Decoding an Unexpected Job Offer: A Guide to Making the Right Choice

Candidates put in an extensive amount of effort to find a job that meets their requirements. The job search process is time-consuming in and of itself, and getting interviewed for a position at a firm enhances their expectations of being hired. However, if the hiring committee believes that the applicant being interviewed is well-suited for an alternate job role, the individual may be offered a position other than the one for which they originally applied. The job offer may result in the individual being considered for a higher or lower-level position. In both circumstances, the candidate must decide whether to accept the offer or continue the job search. Hence, this YouTube video from the Indeed channel addresses how to deal with being given a job offer that is not the one you applied for. 

According to the video, the first few things to do to handle such a situation well are to thank the employer for all of the work they have done to carefully assess your abilities and understand which role actually suits your expertise, and then to request some time to respond back to them after ensuring the deadline by which they need to know your response. The video suggests that the candidate must examine whether the job offer fits within their career ladder. According to the video, a career ladder is described as a ladder with each step demonstrating the competence or experience required to advance to the next job. The video suggests that thoroughly evaluating why you were not selected for the original application will greatly assist you in discovering the talents you now lack. Once you have determined the specific talents, consider if the amended job offer gives you the opportunity to practice these skills and build genuine experience. If this is the case, the video suggests that accepting the job offer may be worthwhile. Finally, the video recommends examining if the amended job offer is fair and discussing with the recruiter whether they would provide you with a professional development budget. Once all of the requirements have been clearly communicated, the video ends by suggesting that you ask for a written offer, carefully review it, and respond accordingly. 

It might be difficult to deal with a situation in which an applicant receives a job offer that is not the one for which they initially applied. The tips above are just a few to keep in mind if you find yourself in such a predicament.