Is there ever too much of a good thing when it comes to job offers? The “Great Resignation” has thrown the recovery economy of 2021 into a tailspin, with almost every employer hiring and job offers being churned out at record rates, so that multiple job offers are becoming more commonplace.
What has not changed during these times though, is that job seekers ready to move to a new opportunity are not waiting for the offers to pour in. Pleased by the responsiveness of hungry employers, many have thrown their hat into the new job ring, and are quickly accepting offers that appeal to them, often being fast-tracked into their new roles.
With the fast pace of resignations continuing and decreased hiring cycles in an effort to ramp up staffing, many new hires are now finding themselves in the exciting position of having to entertain additional job offers just as they have begun settling into their new roles.
But new opportunities raise new questions about whether or not entertaining a secondary post-employment offer is acceptable or if a career-minded professional should take a pass and live with the employment decision they have just agreed to.
Here is my best advice:
▶ 𝐘𝐞𝐬–𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐣𝐨𝐛. Employers would let you go if they felt it was in their best interest, and you should do what is in yours. But HOW you do it is critical.
▶ 𝐁𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 (𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝) 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭. It’s flattering to be pursued, but do your research to determine if the salary, benefits, job description, and career opportunity are aligned with your goals and it’s not just your ego driving the bus.
▶ 𝐁𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫. Being honest does not mean using it as a leveraging tool for more money. Many employers will assume this is a ploy vs a genuine situation for you, so be cautious how you communicate your decision to avoid appearing manipulative. Make it clear you’ve made a decision to leave.
▶ 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞. Leave with class and professionalism and never badmouth your short time with an employer. Offer to help manage the transition for the employee to come after you.
▶ 𝐈𝐟 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲), ramp up the internal reflection work before you leave a second job for another. Prioritizing what is best for you is one thing, but if you find yourself continuing to jump for a few dollars more, then you may not have put in enough time determining what you really want/need in a job.
▶ 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 and resist the urge to second guess yourself as that will prevent you from moving forward either way.
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