Turning Down a Job Offer
- Frank Manfre
- Jun 11
- 2 min read
When conducting a job search the primary goal is of course to get a formal offer of employment. But when should you turn down an offer? Let’s start by looking at what your situation might be when you got the offer. For many people, if they have a decent job with good pay and benefits and were recruited, then the offer would have to be pretty darn good to jump ship since a lateral move probably isn’t all that attractive or enticing. As they say, "the grass isn’t always greener on the other side" - in fact, it often isn’t. If on the other hand, you are in a toxic environment, don’t like your boss, and haven’t seen a raise in a couple of years, that tepid offer will look pretty good, if only to regain a sense of wellbeing and a heathy work/life balance.
Also, if you’ve been out of work for any length of time and feeling the economic pinch, almost any offer might be tempting and better declined. I know it’s difficult advice to follow when your savings has dwindled, and the bills are piling up. But be extremely careful about jumping on an offer just for the money. Many people - me included - have done just that and came to regret it :(
I am not suggesting that you pass it up in hopes of getting an offer with better compensation and/or benefits. I am however, suggesting that you put the compensation aspect aside while you evaluate the other key elements of the job and ask yourself:
Does the culture of this organization suit my personality and work style?
What do I know about the leadership style of the person I will report to?
If advancement is a goal, is there opportunity for it there?
Do they offer tuition reimbursement? Paid time off for training and professional development?
In the end, it may be wiser to pass on the offer if it doesn’t score well when you tally all of the attributes on your “what’s important” list. I can speak from experience about feelings of regret that can settle in after taking the wrong job. Landing in a bad role or organization can greatly outweigh the short-term financial comfort. In one case, I realized that I would have been much happier had I waited for an offer from a better company run by decent executives versus working at a job I didn’t enjoy with leaders I didn’t respect or trust - lesson learned.
Frank Manfre
Job Search Sherpa
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