How to choose between two job offers

In a bid to bowl over our potential Employers, we often enter into interviews doing our best impression of the “dream Candidate”: polite, courteous and passionate about the particular company. Knowing the ball is in the court of the interviewer, we do what we can to land the job.

However, once the feelings are reciprocated, the ball is well and truly back in the hands of you - the applicant.

After a string of successful interviews, you’ve managed to secure not one, but two offers, turning the tables and regaining control.

After the rush of receiving more than one offer has worn off, you’re left a life-changing choice to make. Of course, making a decision of that magnitude can be difficult, but with a steady head, nerves of steel, and great advice, you can navigate yourself to the right future.

What matters most

What is it that drives you? It sounds like a question straight from the psychologist’s office, but it’s one that could save you considerable time in the decision making process.

While money is often a critical consideration for Candidates looking to progress their careers, it isn’t the be all and end all. If two future suitors make offers with similar packages, you must dive deeper into your psyche, and analyse what matters most.

For example, are you looking to cement yourself in a business with long term ambitions for growth? Are perks such as flexible working, private healthcare and duvet days more enticing than fruity Tuesdays, and company barbecues?

Set some time to draw up the pros and cons of both jobs. It may sound cliché, but this tried and tested method could turn an excruciatingly difficult decision into a simple point-scoring exercise.

Knowing me, knowing you

Getting to know your future Employer before joining permanently used to be a bit of a gamble. Second hand information, industry news and your gut feeling after the interview used to be the only indicators.

In the digital age, transparency has altered the employment battlegrounds. Today, sites such as Trust Pilot encourage businesses to think twice about their customer service, knowing that consumers can critique and slander their brand at a moment’s notice.

Similarly, Glassdoor has introduced this wildcard formula to the Candidate experience, enabling applicants to do some digging, before making a decision. A forum for free discussion of previous Employers, Glassdoor allows job hunters the ability to read reviews, view salaries and gain invaluable insights from former insiders.

Conduct an online investigation of both companies: if one of your offers has spectacularly negative reviews with eerily similar sentiments throughout, it may make the decision easy for you at the first hurdle.

Letting gut feelings take the wheel

When all other options have failed you, sometimes you’ve just got to go with your instincts, and let emotional intelligence be your guide. Odds are, that you have only spent a few hours with both pairs of interviewers, but in that time it’s highly likely that you gained an initial impression of the firm.

What were your first thoughts upon walking in? Did the culture strike you as appealing? Did the staff seem happy, depressed or simply hard at work? While it’s never easy to tell with such little interaction, try to figure out who you want to be spending a considerable amount of time with.

After all, these are the people that you will be interacting with more than some of your loved ones.

Choosing between two similar jobs roles can sometimes be too much for the head to decide upon, and this is where your heart earns its keep. Well…that, and for keeping you alive all these years.

For 20 years, the Allen Associates team has been helping Employers in Oxfordshire secure the talent they really need. Can we help you? Click here for more information.