Metrics for assessing a job offer

Think about what is important in your professional and private life, then assess the offer against these metrics.

• Salary. Even when the money is enough, you need to figure out if it's worthy of your knowledge and skills and in line with the local market.
• Job content. Consider whether you will derive job satisfaction from the offer. To answer this question, you need to know the kinds of activities you want to be involved in and the skills you want to use. You will need a deep understanding of what's expected of you to decide whether you do indeed want the job.
• Cultural fit. Ask yourself if it is a place where you will be happy, challenged, and where you will thrive. It might make sense to do a trial run to see what your colleagues are like.
• Flexibility, vacation, and other perks. Flexible hours and vacation time are an increasingly valuable perk. During the evaluation stage, it's important to find out whether current employees are afforded such benefits.
• Other options. Also assess your walk-away alternatives. Think about the offer in terms of the cost and benefit of starting the job search process over again, of staying in your current job, or of first seeing what other offers materialize.

There will be some give and take in negotiations for a new job, but if everything you ask for is a "no," it demonstrates inflexibility on the part of your prospective employer and could be a red flag.

If your internal monitoring system tells you that you should not take the job, listen. Ho...