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Welcome to episode 17 of the Nerd Journey Podcast [@NerdJourney]! We’re John White (@vJourneyman) and Nick Korte (@NetworkNerd_), two VMware Solution Engineers who are hoping to bring you the IT career advice that we wish we’d been given earlier in our careers. In today’s episode, we have Part 2 of a two-part discussion on when to stop pursuing a career opportunity.

Original recording date: 2018-11-10

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.

Remember to send us your topic suggestions!