Questions to Ask When You Receive a Job Offer
After you receive a job offer, you will want to ask yourself several questions and weigh numerous pros and cons before accepting or declining.
Is the Salary and Benefits Package Fair?
Because of a varying cost of living across the country, you should make an effort to determine what is an appropriate entry-level salary in your field, not only on a national scale, but also on a regional scale. All salaries are public at public colleges and universities—inquire with the office of Human Resources at these institutions and others nearby. If the faculty at this institution is unionized, you may contact a union representative there to help review the fairness of your salary offer and contract. Generalized information about faculty salaries is released each year by the AAUP, available through the Chronicle of Higher Education. Talking with peers in your discipline may also help.
Ask a few questions about the health care package being offered, such as: Do employees pay part of the insurance premium? When does health care take effect? Can health care coverage begin in the summer before the appointment starts? Does the plan cover your partner or dependents? Does the health care package include vision, dental, orthodontic, and psychological services? Also, how are retirement plans structured?
Many institutions provide perks to their employees, so you may want to learn more about benefits to you and your family. Does the university offer college tuition support for your children? Can you or your family members take classes at a discount? Does the institution have a fitness center for use by faculty and their families? Does the institution have child care services available to faculty and staff? What are the institution's family leave policies?
Are the Terms of the Appointment Clearly Defined?
Is Your appointment defined as a 9-month or 12-month position? Is summer support separate from academic year salary? If so, is summer teaching available? Could research support for one or more summers be included as part of the start-up package? Can you have your 9-month salary distributed over a 12-month period?
If your appointment is split between departments or duties, is the division of responsibility well-defined, particularly related to matters such as teaching responsibilities, office location, performance evaluation, and home department for tenure review?
Is This Institution and Position a Good "Fit" for You?
Ask yourself how you see yourself in this environment. Do you think you can thrive and be happy at this institution? Does the department seem collegial? Will it be a positive work environment? Are you excited by the opportunity to work with the faculty members in the department and the students at the university?
Are the expectations for the position clearly defined and agreed upon by faculty and administrators?
What do your instincts tell you about the environment, per your campus visit and interviews?
What Will Your Working Conditions Be Like?
Is your course load clearly articulated and appropriate to the type of institution?
Be certain that all elements of your teaching responsibility are well defined: the number of classes each term, the number of new course preparations you will be responsible for in the first few years, the types of courses (graduate, undergraduate, nonmajors, etc.), support from teaching assistants, and typical enrollments.
Will you be provided an office, computer, clerical support, and all tools/resources necessary for your work?
Will you normally have summers off for your own research and writing?
Will you have the opportunity to teach in the summer for additional compensation?
Can you have a semester or two of leave during your first two or three years so you may focus on your research?
How are the library facilities? Will the department provide funding for the purchase of library materials relevant to your research?
Is your advising role defined? Are you expected to advise undergraduate honors theses, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations? How many?
- How will your teaching be evaluated? Does the institution have resources to help you improve your teaching?
What Is the Path to Tenure?
What is the process for tenure and promotion at this institution?
What are the standards the department would expect you to meet in order to recommend tenure? What are the publication requirements? Are these reasonable and well-defined in relation to the teaching load?
Have most recent hires achieved tenure, or have they left before achieving tenure? If so, what might this mean?
Does the department and/or university have a faculty mentoring program for young faculty members?
Is the institution making the commitment and investment in you to help see you to tenure?
What resources are available for your research? Are start-up funds available? Are they adequate to secure your successful path to tenure?
If you are a woman anticipating having children, you should ask questions about the tenure clock-does the tenure clock stop for a discrete period of time during pregnancy and childbirth?
Will You Be Able to Have a Life Outside Work?
Ask questions about local housing, public schools, and the community. Is this a community you will enjoy living in?
Is the cost of living prohibitive in the area?
If relevant, will your partner be able to secure satisfying work in the area?
Will your partner and/or children be happy in this community?
If the university has a spousal hiring program, can it perhaps identify suitable employment for your spouse?
What If This Position Is Not Your First Choice?
If you receive an offer from an institution that is not your first choice, and you are hoping for good news from another university, request more time from the institution making an offer. While a two week period of time is standard, you can sometimes negotiate for more time. After you've received an offer, you may wish to telephone the institution(s) that you would most prefer to work at and explain that you have received an offer from another employer (without naming the specific institution). Sometimes the decision has been made but the paperwork is slow, and a phone call can help speed up the process and provide you with an answer more quickly. If the other institutions you are waiting to hear from cannot give you an answer in the timeframe you require, however, you may be forced to make a difficult decision.