Comparing Job Offers

If you’re in the enviable position of having to choose one job offer from several, here are some things you should consider when evaluating the offers.

The Job Itself:

One of the top things to consider is the job itself. Which job seems like a better fit for you? Which one do you think you will enjoy more? Which do you see yourself doing on a daily basis? It’s important to place a lot of emphasis on the actual job because that’s where you’ll be spending forty hours (maybe more) every week. Consider the things you enjoyed in previous jobs and those tasks you rather you didn’t have to do. How does each job offer compare?

The Salary and Benefits:

This factor, when considering multiple job offers is important as well. Most job offers you will receive will likely be in approximately the same salary range but where they may vary greatly is in the benefits. When you are considering benefits, remember to judge them based on what you and your family will use. If they offer tuition reimbursement and you don’t plan on returning to school, it’s not really a benefit to you. But do consider the value of benefits like vacation time, retirement funding, profit-sharing, overtime policies, medical/dental benefits, etc.

The Location:

If you are considering some job offers that are located in a different part of the country than you are in now, remember to factor in the cost of living and relocation, as well as the emotional costs of being far away from family and friends. Consider the whole family. How suitable are neighbourhoods and schools? What is the crime rate like? All these things can affect your quality of life and should be considered if you are thinking of relocating.

Location is important even if all your job offers are in the same geographic area. How long will your commute be? Will you need to move to make the commute more manageable?

The Company:

When you are consider job offers from various companies, you should have a good idea of how each company operates. What is the corporate culture like? How long have they been in business and what is their reputation like? All these should be considered strongly as they can greatly impact you in the future. If you don’t know enough about the company, take some time to research it before you say yes to a job offer. Remember too to consider what opportunities exist for the company to grow, what markets they are looking towards, and their financial stability. Also, look at your potential for advancement, how the company promotes its staff, and how they treat their employees.

Your Instincts:

When you are evaluating different job offers, it’s important to listen to yourself. Consider others’ suggestions and factor in the critical elements mentioned above, but remember that you will be the one doing this job every day. If you don’t think you’d like the job, that’s important to remember and should be weighed as heavily as the salary and benefits and other factors.

What You Should Do:

Make a list of everything that’s important to you in a job and rank your job offers according to how they fulfil those needs. Consider the elements mentioned above and others you may find that matter to you. By identifying those things that are critical to you, you’ll be able to evaluate each job offer in the same way. Draw up a chart and see how your job offers fare. Remember to also consider how you feel personally about each job offer. Good luck!