Summary

The article discusses the dilemma of whether or not to accept a job offer, emphasizing the importance of considering personal circumstances and the full context of the offer before making a decision.

Abstract

The decision to accept or decline a job offer is a significant one, and it is important for individuals to assess their own needs and values before making a choice. The article highlights the fact that job seekers, much like organizations, have the right to evaluate opportunities and select the best fit, rather than feeling obligated to accept any offer that comes their way. It suggests that loyalty in employment should be reciprocal and that individuals should consider their personal and familial commitments, the benefits and drawbacks of the job package, and the potential for professional growth. The article also cautions against declining a job offer for trivial reasons, emphasizing the importance of making decisions based on substantial factors rather than superficial policies.

Opinions

The author believes that employment should not be a one-sided relationship where the employee feels compelled to accept any job offer out of gratitude or desperation.
The author argues that just as companies select the best candidate, individuals should also select the best job offer from those available to them.
The importance of recognizing one's value in the job market and making informed decisions about job offers is underscored.
The author points out the risk of being perceived as ungrateful or difficult when turning down job offers, as seen in the Latrell Sprewell example.
A personal anecdote is shared to illustrate the difference between declining a job for valid reasons, such as work-life balance, versus turning it down for minor grievances like dress codes.
The author suggests that a support system or trusted advisors can provide valuable perspectives on job offers, helping individuals to make better decisions.

When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Turn Down a Job

This is the third entry in a three-part series on modern life in work and business — you can read part one here and part two here.

The call you’ve been awaiting finally arrives.

Maybe it’s the hiring manager, but more than likely it’s someone from Human Resources.

“Hi,” the cheery voice on the other end says, “we’d like to formally offer you the position of…”

Your pulse begins to quicken. This is it. This is the moment. This is the culmination of all that time and effort.

All of those resumes you submitted that seemingly went nowhere? All of those applications you completed in which you had to type the same thing over and over again even though all of the information is already on the resume you uploaded? All of those calls from desperate recruiters trying to get you to accept that one awful job that they can’t get off their desk? All those phone interviews that you took on the sly so no one at your job knew you were interviewing? And even those in-person interviews in which they may have brought you back two or three times to meet more and more people and once again recount your employment experience before scrambling back to the office and changing clothes in the car or in the bathroom of a Dunkin’ Donuts so that your boss didn’t know you were trying to bolt?

All of it was leading to this moment. This is why you did all of that.

Only, it doesn’t feel right.

Maybe you knew it as you were exiting the building following your interview. Maybe it came to you as an epiphany in the middle of the night or while you were on the toilet the next day. Or maybe you thought it was all good until the offer came in and the package — salary, benefits, hours, dress code, travel, whatever — was not what you were expecting.

Do you still accept?

After all, you were the one that applied and you were the one that interviewed and you were the one looking for a job.

We’ve been conditioned — particularly since 2008 — to be grateful for any scraps of employment that our compassionate overlords dole out to us, that we should be happy that we get a check — no matter its size — and continue to work harder and harder just so we get to keep our jobs. So, if a company is generous enough to offer you a position, you take it.

Right?

Well, what if we reverse it?

Organizations choose from a pool of candidates and bring in several to interview before choosing the best fit. Why can’t we, as empowered employees, do the same? Why can’t we toss ourselves out there and see how many candidates we get?

I’ve sat through meetings about how we need to do more for the company on Thursday and saw people get laid off the following Monday. That’s business and that’s life. I get it. But why should loyalty be a one-way street?

If you think of yourself not as high school kid hoping to make varsity but as a free agent, able to field offers from a variety of teams before choosing the best option, you’ll be able to use this to your advantage.

Be careful. This can get dangerous. Sometimes you wind up in a Latrell Sprewell situation in which you turn down $21 million because you claim it’s not enough to feed your family and are never offered another contract ever again. So you have to know the market and your value within that market, and what other options and opportunities are out there for you.

I’ve turned down a job offer several times and, in my experience, the most important thing is that you are doing so for the right reasons.

Recently, I turned down two offers within the span of a week, but only one was the correct decision.

The first was a role with a fantastic company. Unfortunately, they not only expected me to do the job of two or three people, but they also wanted me to travel globally for long stretches of time, something that I’d rather not do with a young child at home. Perhaps if they were going to double my salary I would have been willing to do it for a few years to get some great international experience and bank some money, but the package was not nearly worth the sacrifice. After informing the HR recruiter of my decision, I slept great.

A few days later, I turned down another offer. This was a great opportunity, one that provided me with some experience that was missing from my resume in an industry in which I had previously thrived. But I didn’t like the dress code and some other minor policies I found to be draconian. I was being stupid and petty. When I declined the offer, I felt uneasy and kept second-guessing myself.

When I told someone whose insights into both business and life I respect and value about the two offers, he couldn’t understand why I didn’t leap at the second one. In a very short conversation, he presented the situation in a different way and made me realize all of the things I was overlooking and thus forgoing. (A similar thing happened when I first met my wife. I guess I just can’t realize a good thing even when it’s staring me in the face.)

Fortunately, we were able to work through it and come to an agreement, and I happily accepted the position, something I should have done the first time.

But I was lucky. For a time, I believed that I had thrown away a wonderful job offer because it wasn’t the perfect job offer and worried that I’d never get that type of chance again.

So should you ever turn down a job offer?

Absolutely. But only if you’ve thought it through completely and you’re doing so for the right reasons.

Christopher Pierznik’s nine books are available in paperback and Kindle. His work has appeared on XXL, Cuepoint, Business Insider, The Cauldron, Medium, Fatherly, Hip Hop Golden Age, and many more. Subscribe to his monthly newsletter or follow him on Facebook or Twitter.