Getting a job offer - especially your first job offer - is pretty exciting. However, just because you applied for and received the job, doesn't mean it's right for you.

It's important to consider the entire package, including the pay, benefits, perks, company culture, hours and travel distance. Reflect on every aspect of the job to ensure you and the organization you will be working for are both happy.

It is appropriate to ask for a few days to come to a decision on the offer.

How much should you get paid?

Tara Orchard, co-ordinator for career consulting at Wilfrid Laurier University, recommends conducting research on the appropriate salary range for the position, the organization (taking into account factors such as size and industry), the location, the current market and your own level of skills and experience.

Check out SalaryExpert or Glassdoor.com (USD) for going salary rates in different occupations. The Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) also released a report on salary rates this year, which is accessible through your school's career centre.

Ask yourself: Is the salary the employer offered what you expected? Can you support yourself on this salary? Is this salary what you think you're worth?

Even if the compensation is what you expected, consider entering salary negotiations with your prospective employer. Candidates who negotiate often end up with higher salaries or better perks than those who don't.

However, according to Orchard, students and recent grads should be able to demonstrate "that their skills or experience background or some bonus skills justify more than the offered rate or the going rate."

Benefits and perks

Benefits and perks can bring a lot to your compensation package. Look into the details surrounding health and life insurance, vacation, sick pay, and other benefits such as product discounts, flex time and tuition reimbursement.

Orchard says, "Looking beyond the salary is important. Paying attention to the location, the work environment and other opportunities will be important in making a good decision."

Company culture

Company culture has a larger impact on your job than you might think. If the work culture does not mesh well with you, you will probably not enjoy work, not matter what your title is or how much you're paid.

If you visited the office at least once, try to remember what the environment and people were like. Ask yourself: How old are the other employees? What is the dress code like? Do managers encourage socializing and team camaraderie, or are employees expected to work independently?

Working hours, the commute and travel

A long commute to and from work can turn a 40-hour work week into 50 hours or more, so it's essential to know what your transportation options are, how long it will take you to get to and from work during rush hours, and how much it will cost.

"For some, the opportunity to work close to home, to walk to work, may be more important then another few thousand dollars a year for a job they have to drive 45 minutes a day to get to," says Orchard.

Also, if there are some opportunities to travel for work, you will want to know how frequently and to which type of locations, generally. You will at least need a passport, but you may also require other documentation.

Bottom line: Evaluate job offers as career opportunities

There is no magic formula for deciding if a job offer is right for you. Examine the quality of the opportunity in the context of your career, not just the money you'll be making.

Orchard says she thinks students' ultimate goal should be creating new career opportunities for themselves: "Be aware of the professional brand identity you want to build, and look for opportunities to build that by developing skills and seeking opportunities you will both enjoy and learn from. The best opportunities often come from what we call 'planned happenstance' - being open to and then prepared to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you to develop your career."

Poll: If it wasn't the right match, would you reject a job offer?

In October, I wrote an entry about my little sister, Jordi, and her seemingly endless quest to find meaningful work after graduation. I called it "Confession" because the whole situation seemed a little bit embarrassing, given my day job as founder of TalentEgg.ca.

But the problem was even deeper, as I explained in the entry. Jordi is an A-Player in almost every definition of the term: super involved, accomplished, and passionate about her career of choice (not-for-profit).

I am happy to say that today, as I write this follow-up, Jordi is not only employed, but employed by her dream employer in her dream job, and the method she followed has lessons for all of you who are currently in the same boat, or about to graduate in April.

Now, I hear from dozens of Jordis every month, people who have had equally tough times landing their dream job following graduation. And just as her problem is not unique among Canadian graduates, the solution to her problem isn't either: anyone can apply the steps Jordi took to have a better chance at landing their dream job.

How Jordi got her dream job

1. Focus

Jordi began her job search at the beginning of September, 2009. She devoted some time to figuring out exactly what she wanted to do and decided she would focus broadly on entry-level opportunities in the non-profit world.

2. Willingness to change

She applied to a handful of positions, but it quickly became evident to her that her passion (or lack thereof) for some of the jobs she was applying to showed clearly in her applications. Upon realizing this, she pivoted, and decided to re-focus her job search more specifically.

3. Hard work

In October, Jordi had one of those moments. She caught wind of an opportunity that not only was perfect for her in every way, but one she knew she'd be really good at. So she put together an application.

But this wasn't just any application. It was a 10-page document, including a Top 10 list, a short proposal for the role, a cover letter and, of course, her résumé.

While that may sound like overkill, it actually wasn't - the document went over her qualifications, then gave actionable recommendations for the role and the growth of the organization, usable with or without her in the role. It then closed with why SHE was the best person to execute those recommendations.

4. Persistence (and more hard work)

This 10-page document was also well-researched. In order to prepare for both the application and the subsequent interview, Jordi organized meetings with people close to the organization. The purpose of these meetings was not to solicit recommendations from those people, but rather, they were genuine informational interviews, providing her with the information she needed to assess how best to approach the application process, as well as if she was right for the role.

