Weighing the Pros and Cons Between Two Job Offers

Apr 17, 2017

How do you compare job offers?

After weeks or months of looking for a job, you find yourself in a happy predicament: you’ve earned more than one job offer. You’ve worked hard to get where you’re at. Your experience and interviewing skills have paid off.

But how do you know which job to take?

Research with an open mind

Read glassdoor.com and LinkedIn reviews carefully to get a sense of company culture, but remember to:

  • Check the date. Old reviews are not representative of the current culture. Check for recent reviews to see if things have improved.
  • Read reviews from people that share your job duties or work in the same department. Different departments have different working conditions, different management, and different coworkers.
  • Check for unbiased opinions. Don’t let extremely positive or extremely negative reviews influence your decision (unless they make up an overwhelming majority of the reviews). Find reviews that describe both positive and negative details.

What you do vs. who you’re with

Some people enjoy a job where they can be left alone to do what they love. Other people are more concerned about who they work with. 40% of people cite their coworkers as the top reason they love their company, according to the survey, “Labor of Love: What Employees Love About Work & Ways to Keep the Spark Alive.” Depending on your personality, you should be excited about the people you’ll be working with, the job you’ll be doing, or both.

Compare the pros and cons of each offer

Every job opportunity has unique factors that will influence your choice. It is important to list the pros and cons for any financial decision. Taking the time to sort the details will help you make an informed decision.

As an example of good financial literacy skills, let’s compare a couple of common characteristics of typical job opportunities.

Salary vs. Hourly

Income vs. Benefits

 

 

Small company vs. Large company

These pros and cons don’t hold true for all companies, which is why research is so important. Now take your multiple job offers and list the pros and cons in a similar fashion as above. If you think carefully about all possibilities and picture how your days will go, then you’ll be able to make the best decision.

Good luck with your new opportunity!