Money isn’t everything. While it’s great to be able to pay all the bills and still treat yourself once in a while, a career is more than a paycheck. You have to be able to love what you do and enjoy your life while you work. If the salary won’t make you rich, there might still be some things in that job offer that mean more than money. Look at everything the employer has to give before you decline a job offer.
Work-Life Balance
If you’re a student, a parent, or a passionate hobbyist, work-life balance is going to be important to you. If your new job offers plenty of time off, great hours, or flexible scheduling, you’ll be able to live more. Some fields provide better work-life balance than others. According to CNBC and Glassdoor, corporate recruiters and UX designers report some of the best work-life balance. If your job offer isn’t in one of those fields, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get what you want. If it’s important to you and the salary isn’t what you desired, you can always negotiate for it.
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Useful Discounts and Partnerships
If your job winds up saving you money on things you frequently purchase, a slightly smaller salary won’t be a big deal. Plenty of retail jobs boast excellent discounts – Sephora gives its employees 20% off on luxury cosmetics and fragrances, Barnes & Noble offers discounts between 20% and 50% depending on the department, and Trader Joe’s gives their employees 10% off all their groceries and free food while they’re at work.
Some employers might also offer discounts to sister brands or partner companies, extending your savings. Depending on your hobbies and where you like to shop, you might wind up saving a fortune. These kinds of discounts come in useful around the holidays – if you spend $300 on gifts for your friends and family, a mere 20% discount can save you $60 to treat yourself with.
A Wellness Program
Google has the wellness program to end all wellness programs – they even keep doctors and massage therapists on staff. Even if you’re not working for Google, you can still expect some health help from a great employer. If you’re trying to devote more attention to your health, an employee wellness program will significantly benefit you. Employers that keep you fed with healthy foods and snacks, pay for your gym membership (or have an employee gym on the campus), or run a company sports league might help you achieve your goals. You won’t be torn between your fitness journey and your career success.
The Ability to Work Remotely
Think about those days where you aren’t necessarily sick, but you still don’t feel like getting all dressed up to deal with people. You don’t want to call out of work because you might need those days for an actual emergency. That’s where the ability to work remotely kicks in. If you just need some leisurely time or you want to be able to work while you’re attending an out-of-town wedding, consider an employer that will give you the freedom to do so.
Many employers in fields that heavily rely on computers, medical billing and coding, insurance agencies, web design, graphic design, app development, and customer service all have remote work opportunities.
Great Company Culture
If the salary is great but your coworkers are as pleasant to deal with as pulling teeth, you’re going to hate your job. Nothing can trump company culture. The environment you work in, the way teams collaborate, and the strength of communication from the top down will affect the way everyone works. In order to create a harmonious company cultures, employees need to have values and a mission statement that every employee believes in. This facilitates the unity and the team spirit necessary for everyone to have a great working experience.
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One of the best examples of company culture is Zappos. The shoe company pays people to quit after training if they don’t think they’ll thrive in their work environment, and cultural fit accounts for 50% of the hiring decision. They only want people who will work well together towards a goal they all believe in. This is the greatest motivator possible, and it amounts to a fulfilling career.
Room For Advancement
A starting salary may be low until you’ve proven yourself. If you have your eyes set on a position more important than the one you were initially offered, it may be worthwhile to take what you’re offered and work your way up. Before you accept a job offer, talk to the person who gave it to you. Ask if there’s any room from growth within the company and what the trajectory will look like. If you aren’t starting in a dead end position, your salary will inevitably increase with your prestige. The ability to become a key player in an organization always outranks the starting offer.
Educational Opportunities
Some companies offer tuition reimbursement, making them perfect choices for students who need to further their education in order to land their dream positions. If you’re working to put yourself through school as a means of achieving a better career opportunity, there are plenty of companies who would love to help you do that – and many of them will be waiting to offer you that better opportunity after you’ve graduated.
Before you turn your nose up at a job offer, consider how much you stand to gain that doesn’t come affixed to a dollar sign. If the career is a great place for you to learn, grow, and focus on your goals, money cannot purchase that opportunity.
Rachel Jackson is a mother of 2 beautiful boys. She loves to hike and write about travelling, education and business at AssignYourWriter.co.uk. She is a Senior Content Manager at Bizset.com – an online resource of relevant business information.
