Congratulations on your new job offer! What an exciting new opportunity for you! Perhaps you even have a few opportunities presented to you and you’re trying to decide what one is best for you (what a lovely problem to have). Something to remember is that although the salary is very important (gotta make those dolla dolla bills) you should consider the entire employment package in order to make the best decision for you. So, let’s dive in to make sure you get that dream job you’ve always wanted.

1)      Benefits: Does the job have benefits? Is it a good benefits program? When I was looking at my current job, I knew that I would be the only one with benefits so I wanted to make sure it had a good benefit program for my family. Dentist appointments, prescriptions, glasses etc. can get VERY expensive so I wanted to make sure my family was covered. What I loved about my company’s program is that you got a certain amount of credits and then there were different levels to each program so I could custom tailor it to meet my families needs. For example, I didn’t need a lot of life insurance since I was already covered, so I used more of my credits for dentist appointments since I knew we’d use that more. I pay $40/biweekly for these benefits and I feel like these are invaluable to us as a little family. I was willing to take a lower paying job in order to ensure that my family was protected.

2)      Vacation & Flexibility. I get 3 weeks vacation + 3-5 bonus firm holidays + 2 mental health days. I also have the option to buy 1 or 2 extra weeks of vacation so in total I could walk away with 6 weeks of vacation which was SO important to me. I love to travel so it’s nice that I have the time to do so (when quarantine restrictions open up). I also like knowing that I can take a day off here or there if my kid’s have an appointment or a school play and not have to worry about losing a precious vacation day. Speaking of my kid’s having appointments, my firm is SO flexible about work schedules and it’s been a game changer. Say I have to take my kids to a doctor’s appointment? No problem I can just make the time up throughout the week, same with when I was pregnant and had to go to a bunch of ultrasounds because I was a bit higher risk. They are also great about working from home (Covid 19 also helped with that) so if I need to stay home one day because the furnace man is coming there’s not usually an issue. They have always been completely trusting and understanding and for that they really earned my loyalty. It made me want to work harder because I was proud to be a part of this company. The extra vacation and flexibility makes it a lot easier to have a great work life balance.

3)      Office Location: What will your commute look like? Is it easy to get to? How much will parking or a bus pass cost you if needed? When I applied to my current job, I was really excited because I thought it was 10 minutes away from my house. When I got the job interview and they gave me the address I was so confused because that location was downtown. Turns out we just sponsored the building near my house, and the office was actually an hour commute each way. That was a huge bummer but thankfully it’s not too too bad and I sort of like the quiet time it gives me.

4)      Bonus Perks: What are some extra perks that the company gives the employees to attract and retain their talent? Is it a really cool office with neat amenities- Shopify I’m looking at you! Do they have great employee discounts- Hello Lululemon and Air Canada. Or do they have small little bonuses that make it a really great place to work. My firm offers a fitness credit where they give you up to $1,000/year to put towards fitness related expenses. I’ve used it for running shoes, Orange Theory equipment and golf clubs which has been great! They also offer us free Udemy courses to help expand our knowledge which is fabulous. Things like that make an already great place to work become an AWESOME place to work and it’s something to consider.

5)      Will it fill your cup? Making a lot of money is wonderful, but if it sucks the soul out of you then what’s the point. You have to do what makes you happy or else the money won’t mean anything. You can always make money, but if you do something that makes you miserable than you will never get that time back. So, find your passion and make it happen!

I hope that this helps you find your dream job. I hope that when you’re considering a job you look at more than just the salary to ensure it’ll be the right fit for you. Sometimes it’s best to choose the lower salary if it means that you’re choosing the job that fits better with your goals and lifestyle. Either way I’m so excited for this new opportunity for you and I’m sure it’ll be great! Good luck 😊