How to decide between 2 job offers

Lucky you! You’ve received more than one job offer. That’s an amazing position to be in, but now you have a challenge ahead of you deciding between the two. If there are major differences that skew your decision, like a massive difference in pay, then it’s a no brainer. But if the differences are more subtle, what do you look out for? Here is a checklist to help you make your decision. 

Progression Opportunities

Progression opportunities are important to consider, and you should be asking about this at the end of your interview. If you’ve received two different job offers but only one of them offers you good opportunities to advance your career, that’s the one to go for. When you’re thinking about this, you need to decide what you consider a successful career. For some people, their main concern is salary, while others are looking for the chance to travel and work with other companies, or to work flexible hours. Work out what your career goals are and look at which job is most likely to help you achieve them.

Your Colleagues

You won’t have much of an idea about the people that you’re working with but you should get some sense from the interview. It’s not the most important thing when you’re choosing a job but you need to have good working relationships with your peers and employers. You spend most of your time at work, and a bad mix of personalities can put a damper on work. If you got the sense that the people at the company aren’t the types of people you easily get along with, then maybe that job isn’t the best fit for you. Try to meet as many people from the business while you’re there for interview, and gauge what kind of working environment it’s going to be.

Sick Pay

Sick pay is a big issue because if you find yourself having to take a long time off work, you can easily find yourself in financial trouble if you aren’t getting much. Everybody has a statutory sick pay entitlement from the government but the basic amount you get is only £92.05 a week. That’s likely to be a lot less than your weekly wage and won’t cover your living expenses. Some employers will pay you more on top, sometimes even your normal wage. Look at which job offers the best sick pay rates and that will help you start to separate them. For that matter, consider all benefits. One job may pay a little less, but contribute considerably more to your pension. That’s a pretty big thing to consider. Particularly as that is income you are not paying any taxes on (yet). 

Added Benefits

The salary is important but it’s often better to take a slightly lower salary if you’re getting good benefits. Things like private healthcare or a company car can save you a lot of money so, even on a lower salary, you’ll still be better off. The office facilities are also worth considering as well. For example, if there is a free gym that you can use at work that will save you some money as well. Look at the combination of the salary and the benefits and work out which job actually pays more overall.

Consider these things and you’ll be able to find a way to separate the two jobs and decide which one you should take.  

 

*Photo by Jens Lelie on Unsplash

Christine Buske is a former academic who left science at the bench, and now considers herself a woman in tech. She is a frequently invited speaker, and enjoys talking about career transformation (particularly leaving academia for the business world), tech, issues around women in tech, product management, agile, and outreach. She is a proud Canadian resident, and qualifies as a "serial expat".

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