How to Choose Between Two Job Offers

While it doesn’t happen all the time, sometimes when you’re job hunting, you’re offered two jobs at once. This is obviously a testament to your skills and experience, and will no doubt be rather flattering. But you’ve then got to make a huge decision – which job do you take? A lot of people would simply opt for the job with the higher salary. But this may not be the most important factor, especially if that position comes with a longer commute, and means higher fuel costs.

So when you’re choosing between job offers, what are the things you should be weighing up? We’ve listed the top five considerations to keep in mind below, to help you decide:

1. Salary

Although it may not always be the deciding factor, the salary you’re offered is important. Most people don’t like taking a paycut, as it will often mean making cutbacks and lifestyle changes. And if both salaries are higher than your current wage, the extra income could cover something like a holiday or a new car.

The thing to keep in mind is that you spend a lot of time at work. So if you don’t particularly enjoy your job, even if it does come with a high salary, you’ll probably end up stressed and miserable. Perhaps you’ll even look for another new job! Factor in the wages offered, but don’t make this your only consideration.

2. Career Progression

Another important factor when deciding between job offers is whether the business offers much in the way of career progression. It’s not always easy to gage this, but if it’s a larger company, that can mean there are more managerial positions available. Or if it’s a smaller start-up, such roles may need filling sooner rather than later. Another indicator of progression opportunities is whether further training is offered after you pass your probation.

Ideally, all organisations would offer some form of career advancement, but it’s harder in some businesses and industries than others. And the last thing you want to do is end up with a job that doesn’t allow you to develop and grow. Perhaps research current employees via sites like LinkedIn, and see if they have been promoted internally.

3. Company Culture

We talk a lot about culture fit when it comes to interviews, but it’s not just the company that should be looking for a good match. You also need to consider whether you’d fit in well with your colleagues, and if the business values align with your own. Websites such as Glassdoor can be helpful to learn more about the company culture, from a less biased standpoint.

You can generally tell a lot about the culture of a business by your initial instincts. What was the atmosphere like when you attended the interview? Did you connect with the interviewer or any employees you were introduced to? As company culture isn’t something you can change or negotiate (like your salary), it’s important to make this a priority when choosing between jobs.

4. Work-Life Balance

As with the company culture, finding out what the work-life balance will be like in a new job is tricky. But you should be able to discover what the company expects from you by asking about the hours you’d be working, and if regular overtime is presumed. You can also factor in the commute time, and whether either of the companies offers the option to work remotely, or allow flexibility with your hours.

Only you can really know your tipping points when it comes to a good work-life balance, so it’s important to be honest with your future employers about your requirements. Have a chat with them about their expectations, and be prepared to turn down the job if you don’t think there’s enough flexibility. Even if everything else looks good on paper, a poor work-life balance can lead to all sorts of problems!

5. Benefits and Perks

If you really can’t decide between two jobs, as they both offer great pay, progression opportunities, a fantastic company culture, as well as a good work-life balance, it will come down to things like perks and benefits. For example, is there a bonus structure in place? What about uncapped commission opportunities, or validated parking?

Many companies are starting to realise that they need to offer more than just the basics if they want to attract candidates, so will invest in programmes like PerkBox, and offer it to their staff free of charge. Most benefits will be listed on the job description, but you can also ask current employees what sort of perks come with the job.

Don’t Rush Your Decision

While you probably won’t have too long to weigh up your options – maybe a few days – that doesn’t mean you should rush yourself. Take the time to write down the pros and cons of each job you’ve been offered, and see which one comes out on top. You can also use this time to negotiate a little with the companies, and find out if they can offer you a higher salary or additional perks.

The main thing to ask yourself is what you really want from your job. What is your main priority? Once you’ve worked that out, the decision of which job to take should be easy.