I had a problem in my twenties where I would be hired for a position, and I would foolishly assume that the duties presented in both the job advertisement and the interview would actually be my duties. It was amazing how many times that assumption failed me. Thankfully, I started thinking to either ask clarifying questions about the job, or ask to see the exact duties of my position, and made it clear that I wasn’t okay with “and other duties as may arise” in any job description.
Starting a new job is stressful enough, but you can help mitigate the stress (or prepare yourself for the fact that the company has no idea what you will be doing) by asking some questions. If the company can’t answer the questions to your satisfaction, feel free to walk away from the job offer at that point. Nothing is scarier than coming into a position where the company hasn’t clearly thought out the purpose of that role. You come in thinking you’re going to be doing light administrative duties to support one team, and suddenly find yourself managing major projects for several team. It’s painful.
Protect yourself. Make sure the job you’re accepting is one that you honestly want. Take the opportunity to learn about the team you’ll be working with. In the long run, it will land you in a much happier position.
Tags: job offer
