Your CV has to be perfect. The same applies to your cover letter. You have to do well at the interview and impress your potential employer. You have done all this. Now you have a job offer at hand. The next logical question is – do you want to accept it? You should definitely not make any moves out of desperation. It is a good idea to evaluate the proposition first.
The first thing you have to do is to arrange a deadline for accepting the offer with your potential employer. Usually, you do not have to answer straight away, but in most cases you will not be given much time to ponder on it. It is best for you not to ask for more time. Just try to make the most out of the days you are given to think.
You have to evaluate the job offer in line with any other opportunities that you have. If you have been to other interviews, you might want to call the human resources officer that you have talked to and ask them for the outcome. In case, the job that you got an offer for is not your primary choice, you might wan to wait for a better one. Still, if you think you might not get your dream position, you may want to go for the second or third best.
Check carefully all the clauses of the job offer. If you have not had the opportunity to negotiate the salary and/ or you think it is too small, you might want to look into the opportunities for promotion and further career development. Check the work hours and their flexibility carefully. Will the work schedule fit your lifestyle? Would you be able to take days off if you have family matters to take care of? You have to take into account commuting as well. As you certainly know, London is an extremely busy place and you might not feel comfortable having to travel to and back from work for an hour or an hour and a half.
You would want to make sure that you will feel well at work and that you will be able to give your best. You have to have an idea of what your future boss will be like. Would you be able to work well with them? Do you recognize their managerial style? You also need to have an idea of how you will get along with your future co-workers. Have you seen how they work? Do they seem happy at the workplace? Do they seem to be team players? You have to look into the office environment as well. Is it stricter or more relaxed? Are the opinions of employees highly valued? Will you be under pressure to perform excellently all the time?
These questions are usually not easy to answer. You should not hesitate to research the company more thoroughly on the internet. The social networks are good places to start. You can also make some discrete inquiries by contacting people in the industry that you have networked with.
Before you decide to accept a job offer, make a list of all of the pros and cons. Sleep on it and make up your mind.