What Does a Job Offer Look Like?

First and foremost...

Until it's on paper, it's not a real job offer. I'd be very wary of an employer who expects me to accept employment terms if he couldn't take the time to put them on paper.

Verbal agreements leave far too much room for misinterpretation and discrepancy. You will certainly have discussed the details of the offer verbally before it is laid out on paper, but you shouldn't be expected to engage in any actual work until there is a signed contract.

With modern technology being what it is, there is no logical reason why an employer wouldn’t be able to produce a written contract. It can be printed, faxed, mailed, or emailed.

What should it say?

The contents of a job offer can vary greatly. Some are very basic, with very little detail, while others include a lot of detail and fine print. At the very least, it should name the two parties entering into the agreement, and describe exactly what is expected of both.

This means that your entire employment structure should be detailed here. It should clearly state:

~ your working hours

~ to whom you report

~ the method for submitting work or trading information

It should include things like:

~ when and how often you will be subjected to performance reviews

~ when and how often you will be eligible for a salary increase

This agreement should also detail the equipment that will be supplied to you for doing the job:

~ a portable computer

~ a cellular phone

It should then break down in detail all of the elements of thecompensation package. This means that in addition to stating yourbase salary, your vacation time, benefits, pension and any other negotiated details must be noted and recognized in print.

Some job offers will include additional information such as ;corporate policies and codes of conduct, etc. There may also be a confidentialityclause which you will need to adhere to depending on the nature of the work and organization. There could be several other industry specific paragraphs pertaining to ;unions, associations, etc.

The more information and detail, the better.

If you feel that an offer is missing a specific detail, you can and should ask that it be added. If you are unsure about the wording or something you have read, you needn’t sign off until you get clarification.

Just to be safe...

You may want to have an unbiased legal representative look over the offer and clarify certain points of concern.

Never sign off until you are one hundred percent comfortable with the contents of the agreement.

Remember that salary isn't everything. Try to look at thecompensation package as a whole before dismissing an offer.

At the end of the day though, if you've carefully considered the offer and you know in your heart of hearts that it simply doesn't meet your needs, you may have to consider turning down the job offer in favor of a more suitable opportunity.

• Setting realistic expectations
• Planning and preparing your job search
• The almighty resume
• The cover letter
• The job interview
• Preparing for interview questions
• The job offer compensation package