Jordi also submitted her application to be checked, edited, torn apart, and criticized by anyone and everyone qualified to do so.

5. Perseverance

Jordi didn't get that job.

She was upset, of course, but she had a genuine interest in the organization and its mission, so she continued to volunteer for them. This led to further exposure of her talents and capabilities to decision makers in the organization.

One month later, she received a phone call from a director within the organization. A new opportunity had become available and they offered her the job.

I would love to say that Jordi handled her job search with consistent confidence, grace, and enthusiasm, but that would be a lie. There were frustrated e-mails and threats of "settling," but after four months and 30 applications, Jordi has her dream job, and I'm really proud of her (just don't tell her that).

A note from Lauren, founder of TalentEgg: We've been noticing that recently a lot of companies have been sending us their summer internships. Many people already know that summer and intern jobs tend to get posted around this time, but what's less known is that most deadlines fall at the end of this month. So, if you're interested in getting a summer job or internship, now is the time to apply!

Many students don't realize that getting a job for the summer (or in the case of upcoming grads, their first "real job") means preparing months in advance.

Ideally, you should have already started your job hunt by now, but if you haven't, here are some tips to help you kick-start the process.

Start looking

You can't get a job if you don't start looking because most of us aren't lucky enough to have jobs fall into our laps.   There are all kinds of ways you can search for a job, including through your school's career services centre and recruitment events, and websites that focus on entry-level positions, like TalentEgg.

Prep your résumé

No matter where you're applying, you will need to create a unique résumé and cover letter for each job.

The hiring manager will know what a generic résumé (or application email) looks like; they have undoubtedly received them in the past and other not-so-savvy applicants will use them in the future.  This is one of the many pet peeves for recruiters. 

In order to make your application stand out, ensure your résumé is catered specifically to the company you are applying to by using language found in the job description and on the company website to assist you.

It may also be worthwhile to try different résumé types, such as a Career Launching Résumé, or an achievement-based résumé. Once you've got a draft written, make sure it goes through a couple of edits by yourself, friends, family, and professionals, if you have the resources to do so.

Write a cover letter

All applications need a cover letter, whether they state it or not.  If you do not submit a cover letter with your application, your résumé will likely end up in the trash.  Just like your résumé, make sure you edit, edit, edit!

Check your digital footprint

Almost everyone leaves some kind of digital footprint due to all of the social networking sites available, and this can be detrimental to your job hunt if you aren't careful.

If you search my name on Google, it shows up 3.3 million times.   Of course, I am not the only Danielle Lorenz in existence.  Facebook tells me there are 22 people with the same name as me; however I am the only one who has attended McMaster (at least so far).

Nevertheless, I've taken strides to make sure my Facebook account won't impact my professional life and have done the same with other social networking sites that I use.

Consider utilizing social networking

Although some social networking sites can be detrimental to your job hunt, there are some that may be beneficial.  Experts suggest that Twitter can be used to reach target groups.

Other people say that LinkedIn is a site that can help you find a job.  LinkedIn functions like a mixture between an online résumé and Facebook, where your contact list contains people who know you and your work ethic.

Keep your family out of your search

In the end, your ability to find a job rests on how much effort YOU put into it.   Parents of Gen Y kids have been deemed "helicopter parents" because of their tendency to be over-involved in our lives.   Make sure that your parents aren't trying to help you get a job, because in the end it will only be detrimental to your search.

Whether you have mapped out your career path or not, it is never too early or too late to take advantage of the resources offered by your university or college's career services centre.

I recently spoke with a career consultant at Wilfrid Laurier University who compared choosing your career to choosing which laptop or cell phone to buy: you need to do research. Unfortunately, while most students will do some research when buying their next cell phone or laptop, many won't put in the time and energy it takes to research and identify career options.

Workshops

Check out your school's career services website to find out about workshops available to students.  If you are interested in getting hands-on help for résumé writing, cover letter writing, interview skills, job fair tactics or anything else career-related, your career services centre will be able to direct you to the workshop, person or resources you need.

Your school's career services centre may offer career aptitude or personality testing workshops to help you narrow down your career options.  Whether or not you value such tests, career testing is a great starting point for discussing career options with a career counsellor.

Career counselling services offered outside of a university or college can be very expensive.  Fortunately, as a university or college student or graduate, your school's career centre likely offers free career counselling both before and after graduating.

Career counsellors are experts in their field.  Whether you have solid goals or zero direction, visiting a career counsellor armed with questions and concerns is a great place to either begin building a career plan or to solidify your current career plans.

Connect with alumni

Employees at your school's career centre likely know of former students following a similar career direction as you.  Get in contact with your career services centre and ask if they offer alumni contacts or alumni profiles of graduates who are working in the field you are interested in.

Choosing a career direction may be one of the most important decisions you make while in university. Take advantage of the staff and resources your school's career centre offers; after all, you do want your career to last longer than your latest cell phone purchase, right?