If you’ve completed your ProValues and confirmed that the offer meets your required dealbreakers, but just isn’t optimal for you, here are some reasons you might want to consider passing on it.
1. You have irons in the fire: if you’ve been networking and going through the recruiting process with other companies, and you’ve received indications that an offer may be forthcoming from one (or more) of them, you might choose to hold out in hopes that an offer does come through from one of these organizations.
2. What you’re most interested in typically comes late in the cycle: while some industries try to wrap up their MBA hiring months in advance, many organizations (including PE & VC firms, start-ups, and other small shops) haven’t even begun MBA recruiting yet, and may not even begin until late spring or early summer. If your dream job aligns with this timetable, you may want to wait until it begins recruiting.
3. You’re fudging your ProValues: if you’re trying to convince yourself that certain factors are actually more or less important to you – or, worse, that your dealbreakers aren’t actually dealbreakers – in order to make your profile fit the offer, that’s a sign that you should pass.
4. Your gut says no: even if it seems like this offer should align with what you’re looking for – if you genuinely can’t imagine being happy doing this job every day, be honest with yourself about that, and turn the offer down. You don’t want to take a job that makes you miserable – you will be setting yourself up for failure that may impact your career trajectory for years.