How To Choose One Job Offer Over Another
By David Fishman

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that hiring is up. National employment rose by 248,000 in May with an increase of 346,000 in April and 353,000 in March. This is good news!

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Experiences from my own network of friends, acquaintances and contacts supports the government data. In fact, one man I worked with was considering three job offers. Another already was offered a job but was still continuing to look for something better.

As difficult as it is to find a job, when you have more than one job offer to consider, the task of deciding who to accept or turn down can seem as difficult.  

So, how should you choose one company over another? Should it be dictated by money, location, or the type of work you prefer? Are there other factors you should consider when making your hiring decision?

Here are some basic criteria many people have used in deciding. I have decided to group them into two categories, “new” and “experienced.”

New Job Hunters (1st, 2nd job hunts)

• Compensation Package

• Location

• Type of Work

Experienced Job Hunters (3rd, 4th job hunts etc.)

• Business Travel

• Corporate Culture

• The People

• Business Intelligence

Compensation Package

Compared to an experienced veteran, most new job hunters have earned below the norm. Therefore, it's natural that salary issues are at the top of the list of factors by which new job hunters choose one job over the other. It's hard to pass up an offer that pays thousands of dollars more per year. That is, unless the entire compensation package is considered.

Benefits such as healthcare, 401k's, paid vacations, life insurance and overtime pay, etc. are all factors that should be considered as part of one's total compensation. There may be cases where it is prudent to accept a job offer that pays a lower salary simply because it offers better benefits. 

A question is in order here. Should the compensation package be the sole determining factor when choosing to accept one job offer over another? Is it the optimum way of making an important career transition decision?

The answer to this question is personal and variable. It depends on your personal situation and, for the most part, your family responsibilities.

When I have been in this situation, I stepped back and reviewed my budget. I determined, down to the smallest detail, what I needed to live comfortably and fulfill all my commitments. Then, I added a 25-percent "contingency coefficient" to that total.

By using this process, I objectified my baseline salary. This allowed me to look at other factors for my final decision. This is also useful in eliminating job offers that are not competitive.

If a company offers you a job that does not meet your baseline salary, you will just be creating a "cash crunch" problem down the road if you accept the offer. If you really want to work for that company, go back to them and say just that: "I want to work for you but I need a better (baseline) salary to accept." If they are serious, they will negotiate with you.

Location

The location factor is primary for many people. Family obligations or simply wanting to "go back home" is the reason they give for looking at a city or state first and then seeing what kind of work is available there.

For many job hunts, this is not really a problem. If anything, it gives some focus to the job hunt by placing a structure on it that would otherwise be missing when someone is open to living anywhere. 

The location factor becomes a problem when a person decides on an area where his or her job skills are not widely in demand.

Despite all the talk about global economies and virtual companies, if you break down private industry into its sub-categories and correlate those industries to geographical areas, you'll find that industries by and far are regionalized. (e.g. Industrial--Midwest; Computer--East and West; Advertising--East; Government--East, etc.)

I find the location factor is the most limiting factor of all unless one makes some compromises and does one's homework.

Type of Work

Of the three factors new job hunters use to make a hiring decision, the type of work is by far the wisest in my opinion.  

Workers spend a lot of time at their jobs. Employment in any field can be consuming, stressful (at times) and always challenging. If you are going to invest the time in an occupation you want to excel in, it is best to choose one that you enjoy doing and in an organization you are excited to be a part of.  

This again requires you to do your homework and ask questions during job interviews. Learn the details of the position. Ask to meet one of your future colleagues so he or she can tell you about a typical day on the job. Become educated about the organization and its business.  

When people are confronted with a choice between two similar alternatives, employment satisfaction should play an important role.  

. . . The above factors are most commonly used by new job hunters. But, after you have become experienced in your field and industry, that is, have made the career transition and you have contacts within an industry, new factors reveal themselves when considering an employment offer.  

Business Travel

When an employer tells a job candidate the position requires 80 percent travel, this value may be a lot for a someone who has experienced this before. However for someone new to it, it may not be.

The business travel factor should make you look closer at the job and the company. Did I really want this job? Was this the right career decision for myself? Would I be taking the job because I needed a job or because I saw an opportunity that fit me? 

Corporate Culture

While most people (including myself) consider this factor very important, I find it isn't at the top of the list of decision-making factors for most of my piers.  

In private industry, there are as many corporate cultures as there are companies. In some corporate cultures, the processes are spelled out clearly; in others, they must be discovered through trial and error by the employee.

Those employees who do not adapt to a given culture do not always stay. This is unfortunate; company turnover usually affects the entire organization.

For the employee who is hired and then departs as a result of a mismatched corporate culture, it essentially means starting the job-hunting process all over again. Avoid the problem; consider corporate culture in your job acceptance equation.

How can you use the corporate culture factor to your advantage?  

Determine what kind of culture you best work in. Are you a team player or an independent type? Do you like a small work group or do you excel in a large, diversified organization? Do you need to have face-to-face contact with your boss or colleagues? Or, can you function in a virtual organization when the only contact is through instant messaging software?

Knowing what kind of culture you shine in can help you eliminate companies that you will not synch with.

The People

Despite all the new trends in technology that assist in business management, and beyond the importance of corporate culture, I have found that having a great employment experience depends on the people who already work there.

The existing work team is the embodiment of a company's culture. Their attitudes, work performance and business-to-personal interactions are essential to the financial success of the organization and the happiness of all employees.

Thus, knowing an employee or any of the people on your future work team is extremely valuable when making a job offer decision. If an employee gives you the "lay of the land" and you feel it is a good match, this information can help your transition. 

How can you get to know the people? Networking, personal contacts and the like. Most people still are hired through informal channels and there is a primary reason why they are: to build successful work teams you need not only skilled people but also people you can work with.

Choosing, or not, a particular job offer is perhaps the most important decision in your career transition. This article overviewed briefly most of the processes people make when considering a decision.

For most of us, the basic factors for new job hunters are all you need. But the more you become specialized with advanced skills or for those who are on their 2nd or 3rd job hunts, it is useful to consider other factors to make a sound, rounded and rational decision.

Good Luck In Your Job Search!

David Fishman
dfishman@ileadmedia.com