Don't be afraid to decline a job offer

There will come a time in your job search or just life in general where you will consider declining a job offer. You will often times hear people say that it is an opportunity that you can not pass up. However, is it truly an opportunity that you can not pass up? Is it an opportunity that you can afford to take? When you begin looking for a job you should take the time to set some parameters as to what type of job you will accept, what are the minimum benefits you need and what is the minimum salary you will accept. If you define this right from the start, then you should not have any issues declining an offer that does not meet your minimum requirements. For the unemployed If you are currently unemployed for whatever reason (layoff, terminated, quit job, etc.), you tend to forget that you can still decline a job offer. Although some circumstances may not allow you to decline any offer if you are in desperate need, you still need to evaluate the offer to see if it meets those minimum needs. If you receive an offer that pays so little and offers terrible benefits, you may end up costing yourself more in the long run. If you limit the amount of time you are able to spend looking for a good job, you might end up stuck in a position that does not meet your needs. When you receive an offer that you are not sure of, try doing some calculations to see how much extra money you will need to make ends meet. If you need to get an extra part time job on the weekends, you may want to wait for a better offer. If you are so far below meeting your needs, you may want to consider a career change. All in all, even if you are unemployed, you should evaluate very carefully any offer and decide if you can afford to decline it. What to consider If you receive an offer for a good company but the salary is not great and you will have to drive an hour and a half each way, you may want to reconsider accepting it. With the cost of gas being so high, you will end up lo