You were looking for a job since long now. Sometimes, you thought the interview went well but sadly, you didn’t receive any call. Other times, you gave the interview but politely turned the offer down because it didn’t match your expectations.
It was a frustrating process but finally, your hard-work paid off, and you have got a job offer!
But wait, there’s another too.
You can’t help but wonder at the irony of life when at one moment you were not sure if you would find what you are looking and now you have two offers. Both are the kind of offers you were looking for, and now you are spoilt for choice.
How to make an informed decision, now that you have multiple job offers?
Getting the Facts Right:
First things first, make sure you get all the information about the offers: factual and perceptual. The salary, benefits, the company and work culture, the values the company has, the reputation, the hours you need to devote, the number of leaves you are entitled to, who the manager will be, the kind of co-workers you will have, among other things.
Take all of this into consideration and compare. The general impression you got also counts. You might want to recall how you got along with the prospective manager/boss, co-workers, if you’ve had the chance. You could also try to recall how you felt when you walked into the office.
Relevance:
You made a list of the salary, perks, hours, commuting time, personal days, etc. But how much of this is going to be relevant to your life?
How much relevance an aspect has changes according to the individual. For example, some places provide lunch. Someone who lives far away and has to spend a lot of time commuting would find this a very convenient and important arrangement. Some people pay more attention to the salary, while some want a shorter commute irrespective of how much they get paid, while some people want a place which has a crèche for children.
Think about your priorities, compare and then make the decision.
Long-term or Short-term?:
Which one of the offers has a scope for a long-term tenure? How would it contribute to your growth, personal satisfaction and in what ways?
What are you looking for? Do you want a job for the time-being, or do you want a job where you can possibly stay on for years with regular progress?
Think about what you exactly want, compare where the offers fit, and then make a decision. Just like the relevance of the benefits and perks differs from person to person, so does this aspect.
Here, matters concerning the family, immediate and possible life situations, etc, factor in as well.
Gut Feeling:
A very important thing to pay attention to.
This is something which just doesn’t work that rationally. A job may have all the perks you have dreamed about, the perfect salary, a company culture you were looking for, and still not feel right.
When you don’t feel right, perhaps it is time to dig a little deeper. Did the interviewer say something which was a red-flag to you? Did you perceive any hostility (not necessarily towards you) in the atmosphere?
When everything in an offer is perfect, and you still find yourself looking at the positives of the ‘lesser’ offer, it is time to be true to yourself, and try to get a deeper understanding of what exactly are you looking for.
Gut feelings often work up when it’s time to make the call accepting the offer. If you feel any bit of hesitation, it is time to rethink and reconsider. Sometimes, the instinct picks up cues which you haven’t.
Moreover, the gut feeling often acts as a deciding factor when the offers themselves are great and more or less similar.
Paying attention to the factual, perceptual, sensory information you have gathered could help you make a truly informed decision when you have a choice to make. While you will happily accept the offer you feel and think is right for you, it is also necessary to decline the other offer politely, without burning bridges.