4 Bad Reasons to Accept a Job

Last week I wrote about 4 Good Reasons to Turn Down Job. This week I want to discuss the flip side, when we decide to take a job for all the wrong reasons. It may sound silly especially if you’ve been unemployed for some time but not every job is the best job.

It’s important to gauge if the job you’ve been offered is the right job or the right-now job and the first step is to take a step back and look at why you want to accept. Any one of the following reasons might not be a deal breaker but if you see several on the pro side of your pros and cons list it might be time to reevaluate what good can come from taking a bad job.

There’s this guy/girl – Most bad decisions in life were made to impress someone attractive. Getting a job to be close to a crush or make them swoon won’t play out the way you are expecting. Working in close quarters together can kill the mystery between you. Taking a prestigious job may also cramp your schedule so you have no time to hang out with the person you were wanted to ask out.

You heard they have good health insurance – They may have great health insurance which is an awesome reason to accept a job. You’d better check the facts for yourself to make sure the rumors you heard aren’t just hearsay before you say yes to the job. It’s also important to understand how the benefits break down before you agree on a salary. You might negotiate yourself out of your net if you don’t understand how to get there from the gross.

It’s tradition – It’s ok to want to follow in your family’s footsteps but you shouldn’t accept a job just because you feel you have to occupy the same profession as your parents before you and their parents before them. This can be especially true when it comes to military service where you feel it’s your duty but not your passion to serve. There are many good reasons to sign on with the armed forces, but don’t let lineage dictate your fate.

So and so said so – Sometimes a good friend, family member or colleague puts it out there and refers you for a job. It’s easy to feel like you have to take it even if you don’t feel like it’s a good fit after going in for an interview simply because you said you wanted them to drop your name. Even if it sounded like a good idea to start, it’s a bad idea to accept a job simply because you feel you owe it to someone. You’re likely to get frustrated and perform poorly which is worse for your contact than if you graciously declined the opportunity from the get go.

There are lots of good reasons to take a job so make sure your motivation for accepting an offer will last long term. Otherwise you’ll be back on the job hunt again sooner than expected or stuck in a job that makes you miserable.