Our daughter is in the process of planning her wedding and she is realizing that she needs to make some tough decisions. She’s quickly finding out that her dream wedding doesn’t necessarily fit into her reality budget. Like with most everything else, weddings come with a price tag. So do job offers.

Just like our daughter and her wedding, you need to determine what your “non-negotiables” are—what it will take to make you happy—when examining a job offer.

Obviously salary is the huge elephant in the room. But if the initial salary offering is somewhat lower than expected, do the benefits (vacation, health insurance, stocks, retirement, perks and other incentives) make up the difference or come close? What about the culture of the company and the work environment? Does that jazz you or could you take it or leave it? Is the job your dream job, or will it put food on the table until something better comes along?

Here are just a few suggestions for getting you started on assessing an offer. Know what you are worth and have an idea of what the current salary ranges are for the position you are going for.  Make an old fashion “Pros and Cons” list, listing everything the new position offers. Visualizing each monetary or non-monetary benefit will help you to better evaluate what is being presented. This will be especially helpful when comparing two offers or trying to decide if it is worth making the jump to a new job. Sit down and truly weigh each point. What are your non-negotiables and your nice to haves, but not a show stopper?

Whatever the “total bundle” is, you need to carefully evaluate the package as a whole and decide what is best for you and your situation. Best of success in your journey.

As a nationally Credentialed Career Manager, Coach Kevin Tucker has been partnering with individuals like you for the last 25 years. Through the military, as a minister, a human resources executive, and finally as a career and life transition coach; he has continually been able to help motivated individuals find their calling in life! Check out more at http://ccubedcareer.com.

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Ok, I’ll say it - “Happy Easter!” - yes, a very unpolitically correct statement! I love it when people stand for something, when they make it known the “why” and “how” of why they do what they do. Take someone in a job search, maybe you, why would you apply for certain jobs and not for others?

Let me hit this a bit home. This past Friday, I tried calling my printers, MinuteMan Press of Gilbert, and got a recording. Well, after listening to it through, I realized they where closed, closed for this holiday season - Good Friday and Easter. They were making a statement for what they stood for, and weren’t going to cave in because of the “noise” around them (ie: “if you were open, look at the additional money you could have made!) By the way not only do they do great work, but they are very responsive to any wild and crazy request I may have! Five stars of these guys!

How many companies do you know that operate from their internal principles rather than external forces?

Take this to your work setting. Are you and your employer in alignment? Do your goals match theirs? Do you even know what these goals are? (I’ll talk more or this in a future post.) If not, you’re likely not enjoying your job or being fulfilled.

Let me step out on a limb here: if you have a career that you look forward to on Monday morning - great! If not, I challenge you - are you really wanting to? - to enjoy your Monday and to let it spill over into the rest of your life? Really?  Keep in mind this principle - our career touches each area of our lives!

If you’re ready to take that stand, take action - today! Take the steps to get to know your boss, your company, and even your industry. If you would like help with this, feel free to give me a call or to get some pointers from our web site at www.CCubedCareer.com. It’s your choice - but only you can take the first step.

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