More Than Just the Salary

For those new grads, or soon to be new grads, there is more to the job offer than just the salary.  Here are the other things worth considering:

Vacation/Sick Time

At a minimum, companies will ofer 2 weeks of paid vacation that needs to accured.  There has been a recent trend in certain industries such as biotech who are providing a starting 3 weeks of vacation.  The amount of sick time a company gives is also variable ranging anywhere from 4 to 10 days and can be either be combined with vacation time or treated seperately.  

Medical Insurance

It is important for any young new graduate to get medical insurance and if a company is offering you a job without one, which is now a rare occurence, I would walk away.  The details of medical insurance can get confusing so we won't get into the details but make sure you are covered for medical, dental, and optical.  

Retirement/401 K

Many companies provide retirement benefits for their employees and some even provide matching where for every dollar the employee invests, the company will put in a certain amount.  This matching can range anywhere from 1% to 100% up to a certain amout of your salary.  

Holidays

We all like time off during the year and like sick time, the amount of holidays is variable for every company.  It can be as few at 7 and can be as many as 14 depending on the company operations.  Companies also offer floater holidays where you can take certain days off during the year up to your choosing.  

Telecommuting/Flex Schedule

In order to keep employess happy, companies are allowing employees to work at home and have more flexible schedules.  An example of a flexible schedule is the 9-80 where you work 9 hours a day Monday through Thursday and you get every other Friday off.