Having to choose between multiple job offers is a great problem to have. If you find yourself in this situation, the simple solution is to create a pros and cons list. As with most things, it is easier said than done. There is a way, however, to streamline this process.
In a previous blog post about choosing a career path, a suggested exercise is to list all of the things that you value in a job or career. Some examples include money, work-life balance, and travel. You can prioritize or weight the list and overlay that with the elements of your job offers.
As an example, let’s say you have two offers. One offer is for a role that is interesting and aligned with your career goals, but it is a long commute from your home. The other is offer for a role that isn’t as interesting, but it pays more and is really close to your home. Depending on how you weight your values list, you may come up with a clear winner. If salary is of much higher importance than interesting work, then you may choose the second offer. Alternately, if the commute is the most important element, then the first offer could be your selection. It is recommended that you negotiate your offer, and in a previous blog post I discuss how to do just that.
Counter-Offers
If you are currently employed but receive job offers from other organizations, your current company may come to you with a counter-offer. As tempting as it may be to consider this offer, there are a number of studies that have shown that accepting a counter-offer can be a kiss of death. In my experience, many times when someone accepts a counter-offer, they end up leaving the organization in about 6 months. The main reason is that the counter-offer doesn’t address the root cause of why a person was considering other offers in the first place. The short-term gain of increased salary usually isn’t enough to keep a person in a role, team, or organization where they don’t want to be.
That said, there are people who have received and accepted counter offers who have stayed with their employer for many years. This, however, seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any additional insights, or would like to share your experience, I’d love to hear from you.
Until next time, happy hunting!
Having to choose between multiple job offers is a great problem to have. If you find yourself in this situation, then this video is for you. I discuss a technique for making your decision as well as the pitfalls of counter offers.
