With any luck, you may end up in the type of situation where you not only have ONE job offer, but have
multiple job offers. We all know the expression, "When it rains, it pours." It really is true. As wonderful
as it is to know that two different companies want you, it can be difficult to choose. Ask any teenager
from your favorite family sitcom – having two dates to the prom can be more trouble than its worth.
You have to choose one, or you will lose both.
Here are our tips for making that decision. First, you want to think about what it felt like to be around
each company. How did the interview go? Was there good rapport between you and your interviewer?
If you got a chance to see the space and meet some of the people who work there, ask yourself how
much you liked them. Are they the kind of company you can have fun working for? An enjoyable work
environment is one of the most important things to consider when picking a company to work for.
After looking at which company you would like working for more, you want to look at what the
reputation of the company, and what working for that company will say for you. How is the company
branded? And does that brand line up with your personal brand? For instance, if you are selling yourself
as an innovative, technologically savvy 21st century whiz, and you have job offers from Tesla and Ford,
you probably want to go with Tesla. Even if Ford is able to offer more money, pairing yourself with Tesla
will up your brand. You will seem like a stronger applicant in the future if your work history lines up with
your personal brand. Taking the job that lines up with your career trajectory is usually the right idea.
(See our blog from September 6th "Branding your Personal Brand" for more info on this.)
You also want to find out how each company is doing financially. If you love the people at one company,
and the brand is identical to yours, but they look like they are on the path to go under- you probably
don’t want to take the job. Likewise if one company is less appealing but rocketing towards the top of
the market, it might be a better idea to jump on that ship. Money isn’t everything. But, working for a
company that will still be there in 5 years is a better idea than working for one that won’t.
Finally, read our two part post from September 28th and 29th – "New Questions for New Employers"
and ask both companies the full list of questions. Getting the answers to these questions will give you a
pretty good idea of which company is actually the one for you. Choosing between opportunities can be
tough. But, if you follow these steps you will make the right choice. Paying attention to which company
you like, which company will help your career, and which company is actually viable will make the
decision easy and help you choose the job you really want and truly deserve!