How to choose the right job when I have multiple offers?

“When it comes to job offers, the most critical factor in choosing the right job is deciding whether the company offers you what is important to you in achieving your career objectives”.

–Alma Besserdin

 

Working with clients as a Leadership and Career Coach, I am often asked the questions, “How do I know what job is right for me when I have multiple offers?”  This is a good problem to have.

We all know finding a decent job can be a daunting and exhausting affair.  You will need to work on your resume and cover letters, your unique value proposition. apply for jobs, attend interviews, and still come out with nothing. Regardless of your career specialty, job hunting can be quite tedious, humbling, and frustrating.

After weeks or even months of waiting for interview outcomes, finally, a job offer comes through. You are excited as you prepare to show up on the indicated date and even make phone calls to friends and family notifying them of the offer, but before you are done celebrating, two more job offers land your way.

Having multiple job offers can be incredibly exhilarating particularly for young graduates who are looking for their first job, immigrants looking for a job in a new country or individuals who have applied for many jobs without success. However, this fantastic feeling can quickly turn into a stressful one.

You have done all you could to earn these job offers, so the least you can do is make sure that the job you choose is the perfect fit for you. We can all agree that thinking clearly when being faced by a decision of such magnitude can be a real challenge. It is easy to get into a trap of analysis paralysis. The most appropriate way to of analysing the most suitable job for you is using critical analysing criteria that will ensure you are thorough in identifying whether the job is in alignment with your needs, goals and future career plans.

Here are some career tips that I use with my clients:

Define what is most important to you.

Everyone has different priorities in life, depending on where they are at in their career and life in general. There is no right or wrong. For some, having flexibility because of young children may be a priority, for others getting more money, growth opportunity or type of work they want to do. As you check the pros and cons of each choice, pay attention to your priorities. Company culture, salary, promotions, work-life balance, and benefits are all things you may consider. Think of the kind of work you will be doing, the office layout, and even assess whether you will be part of a team or work independently. The most important thing here is to establish what you want rather than what you feel is necessary or should be paramount.

You can make a list of everything that comes to your mind. Once you have written down all that is important to you, the next part is to match those needs with your job offers. Decide which ones have focused on your needs and which ones do not.

What was your “feeling “when you met the interviewers? Did you like them?

Have you ever walked into a room and felt strange vibes from people in that room?  Not sure about you, but I “feel” different energies when I meet people. With some people, I get on straight away, with others I don’t. This might sound weird and out of place, but your first encounter with your potential employer and colleagues may play a significant role in how your work environment will be and what type of energy you may experience at the workplace.

It is easy to tell whether the people you met were happy and excited to have you and talk to you. Decide what type of co-workers you want and the type of working environment you would like. Don’t ignore your gut feeling, when you think that you are happier working with one group than another.

Which offer gives you an opportunity to grow?

Most of us want to learn and grow, and some more than others depending at what stage of our career and life in general we are. If you are young and just starting out your career, you may want to settle in a job that offers you a wide range of opportunities to grow your brand as well as learn new skills to advance your career. For the senior professionals who are almost retiring, a good salary may be their topmost priority so that they have enough retirement savings.

However, most people get caught up with salary figures offered in the job, and when faced with several job offers, tend to focus on that more than the growth opportunities. It is essential that you think critically before making your choice.  If growth opportunities are on the top of your list of priorities, make sure you consider what is critical to you. In that case, think about that before you choose money over professional and personal growth.  With growth, there is most likely better pay opportunity long term anyway.

Is your brand aligned with the organisational brand?

Your personal brand is about your values, beliefs and the value proposition you bring to the table. What is it that you have, and others don’t? In choosing the right job and organisation you need to be mindful which organisation will enhance your brand more.  Not every organisation has a good branding and internal culture.  If you have a few job offers, define which organisation is more aligned with your personal value proposition and think of the long term career impact. There is nothing more frustrating than joining an organisation that doesn’t align with your personal values.  Sooner or later it will create conflicting circumstances and you will be forced to leave.

I hope these tips are useful. From my previous professional life and working with clients, I continue to see what compromising our values and what is important to us does to our satisfaction at the workplace. If we take a job just because it is better paid while compromising on, let’s say, growth which was our key goal, sooner or later we will not be content.

 

If you need help defining your next career goal, I can help. Book your session with me here  https://calendly.com/alma-10/strategy-session