North Texas Daily

Julie Bird / Staff Writer

A workshop at the Student Money Management Center on Tuesday afternoon taught a group of students the importance of carefully considering job offers and weighing their options before making a decision.

Paul Love, an organizational behavior and human resource management senior and a money management mentor at the center, led the workshop, which emphasized the importance of considering all the factors of a job offer.

These factors can include salary, as well as other benefits such as health insurance, vacation time and a comfortable working environment.

“Money is important in the beginning when you’re worried about paying the bills or your student loans,” Love said. “Later, if you have a family you start thinking about health benefits and vacation time.”

He said that virtually any aspect of a job offer is negotiable, even where the work will be done.

“With some companies you can negotiate working at home for some days a week,” Love said.

Companies might agree to this offer, since they won’t need to pay expenses for having the employee in the office, he said.

It is important for job hunters to recognize the qualities of a potential job or employer that are most important to them, and this varies from person to person, Love said.

“I think one of the most important things to consider is the knowledge or skills you need for a particular position,” pre-social work freshman Christian Chapman said.

She said salary was the most important factor for her in deciding whether or not to accept a job, but that being a good fit for the company and the position is important as well.

Love also reminded students to look at the hiring process from a manager’s perspective. Prospective employees should strive to stand out from the crowd by showing motivation and interest in the company, he said.

“Many of the other applicants probably won’t do any research [on the company],” Love said. “They will just submit their application and wait for the call.”

He said applicants who know details about the company they are applying for, and who ask questions during the interview usually come across as more motivated and interested in the job and the company.

Love reminded students that they probably won’t find everything they want in a job, especially not their first gig out of college, but that any job can be a valuable experience.

“Make sure that you can find a way for the job to work with your goals,” Love said. “It has to be something that enhances you and what you have to offer.”