You received a call and was told you got the job at a salary that exceeded your expectation. You are overjoyed. Without much hesitation, you accepted the offer right away. But wait a minute? Isn’t the location a tad too far from where you are staying now?

It’s unwise to accept an offer purely based on a higher pay without consideration of other factors. Any HR professional that had conducted surveys or exit interviews will tell you that job seekers share some common factors and criteria when come to job satisfaction. They will tell you if someone left his/her job for another solely because of higher salary, he/she will not last very long in his/her new place.

So before making a leap into a new job, consider the following areas and ask these tough questions of yourself and your potential employer.

1. Working environment
Nobody can really tell you whether the working environment is conducive or not until you taste it for yourself. However, you would be able to have an inkling of that based on your interview experience with the interviewer. Be bold to ask questions – how the team works?, the organization structure – is it a tall or flat one?, how is the decision making process?, how is the staff performance evaluation done or is there any at all? and etc. Based on the answers, are you able to foresee yourself blending into this environment?

2. Location
This seems simple enough to decide but in reality, job seekers when offered an attractive pay tend to over-look this crucial bit. Reality sinks in only when they are stuck in traffic jams for hours after joining. Recruiters always find it amusing when job seekers cite distance to office as the main reason of looking out for another job. Be honest with yourself and decide how much time you are willing to devote to your daily commute. Think about the effect on your spouse and kids too. Stress will make you unproductive in the long run.

Looking for jobs nearer to home? Check out jobs in Allyhunt, search by location in Klang Valley. For example,

Jobs in Kuala Lumpur

Jobs in Petaling Jaya

3. Growth Opportunities
What is the market perception of the company? Are they growing rapidly? Again, find out if internal candidates have been considered for this job. If not, why not? What is their policy in regards to promotions?

4. Staff benefits and other rewards
Consider your salary package in totality. Besides the standard benefits, do they provide other incentives? Do a comparison with what you are getting right now. Sometimes the basic pay may be higher than what you are getting but you may lose out overall. Do your math right.

5. Travel
Is it part of the job scope? If yes, how frequent is it? Are you willing to travel more than what you’ve been doing now? How would this affect your personal time spend with family?

In job interviews, questions related to ambition can be expected. The question may be asked directly or indirectly. Below are some common questions related to this subject:

Interview Question:
How ambitious are you? Why do you think you are ambitious/not so ambitious?

Answer Guide:
Employers generally look for candidates that possess an enthusiasm to succeed. Employers take it as a positive sign that this attitude will be expressed in your new work place and position. However, make sure you do not project yourself as overly ambitious by making unrealistic statements. Balance your ambition with good common sense. “I’m ambitious and will do whatever it takes to ensure goals are achieved. I’ll equip myself with the necessary skills and knowledge to ensure I’m in tandem with the company’s growth.

Click here for more comics related to job interviews

Interview Question:
In your opinion, do you think this company is ambitious and if so, why?

Answer Guide:
Candidates should demonstrate a good knowledge of the employer/company, it’s past achievements, vision and if possible, it’s plans for the future. As candidates, you should be positive and express your optimism of the company. This does not only tell the employer that you possess drive and enthusiasm but also your seriousness on the job interviewed.

Interview Question:
What are your past accomplishments or goals that you have achieved?

Answer Guide:
Having an achievement to tell is important but how you achieved it has greater significance. Did you demonstrate real persistence and passion to succeed in the first place? Or was your achievement a mere fluke? So, be wise in picking your story.

Having difficulty in tackling tough interview questions? Read further by clicking the link below:

More tough interview questions

Have you ever wondered why some people receive calls from head hunters frequently but this experience has somehow eludes you? Is there a secret or magic formula that you have yet to discover?

No magic trick but some simple tips you can follow.

1. Work in the same field for a reasonable period of time– people will get to know you if you have been around long enough in the same job specialization or industry. People drop names to one another in the same industry but if you are a newbie, do not expect that to happen anytime soon.

2. Excel in your job! You may be working in the same industry for a while but are you any good? Are your clients happy with your service? If you leave today, would your boss be sad or would he be rejoicing? Remember, your work speaks for you. If you want people to notice your talent, you better start showing you have IT!

3. Work with Head Hunters or Recruitment Consultants. Deposit your resume with them and give them a tinkle sometimes. Get to know them personally and forward your updated resume on regular basis.

4. Networking – seize opportunities to attend events, conferences, seminars and public events. Mingle around and do not be afraid to initiate conversations. Many good career opportunities start from the right networking.

5. Register with a few online job portals – opt for those that allow you to apply jobs as well as opportunity for your public profiles to be head hunted by potential employers. Check out Allyhunt.

6. Have your own blog – a great way to share your expertise and get your authority stamped. As some of you may know, besides Ally Blog, I blogged in The Working Gal (my personal blog) that my readers immediately able to relate me to the recruitment industry. I get more calls from head hunters after I had started blogging.

7. Be active in Facebook and LinkedIn – again, it’s a platform to advertise yourself to the world. It was said in LinkedIn, professionals were referred double the times more than anywhere else.

8. Involved with industry associations and groups – again, an opportunity to mingle and network.

Some people believe joking at the work place is no good. The office is a working place, not a playground. But Chris Robert, the Assistant Professor of Management at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Robert J. Trulaske Sr. College of Business whose findings have been published as a chapter in an edition of the journal in Personnel and Human Resources Management, disagreed. He said joking around on the job can actually have a positive effect on productivity and employee retention.

Personally, I don’t enjoy working with people that wear a serious face. When you try to make a small joke, they simply do not get amused. Rather, you may get that look that makes you guilty of what you had just said. If you have a superior like that in a work place, I bet you do not enjoy spending time more than it should be. However, if a work place consists of managers that encourage light humor and fun poking of one another, the whole atmosphere can change dramatically. And I bet people do not mind hanging around in the office a while longer.

Does humor has an impact on the work productivity?

Chris Robert has this to say,

Humor isn’t incompatible with goals of the workplace. It’s not incompatible with the organization’s desire to be competitive. In fact, we argue that humor is pretty important. It’s not just clowning around and having fun; it has meaningful impact on cohesiveness in the workplace and communication quality among workers. The ability to appreciate humor, the ability to laugh and make other people laugh actually has physiological effects on the body that cause people to become more bonded.”

I have to agree on what he said. From experience, we connect better with people that do not take themselves too seriously and that usually has a positive effect on the emotions that result in improved performance.

However, not all humor is good. Anything that is sexist, racist, ageist and crude are not only unsuitable in a work place environment, it may lead to sexual harassment charges, lawsuits or termination. So, joke all you can but watch your boundaries.

Sometimes the best humor is not on poking fun of your peers but you can lighten up the whole place by sharing a funny story, picture or a saying that you heard or seen.

Want to have a funny line in your pocket that you can pull out and share anytime? Click below.

Top 10 Work Humor