change the topic of turnover rate, you should be suspicious. You should look for a company with 10% turnover rate, as this is the golden number. Anything more and chances are you won't be staying at your job for as long as you'd like.

Image by Unsplash

2. Can you explain the bonus structure and show me some stats?

Sales is a massive industry which recruits lots of energetic, fresh graduates. The problem with it, however, is that since it’s performance-based, many positions will offer a very low base and promise a high bonus. I worked at a company which offered me a super basic monthly salary, repeating how the base pay is peanuts but the bonus was going to be at least 50% more on top of it. This is what actually happened.

I accepted the job and worked my market for six months, never receiving a bonus once. Many of my colleagues were in the same boat. The company had structured the bonus requirements in such a way, that you’d literally have to be on the phone 24/7 to make bonus. Plus, they had the same minimum standards across the board, when some markets were clearly harder. I did not get a bonus and lived off of the measly base pay. Don’t repeat my mistake and ask to see track records of employees in your market. See how many met target and then make a decision. Another thing to consider is to negotiate your base pay. Sure, you’re confident in your sales skills but if the odds are stacked against you, you need a good safety net.

3. Is it possible to do a test run of my work at your company?

Interviews in the traditional sense are starting to disappear. Companies are replacing the standard question and answer game with an audition. This is exactly what it sounds like. You know how actors have to go and read a script when applying for a job? Well, it will be the same with everyone soon. Coders and programmers will be given a problem to solve. Sales people will be asked to pitch. Writers have to show a portfolio of their published work.

Don’t be afraid of the audition. It is as valuable for companies as it is for you. For example, I would have never accepted the banking job that I did had I tried it out for a day. I’m horrible at math, don’t like customer service too much and standing behind a teller window makes me physically nauseous. If I had had the opportunity to experience work in this position for a few hours, I would have saved myself a huge disappointment and months of misery. Ask the hiring manager if you could go in for a few hours of observation and perform a task that you’d be assigned if you accept the offer.

Image by Kaboompics

4. Will I be assigned a mentor?

Having a mentor is crucial, yet so underrated. Working at a new company can be overwhelming at first. Not only do you have to go above and beyond to make a name for yourself, but you have to catch on to internal dynamics and build friendships. Having a mentor can help you greatly, as he or she will show you the ropes and let you in on things you wouldn’t find out by yourself. As a freelance writer, I go to others for advice all the time. I look for people who have reached a place I’d like to be at and ask a ton of questions. They motivate and advise me. Having a mentor is invaluable and every good company should offer one.

5. Are you flexible on working from home?

As I’ve said time and again, the world is moving towards a more remote-based way of work. Lots of companies will offer “flexible” hours, but sometimes, those sound too good to be true because hey aren’t. You have to know what the strings attached to this flexibility are. For example, ask how long in advance you have to request working from home. Ask what the factors for approval of remote days are. For example, I had a job where I couldn’t take a day off even when I was sick, not to mention work from home because there wasn’t anyone who could cover me. If you’re going to be working remotely, you need to know that this is a real promise and that the company doesn’t just say it in order to appeal to millennial workers. Make sure to find out how you will communicate on your remote days. You may think that you can lie on a beach somewhere, but if you have to be hooked up to Google Hangouts or Skype all the time and wifi on the beach is scarce, it won’t work out. In fact, you’ll be less stressed out at the office.

There you have the five questions you should ask before accepting a job. Go in with confidence, know your skills and make sure the value you bring is rewarded properly.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

395
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1762
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2458
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments