Accepting the Position Doesn’t End the Job Search

If you are a fan of the NBA, then you know when it comes to your favorite player, he can be fast, strong, and a great dribble/drive guy. But if he cannot “finish” the play with a bucket, he will never be considered one of the best. When it comes to accepting your job offer, your job search does not end simply with the acceptance. Remember, along with the short-term position, you have a long-term career to manage. The following are some things you can do to tie up all the loose ends of your job search once you have been offered a position.

Get the Offer in Writing

The hiring manager has called you and offered you the position. That is great! But don’t start doing the happy dance just yet. If the salary and benefits are to your liking, go ahead and verbally accept, but request that a copy be sent to you in writing. What you are looking to accomplish here is a paper trail that will clear up any misunderstandings should your application have to cycle through other individuals and departments. If you are told that you are being offered $80,000 annually, you do not want to find out on the back end that somehow this was changed to $72,000 and have no documentation to refute that. Be sure all benefits and perks are mentioned within the document. Ensure that you can access a copy of this when going through your on-boarding process. This is just good business, people.

Change LinkedIn Profile

A “current” LinkedIn profile is a good profile. When the timing is right, log in and add the new position to your profile after your job search has ended. Don’t forget to change the previous position to past tense verbiage and provide an ending date. Follow the new company via your profile as well. While I recommend that the alerts on profile changes usually be turned off, you may wish to inform the world of you are a new position. If so, then turn on alerts before entering the new position and it will automatically update your timeline. What? You do not have a LinkedIn page yet??? Then click here so I can help you join the 21st century. (for SHAME!!!)

Inform Colleagues of your New Position

If you have been conducting your search the right way, you have engaged your professional network in keeping an ear open for positions that may be of interest to you. Once you have accepted a new position, take the time to let all of your colleagues and networking contacts know that you have done so. This not only prompt them to stop expending effort for you, it provides you with the opportunity for thanking them for their assistance during this time. The “thank you” is a powerful gesture. While you should be doing so all the time, small gestures such as this help to maintain your relationships. Remember, once a network is still the #1 avenue for landing a job, even in our highly technological age.

Inform Employers that Showed Strong Interests of Your Acceptance

Hey, let’s not forget those hot irons you had in the fire. While most people will simply break off communication, what you should do is reach out to the hiring managers to inform them that you are accepting another position. Why? You may have to reach out to these hiring authorities again in the future, be it with these companies or the next. Again, little gestures can do a lot. With these individuals considering bringing on professionals, you will save them time by letting them know you have taken your hat out of the ring. This will make their job easier, and perhaps even open up long term lines of communication that allowed them to be added to your trusted network. (HINT: it is always, always about the long game!)

Research the New Position: Prepare Questions to Hit Ground Running

Ok, you have thanked your network, advised by the potential employers, now it is time to prep for your new role. Do as much homework as you can on the new job that you have been offered. The more you know going in the door, the more impressed they will be. Have your questions prepared in advance if you can. First impressions have always been important. (That is why you got your new resume from a certified resume writer, right?)

I know there is a lot to account for and plenty to do to print for your new position. But taking care of these seemingly minimally important items can do a lot for positioning you for movement in the future. If you are managing your career correctly, you are always working the long game. That new job you accepted could abruptly end in six months. You want to be ready for that.

Now go “WOW” ’em!