It’s an exciting time when you finally receive a job offer. All that hard work, searching, tailoring applications, and preparing for interviews has paid off.  It’s natural to want to let everyone know the good news.  However, do you update your LinkedIn profile before you’ve even started the job?

When you get a job offer, you cannot wait to quit your current job. And, most of all you want to tell everyone you’ve been successful.  However, if you’ve waited this long, it’s wise to wait a little longer and ensure everything is covered. Dot those I’s and cross those T’s!

Most larger companies will be conducting background checks and reference checking. Some companies are very thorough with their checks.

When I worked in the City of London in the financial services sector (FSS), the bank I worked at used HireRight to conduct all their reference checks and background checks.  Due to the nature of the roles, they checked for CCJs, credit background checks, and there was a medical assessment.

All these checks take time to complete.

A company’s branding is extremely important and they want to protect their reputation. Again, the larger company’s will have big thick manuals to describe and outline their brand; specifications of logos (size, dimensions, colours, etc.), communication styles (language, voice, words, etc.).

Having a social media policy helps protect the company’s online reputation. It encourages employees to get involved in sharing information within these guidelines.

There are those who simply consider it bad luck to ‘jump the gun’ and make the announcement too early.  In the grand scheme of things, it’s just better to wait until you are certain to start celebrating.

It’s also worth considering completing all background checks before handing in your notice.  Once you’ve handed in your notice, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to withdraw later.  Of course, there are some employees that have sought-after skills and experience, and there may be a counter offer to attempt to retain that person.