Episode 17

Last updated Sep 4, 2022 Edit Source

Topic - Reasons not to Pursue a Career Opportunity (During the Interview Process and Post-Interview), Part 2 of 2 

2:06 While in the Interview Process 

• We’re focusing on the Manager Tools Framework 

  • Compensation 

  • Values 

  • Industry Stability 

  • Reputation 

  • Opportunities 

  • Locations 

  • Financials 

  • Customer Base 

  • Culture 

• Culture 

  • Revisit  Nerd Journey 013: The Sniper Approach to Job Hunting with Tom Delicati 

  • Insights into an organization’s culture emerge from conversations with people 

    • Consider the Team’s Culture 

      • Expansive view of the definition of team 

      • Stage-of-life match / mismatch with team members  

      • Attitude 

        • Personality 

        • Energy 

        • Perception of manager / company 

        • Growth mindset 

        • Meaningful answers to “What keeps you here?” 

        • Focus on the team’s observed culture and values are vs. what is professed company-wide.   

      • Leverage personal connections at the company for team insight (if applicable). 

      • Expectations of teammates as well as team manager 

      • Listen for John’s psychological real estate trick. 

      • Proximity 

  • Team 

    • Proximity 

      • In-office vs remote 

      • Collaboration tools 

      • Office space 

  • Manager 

    • Personality meshing 

    • Value match 

    • Skills match 

    • Development and growth 

    • Mentoring opportunities (check with team on this as well) 

    • Ask the manager’s management style 

    • What does good look like in this role? 

    • Proximity is a consideration here too 

    • What does a typical 1-1 look like? 

      • Review  Nerd Journey 012: Effective 1-on-1 Meetings with your Manager and Gracefully Leaving an Organziation 

  • Manager 

    • Frequency of 1-1s 

    • Other episodes to review 

      • Nerd Journey 011: Questions to Ask in an Interview and Hero Complex 

      • Nerd Journey 002: HR and Hiring Manager Early Process Interviews 

  • Logistics 

    • No job will pay you to commute but may provide a stipend for public transit.  This is a question that may be more appropriate after an offer is made. 

23:52 - After the Offer 

• Focus on compensation, value match 

• Good time to look at the financials of the organization 

• Review of Washington Post article  How to Decide Between Two Equally Great Job Offers 

  • Evaluate your candidate experience  

    • Timeliness 

    • Respect and courtesy 

      • Treatment during the interview process may reflect treatment after you accept an offer. 

    • Communication quality 

    • Was the process well organized? 

    • Did professional goals come up? 

  • Introspection – What’s important to me? 

    • Prioritized list 

    • Compensation, other benefits (HSA, FSA, insurance, etc.) 

    • Title 

    • Opportunity to Travel 

      • Who owns travel perks? 

    • Prospects for growth 

    • Opportunities for mentorship / management 

    • Logistics 

    • Work / life balance 

    • Stability 

    • Review  Nerd Journey 016: Reasons Not to Pursue a Career Opportunity Part 1/2 Before Applying 

    • Take time to think it through! 

  • Avoid getting too emotional, and use logic to make the decision. 

  • Get outside advice 

    • Engage only the circle of trust, which should consist of people who know you from different social circles 

      • Ideally, these are people who know your values and goals 

    • Work with a mentor or other industry peer 

    • Further Reading from John Nicholson -  So You Are Thinking about Taking an Offer… What Do You Need to Know? 

  • Go back and listen to the Manager Tools podcast series! 

34:05 - Turning Down an Offer 

• It’s important to stay on good terms with the company / hiring manager / recruiter. 

• Nick says be honest about your reasons for saying no to provide feedback on the process.  John cautions about being too honest. 

• Manager Tools: Declining an offer 

  • Do it directly in person or via phone. 

  • Say “I’m declining your offer.” 

  • Stay in touch, and leave the door open for future opportunities. 

• The way you handle turning down an offer will affect your reputation, which can follow you to other organizations. 

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