4 Things to Consider Before Accepting an Offer

4 Things to Consider Before Accepting an Offer Congratulations you  did  really well in the job interview! The reference checks were positive and now  the company you are interviewing with has offered you an open position.  Naturally, you want to accept it right away but why be in such hurry? Take some time to read through the contract, evaluate it closely and discuss it with others who might give you some good advice.  The last thing you want to happen is to take on the wrong job, as that  would mean going through  the whole job search cycle again when you decide youre too unhappy to stay. So before you give the big yes or no, consider these following things: 1. Your excitement The company may not be the one that you have always wanted, but think about the reasons that make you excited to work there. If nothing immediately jumps out at you, then something is up, and you may not be ready  to spend a huge part of your life with this employer.  You want to feel enthralled at the  idea of stepping into something fresh and new. If the excitement isn’t there and it all feels just a matter of process, maybe the job or the company itself is not right for  you. However, you can always search for the missing excitement by meeting your future colleagues, finding a new place to live close by or committing to  adding more value to the company by working there, and inviting the challenge.  Entrepreneur Derek Sivers once aptly said, its either a Hell yeah! or no. 2. The company’s culture Find out the culture in the office of your next employer first. You can learn from your experience during the  interview process. You should have gotten a feel for the attitudes and values of the workplace by being there, and you can use this to decide whether you are going working  there or not.  If that experience wasnt sufficient, you can head over to company review sites such as Glassdoor to search for and retrieve reviews about the company. You are going to come across some good ones and some bad ones. Collectively they should give you a better idea of what  the company is like in general, and what its current employees say about working there! 3. Your needs Does the job offer provide for  your needs? Always evaluate the contract’s options, from its compensation, bonuses, general benefits, health insurance, flex-time, allowance, travel reimbursement, the various form of leave entitlement, profit sharing  and  retirement support. If a job offer meets your predetermined bottom line, you could go ahead and accept it. However, make sure that the entire package is going to meet your demands.  Remember the opportunity cost. If you are to take on this job, you wont be able to take one another one for some time, so  weigh it out meticulously. Will you be compensated correctly? It is worth proactively ask the hiring manager or HR about the full options available in the package. Sometimes it isnt made  clear, so you have to probe for details. It is important to discuss those matters before you accept the salary offer and sign the contract  (and regret later). 4. The company’s promising future Of course, you want to be proud of the company you are working for. Thus, ask and do some research about the company’s development plan. You have to be sure that their development path suits your career path. Also, figure out about the reason for people leaving the company as well as their turnover rate.  A promising company will give you room to improve. Its no  wonder that having a clear path for your advancement is an important consideration to ponder over as well. Although you are not a fortune teller, you should understand the company’s direction and ensure it aligns with your goals.  In addition, you would want to do some research on the industry as well.  They could be the leading company in the floppy disk drive industry, but it isnt going to end well seeing as the  industry will die sooner or later. Image: Shutterstock

Be Strategic and You Can Build A Powerful Social Media Brand, says Aidan J. Cassidy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Be Strategic and You Can Build A Powerful Social Media Brand, says Aidan J. Cassidy - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career [Sponsored Blog Post] One of the most important things you need to do to successfully build your personal brand is to find the right audience for the type of information youre publishing, as well as the products youre selling. Too many people disregard the word audience and just take the plunge and end up scratching their heads because they have no blog subscribers, social network followers and revenue. The smartest companies these days, including Whole Foods and Zappos, build a community of customers that opt-in to learn more about upcoming products and events. You can personally copy the same success as they have by creating content around what youre trying to sell and figure out who most needs that content. In order to find out the best strategy to position your social media brand, I spoke to social media expert and politician, Aidan J. Cassidy. He said: Social media can be such a powerful tool in building your brand as a leader. However, its important to plan your social media presence strategically. Who is your audience? What sort of attention are you looking to attract? Just using social media for the sake of using it is not wise. A lot of people put all their energy into sending tweets and making Facebook updates that either dont get read or dont eventually turn into sales. When I asked Aidan J. Cassidy about how to build the right type of social media community that can support your personal brand, he said: Its important to build a targeted community. Having a big general group youre marketing to wont create super engaged followers. Be specific. As I always say, dont be everything to everyone or youll be nothing to no one. No one wants to join a general groups with random people. People want to be connected to others who share similar interests, professions, agendas, etc. Another important piece of advice is to be unique. Aidan J. Cassidy says: Its also important to figure out who you are as a business leader. What makes you unique? Whatever that is, tap into it and make that the special sauce of your online presence. If you dont understand what your unique qualifications are for serving your community, then it will be hard to capture the audience in the first place. You have to give people a reason to listen to you and take you seriously if you want to build a strong community. Finally, the most important thing you can do to be successful building your personal brand online is to be authentic. Cassidy says: Be authentic. People can spot content that is not genuine. Stay true to you and your personal brand. If you arent being true to yourself, people wont be able to connect with you. Its all about having an emotional and authentic relationship with your followers. People connect with those who are vulnerable, willing to admit their mistakes and arent afraid to speak up about what they truly care about.

The Holidays as a Twentysomething

The Holidays as a Twentysomething Today marks the beginning of the holiday season.   A season which changes as we get older. I couldnt help but observe the chatter going on between other twentysomethings  on Facebook and  Twitter (and from my  own friends) about this holiday season. Some of us are spending our first holiday away from home due to work, studying, or spending time with a significant others family.   Others feel that their home is no longer their home, as they have adjusted to their new life as an independent adult.   Then there are those twentysomethings who are  dreading some of their  relatives.    You know, the relatives that  constantly ask you what you are doing with your life and  why you are doing it; the ones who  joke that you are going to become an old maid because youre single. And of course, this is one of the most difficult times of the year as  many of us  remember loved ones who will not be here to celebrate the holidays with us. Im sure we can all relate to at least one of these scenarios in our own lives. All the chatter about heading home for the holidays or abroad on a vacation with a company like www.TravelRepublic.ie it has made me realize that my peers and I are getting older and because of that, the essence of the holidays has changed.   Now I understand why everyone says the holidays are so stressful: budgeting for gifts, buying and wrapping  the gifts, trying not to buy gifts for yourself, making cookies, avoiding cookies, holiday parties every weekend, more cookies, sending out holiday cards, making the perfect holiday dishes, giving back to your community, decorating the house and then of course, attempting to find some time for yourself in all of this mess Celebrating the holidays in your early twenties marks a time of change where you realize you are becoming an adult.    There is  a strange feeling of being stuck between the child who wants Santa to come down the chimney, and being the adult who would rather hang out with their friends.   You want to cherish your old traditions and  create new ones at the same exact time. My advice? When you cant beat em, join em.   Holidays in your twenties are a roller  coaster of weird situations and new situations. Of defining your own traditions and venturing into new territories.   Find things to be grateful for in all of the madness.   Find out what you like and dont like and use it to help shape your life for the better. Have safe travels this week  and enjoy your holidays.   If you have any great stories, please send them our way!