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How to choose between two job offers

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Jan 31, 2022

Having two jobs to choose from sounds like an ideal scenario for a job seeker, doesn’t it? However, this can be more challenging than you think. Before you dive into analysing each job offer, think about what is important to you at this point in your career. Perhaps you’re looking to work from home, or you want a more flexible work schedule. Perhaps more money is important to you right now. Maybe cultural fit is your greatest priority. Whatever your goals, reflect on what you want out of your working life.

Confirm the details

The first thing to do is confirm the details of each job offer and make sure you get them in writing. This should include things like salary and any benefits, work hours, terms of your employment, start date, probation periods etc.

List and rank what’s important

A great way to work out what’s essential to you in a job is to make a list and rank the elements from most important to least important. We have provided a table so you can do a super-quick analysis of your next job offer. Give each element a score from 1-5 stars. This makes it easier to directly compare one job offer to another.

Job evaluation ranking table with gold star rating

Download table in PDF

A note about location

Many candidates don’t realise how important location is to their fit for a role. With so many people re-evaluating what is important to them during the pandemic, how much time is spent commuting to work and the flexibility to work from home has become more important than ever. So consider location seriously before accepting a role, especially if it involves a longer commute than you are used to.

Salary comes second to security and work/life balance

At a time when uncertainty has been consistent, it’s no wonder job security has become the most important consideration for jobseekers when appraising a potential employer. SEEK research shows that due to COVID-19, 2 out of 3 candidates would trade a higher salary for job security if faced with that decision. It’s clear that candidates are also choosing work/life balance over salary. Where does salary rank for you in the job evaluation ranking table?

Summary

When a candidate receives a job offer, they try to visualise their future in that organisation. Our advice when receiving multiple offers is to be clear about each potential employers’ value proposition. What can the organisation offer you in terms of flexible work arrangements? Do they have a great company culture and social events in place? Do they use up to date technology and have sound systems and procedures in place? Discuss the job offer with friends and family. Peer feedback is always a great way to consider a variety of viewpoints.

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