Let's wrap up the last mission in the CNC2018 Get a Job Challenge. Today we are talking about the second outcome from Mission 9. This outcome is when you get a job offer.
The job search process isn't over when you get an offer letter or phone call. You might feel relieved and validated, but you still need to look over the offer and figure out the terms both parties involved can agree with. Code Newbie is here for participants and share tips they can use when an offer comes their way.
Celebrate your offer!
It is easy to feel like you are on cloud nine when that one yes comes your way. So take your time to celebrate in any way you like. Code Newbie recommends reflecting on the experience again to look at everything you've done and see how far you've come.
Need some ideas for celebrating? Here's some ways Code Newbie shares:
- Tell your friends, family, or your pet.
- Post something on LinkedIn.
- Share your offer in the success channel of your favorite Slack group.
- Tweet at Code Newbie (@CodeNewbies). They will reply with GIFs to help you celebrate.
The Job Offer
When you get an offer, you will need to analyze it very carefully. It might be tempting to just accept it since it is a job and any offer might beat going on the job search. However, you want to look over that offer very carefully to see if it is the right fit for you.
Companies will say why they are a great company to work for, but Code Newbie says that they have to say that so you will need to look beyond that. You will need to review your notes to look at the good and bad things about that employer. If you have any questions, reach out to your contact to ask them.
To help you analyze a job offer, Code Newbie has some questions you can ask yourself as you look through your notes and examine the offer closely. Those answers will help make things clear for you on this employer is the best place you can work for.
- What did you like about the job?
- What are your expectations for career growth?
- Do you think this is a job where you will grow?
- Do they value the skills that you bring to the table?
- Do you see this as, at the very least, a stepping stone?
- Will the job offer more than it consumes (think: hours, emotional energy, commute time)?
- Does it give you what you need from a job?
Are there dealbreakers?
First, do you know what your dealbreakers are? If the answer is no, you want to think about anything that would be an immediate no from any employer. Jot these down on a piece of paper or in your bullet journal.
Once you figured out your dealbreaker list, look at your current situation. Could you afford a longer job search or do you need something right now? You will want to think of finances at this part as well as other expenditures you have.
You will also need a list of must-haves. What do you value in a place you want to work at? Put this as a list on paper or a page in your bullet journal.
Now that you have your lists, you have a checklist to help you analyze this job offer very closely. Does anything match one of your must-have items or is it a dealbreaker? Keep track of that.
At the time this post is being published, the job market is rough so it can be tempting for job candidates to ignore dealbreakers when they get an offer. Don't do this! Ignoring dealbreakers could result in you being in a toxic workplace where you are miserable.
One of the things Code Newbie mentioned in this mission is that "jobs come and go, but the cost of getting into a toxic, unsafe, or unethical work environment is long-lasting". So make sure you know what you dealbreakers are and catch them now before you find out the hard way.
Do you have any follow-up questions?
Still have questions? Make sure you e-mail your contact ASAP and ask them. Good employers don't mind asking extra questions and want to clarify things so the best decision for both parties is being made. Iff you get a sense they are annoyed by questions, that's a data point you need to keep an eye out for.
Code Newbie put together a list of questions participants can use if they need some clarification on specific items. You can use these as part of your interview prep from the last mission or as another checklist as you through your notes.
= Are you clear on who you would work with?
- Do you know who you would report to?
- Were you able to meet them?
- Would you want to request a tour of the space so you can see where and how the team works?
- Any final questions on your mind that would help you make a decision
Are there any red flags?
You don't just want to look for dealbreakers. You need to keep an eye out for red flags. Dealbreakers are no-go, but red flags are warnings. You still need to know what a red flag means to you and what they look like before they happen.
You can spot some of these red flags with the job ads and job posting. Some of the things you can look out for are:
- Are there signs of growth or transition?
- Is there a high turnover?
- How many people are on the team you would be joining?
- How many positions are open on that team?
- Were these any topics that the employer did not address directly?
Code Newbie says that there is a lot of feel-good talk and employee perks in job offers. That makes them tempting, but keep focused on the important stuff. That is your own self interests.
So make sure you know what is important for you. If that wasn't addressed, don't be afraid for ask for more details. Code Newbie says hiring is expensive so they want to avoid hiring strains. By being honest and asking questions it benefits everyone involved.
Making a decision
It might sound like there are a lot of checklists participants need to use to examine a job offer. But these checklists are a way to objectively look at a job offer and see the pros and cons. This will make the big picture much more clearer for you to see.
Once you've made your lists, you can see which side is longer and if the offer hits the most things you are looking for in a job. This is the part where job seekers can start negotiating. Code Newbie says that one-counter offer is normal and employers know this.
Some employers might give you a low salary up front for this reason since you could come back with something higher. Others won't. But you can still ask or do your own research using sites like Dice or Glassdoor.
Once you are done negotiating, it is time to make a decision. After you looked everything over and made a decision, draft a response to your employer. You can find samples of acceptance or rejection emails online. ChatGPT is very popular at the time of this post so a tool like this can help you create a template that works for you.
After you write your response email, proofread it. You can ask a friend to read it over, read a loud to yourself, or use Grammarly. Then you can send it. No matter what you decide to do, Code Newbie says it is still a win so you can celebrate again since you reached the end of this process.
Conclusion
You've made it to the end of the CNC2018 Get a Job challenge! Congratulations! Don't be afraid to revisit this challenge again in the future as you continue to job search.
Code Newbie encourages participants to keep them updated on their job search progress. You can tweet them on social media what you are up to. In 2018, they encouraged participants to do some of the other challenges like Blog More, Code More, and Start Coding as well as give them feedback about the challenge.
Over the next couple of years, Code Newbie took that feedback to make changes to the challenge. I'm not sure if I will cover future CNC challenges here on DEV, but if you would like to see more please let me know in the comments.
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