Congratulations! You have a job offer. That means all the work and effort you have put in to prepare yourself during the initial stage has been fruitful.

The next stage to consider is: Are you going to accept the job?

Of course, the temptation to accept it immediately is great. Just thinking of the salary offered and a long term career opportunities flash in your mind is too hard to resist.

However, can you really accept the offer?

Ask the prospective employer to give you a few days to make a decision. It is all right to ask since they know accepting the job may in a way, alter your lifestyle too. The other party will certainly have no problem with this request.

- Is it the right job for you?

No matter what position you are offered, you have to consider this question carefully. What attracted you to this job? Is it your dream job?

- Can you live with the duties or responsibilities of the job?

The reason to consider this is; you may not want to pressure yourself in a position where the responsibilities are not familiar to you. Although most organizations stated the responsibilities and duties they required of a position, there are chances the responsibilities may be changed without any notice. Ponder over this point again. Can you assume the role this prospective employer wants from you?

- Can you work with the people?

You may have been into the organization during the interview. You saw the staff working at that time. What was your feeling then? Do you think you can work with them now?

- Who is your boss? How is he like?

During the interview, you may have a short glimpse into you future boss' personality. Is he friendly, demanding, open-minded or cool and aloof? Some bosses do exude some ambiance of superiority. Do you like the feeling? Can you accept the person as your boss?

- Are you satisfied with the salary offered?

Salary may not be a big question if this is your first offered position. The money may come in handy even if not much. However, if you are making a move in your career, you will need to consider again.

- Does the job offer a career growth for you?

Maybe this is a good question to ask. Can you expand your career after a few years? Can you continually climb upwards or is it a dead lock job where there is no possibility of moving forward?

- Is the job secured?

Is the organization expanding in a growing industry which means some sort of job security for you?

- Will you have to travel to another location?

Where is the location of your organization? Do you need to commute there daily? Do you need to relocate? Does your job or position require you to travel?

- What are the daily working hours like?

Some organizations have different working hours. Ask about this during the interview. In certain countries, Fridays and Saturdays are deemed as weekends. Apart from the normal working hours, do you need to do any ‘over-time'? How do you claim your ‘over-time'?

- What are the fringe benefits that come with the position?

Does the organization offer fringe benefits such as hospitalization, certain claims, health insurance, etc?

Although you may feel uneasy about the new job, it could be due to the fear of change. However, if you do feel positively about the new position, go ahead and accept the job.