7 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Accepting A Job | The Financial Diet

The Financial Diet blog:

[kiya]

I've been out of college for a year now, and I have two part time jobs that add up to the time of full time, but without any of the benefits of being full time. I don't hate either of my jobs, and I have more money than I need, but I also don't feel fulfilled by either. I'm looking for a new one, but it's pretty casual looking, and I need to get myself in gear. I find it depressing how invested Americans are in what people do for work. Literally the first question you get from anyone is what your job is, and if it's not a job other people find impressive or interesting for whatever reason, they just give you pitying looks. How I pay my bills is not the most interesting thing about me, and it never has been.

[tzelladelta]

I live in Greece, where the unemployment rate is up to 32%, this list is utopia for us. Here, when you given a job, you take it, no questions asked. It's sad but true...

[lenkaja]

The questions I asked myself before accepting a job were: 1) Is this the only job you were offered after forever of trying to get one? 2) Is the minimum wage you are going to be paid significantly more than nothing you are earning now?

[keyorempi]

Am I clear on the full description of this job and what is expected of me in this role?
Is the salary competitive?
Ask about benchmarks.
What’s the benefits?
What’s the work/life balance?
Is there opportunities for continued learning?
Would I feel proud to work here?

[meghansowersby]

Hey TFD, you guys mention negotiating salaries/fees all the time and I think it's great advice, but could you make a video on HOW to negotiate? As someone who struggles with being assertive and speaking my mind this task seems incredibly daunting ! Thank you <3

[daisybryar]

Not sure how common the is in the US, but in the UK there are a lot of undesirable jobs that trick young people into working for them, particularly students and graduates. They're usually commission based sales jobs or cold calling jobs, the kind of jobs no one wants to do. Some thing to look out for are: vague job descriptions and general lack of clarity around what you'll actually be doing, working on commission, "telesales", companies you've never heard of, emphasis on whether you can drive (you need to travel for door-to-door sales), and at the interview stage, group interviews. Glassdoor can give you a good idea about a company if you're unsure, but be aware that some of them post fake positive reviews of themselves.

[laurenconrad]

Please do a video on finding a career path that you're passionate about and that fits you. You need to be clear about what you want to do before beginning a job search.

[Frissdas]

I've realized over the years that I'm a great candidate. I have kept track, roughly of my application/callback/offer ratio and it's pretty high. Statistically, any job I've earnestly applied for; I got an offer. It wasn't until YouTube that I found out that others have a hard time getting a job. I asked my wife what she thought about why that might be as she's been in our home office during several of my interviews. She suspects it's my ability to be personable. My last 2 employers told me the same thing a year or 2 later during a review where I asked why I was picked and they said "you were actually under qualified for the position, initially. The team liked you more though and felt you were easier to get along with."

If you want your dream job.. just be the most likeable person in the room, I guess. Lol.

[electrictwilight]

These tips are good, but even having the option of thinking about work/life balance, 401(k)s and other fringe benefits, etc. are luxuries. If you can't even get full time hours or qualify for health insurance, continuing education is not even a distant thought. The only thought a lot of people (myself included) have is "these people are hiring me! when do I start?"

[maureentakach]

Miss Chelsea, I'm in my 50s and I WISH I had access to TFD when I was 18. My parents never showed me how to handle money like saving, balancing a checkbook, handling credit cards (yes, I had a similar experience to you when I was 18-25. Also, my parents never let me cook because I was "just a kid" and would "probably make a mess" so I went out into the world without these skills. College was not offered on line back then at community college so it was difficult to work 50 hours a week and then attend night school twice a week. Thank you for all that you post. You are an inspiration!

[iiFufi]

I've been watching youtube since middle school and I am about to graduate college now. It is funny how each chapter of my life I find great youtubers to relate to! New subbie!

[rosemarywilliams]

I'm 32 and did not ask myself this before taking the job that I'm in.  Now that I have been looking for a job for a year now, every time I get offered a job, I ask myself these things.  Thank you for all the useful tips =) it's never too late to get it right everyone.

[ellab-pstvty]

I wish I saw this video about 5 years ago. Such useful advice! I'm currently looking for a job and I'm going to keep coming back to these questions during my search and before I accept an offer. Thank you! 😊

[emilydao_]

I love your channel!! I wish I would've had this advice last year when I was graduating college

[LoveDaringGreatly]

I didn't negotiate either.. I didn't look on glassdoor because there weren't many jobs with my title and description.. my job does great work in mental health and has great work-life and benefits.. I mean yoga and pilates at lunch and wear jeans Wednesday-score! My job has evolved so I will def be looking at glassdoor..

[daisybryar]

This is such great advice, a little late for me because I've realised this over the past year. I graduated in early July last year and I was so freaked out at not having a job by September I ended up applying to everything and took a job in a field I have no interest in. The job itself was great - it's the highest pay I've had so far, the hours were completely flexible, and my brother worked nearby so I rarely ever paid for transport - but I didn't care at all about the work I was doing. It made me so miserable I quit after 3 months (I'm a big completer/finisher so that is a HUGE deal for me). I was unemployed for a month or so afterwards and back to square one, and what I found most useful was getting a couple of shifts a week at a bar. It was fun and easy and helped me develop confidence and experience, it didn't leave an empty space on my CV/resume (or my purse!), and now I don't freak out and mass-apply to jobs. In my last two interviews, I've felt in more of a position of power and that if I don't like the sound of the job, I can turn it down.

[labarrett]

Wish I saw this video when I was graduating. It's spot on for everything I wish I would have known. Great video TFD!

[Shaynnanigans]

I ask questions in the interview of what does the person in this role day to day look like? Or if it is a new role, ask what their day to day looks like. Gives me a sense of the culture and routine. I always ask that question and what they most love about working at the company.

[ressydm]

I was lured by the education aspect at one job, and they never allowed me to go and actually pursue it! They liked my work ethic, they wanted me in the office but the education they were dangling just never materialized.

[HappyLaura]

this video is so relatable, i recently resigned from a position (currently on gardening leave and i have been binge watching your channel lol) at a small / medium sized company. the company practices were terrible and the way they treated not only their staff but their customers was terrible also. I was 20 when i got my job, and i took it with no questions asked because i wanted to work full time and still be able to make night classes at uni, but my biggest regret is not asking a lot of those questions in mention. they treated me terribly towards the end and it was just terrible. i have learnt a lot about not what to do with the position i hold today!

great video TFD !