How to Choose From Multiple Job Offers
Having to choose from multiple job offers is a great position to be in, especially when the economy is tough. Many people looking for jobs are lucky just to get an interview, much less have the luxury of shifting through multiple offers. People with multiple offers should take their time in making a decision. Depending on your situation you may have many factors to consider, and choosing hastily could result in a poor decision.
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Instructions
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Stall for more time, if necessary. Take a few days -- say two or three -- to make a decision but don't allow potential employers to lose confidence in you as a viable candidate. Salisbury University reports that you can buy some time by asking for another meeting to discuss a few final points or to meet key employees. Schedule a telephone conference if the employer is located in another city.
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List the priorities for your job search on paper as you rank the offers. Create columns for salary, location, workplace environment, title, responsibility, growth potential and company stability. Rank the job offers in all the categories. Also consider intangibles such as quality of life, company culture and vacation time. The University of Colorado suggests assigning a number of one to 10 for each offer in all the categories. Add up all the numbers to rank the companies.
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Call someone you can really trust, ideally a mentor who is older, wiser and has much more experience. Share the job offers and your ranking to the extent that you are comfortable and ask advice. Also reach out to others, including people your own age, for their opinions.
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Whittle the list to just two offers using your numbering system. Adjust the totals, if necessary, based on input from your mentor and others.
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Request one last phone call with your potential new boss at both companies. Ask any remaining questions that you have. At this point, if you feel comfortable mention that you have multiple offers and you are deciding between just two. The respective potential bosses could respond with insight or observations that prove helpful.
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Choose one of the offers based on your point totals and any intangibles that are important to you such as your interview experiences.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't play one offer off against another just for money. Negotiate each job offer separately, and then compare and make your decision.
Don't back out of a job after accepting because you received other late offers. That could hurt your professional reputation.
