I still remember the moment I received the email titled “Letter of Offer” from Mothership. My stomach did about 1,000 flips, and I immediately exclaimed to my mother.

“OMG MOM. I GOT THE JOB. I GOT THE JOB.”

Being a typical mom, she immediately said, “You better check the contract properly first. Later never see properly then you anyhow sign.”

Pffft. “I know la,” I replied.

Of course, I also knew it wasn’t just the employment contract I had to check before taking up the job. As ecstatic as I was, there were many factors to take into account before saying yes.

Transport and work culture were some of the other things I wondered and researched about. And leave days, of course.

To give you a better idea of why I decided to join Mothership, here’s my analytical, forward-and-backward-thinking thought processes from the point I was offered the job, to the actual signing of employment contract.

Its snarky voice

Most people would prefer to work in a company that suits their personality, and I was no different.

After familiarising myself with Mothership content, I realised I really like the company identity.

To me, Mothership has a voice that isn’t mainstream media serious, but also isn’t as sunshine-y or overly polished like other media outlets. It has just the right amount of snark, which I love.

The folks

Interviews are for employers to assess a candidate’s suitability for a job, but I also saw it as a way to gauge my chemistry with them.

After two-and-a-half job interviews (the last was what they called a “casual chat”), I could roughly tell how the Mothership folks were like. I even remember joking a little with them, which is why I could picture myself working and even being friends with the people here (which I eventually did. Luckily.)

I was okay with everything in the employment contract

Of course, I would’ve read the employment contract thoroughly with or without my mother’s advice.

Fortunately, the employment contract wasn’t 100 pages long and the points were neatly separated, so it wasn’t a horror to read through and understand.

Everything is important, but here are some of the points I paid extra extra attention to.

Probation period

Six months. Hmm, that’s long, but oh well, I remember thinking to myself. I then made a mental note to only plan vacations after my probation period.

Salary payment, Working hours

Salary payment is the amount we agreed upon at the job interview, pay day is stated clearly (the end of every month). Working hours are fair. I think I read those points about 20 times.

Annual leave

Standard number of leave days. As I was in the midst of planning end-of-year vacations, I started counting the number of days I’d need and how I could maximise public holidays and weekends.

Medical benefits

There’s medical insurance provided -- medical expenses are claimable up to a reasonable amount. That’s great.

As if reading every single word 100 times wasn’t enough, the HR personnel got me to confirm the details in the employment contract again before signing.

A direct bus ride to the office

Like many others, the location of the office was extremely important to me. If the office was located at Tuas despite everything else being perfect (reasonable employment contract, fun colleagues, etc), I probably wouldn’t have taken the job.

Plus, when I Googled the route from my home to the office, I found that I have a direct bus -- huge plus point because it meant I could emo on long bus rides every day.

Great addition to my resume

As I see myself being in the media industry for at least the next five years, I thought the Mothership brand would be a great addition to my resume.

It being a known media platform means I’d be able to use my experience in the company as a stepping stone for other opportunities in the future.

See? All-rounded analysis right here.

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Remember to analyse a job offer from every possible angle, or more, before saying yes and putting pen to paper.

Especially the bit about the employment contract. Read it multiple times before signing.

If you’re not sure what to look out for in an employment contract, at least remember to check the five Key Employment Terms.

Or visit this site to get yourself educated.

This sponsored post in collaboration with TAFEP makes this particular Mothership.sg writer reflect on the day she read the employment contract 1,000 times (not really, but about there).