Decisions, Decisions: Recruiter Tips For Deciding Between Two Awesome Job Offers
It’s the ultimate love triangle: you and two job offers you find equally attractive. Refining your resume and honing your killer interview skills paid off, but the hard work has just begun. With two excellent opportunities in front of you, which path will you take?
Forbes calls it the most potentially overwhelming part of the job search process, and with good reason. Not only do you have your own internal dialogue to deal with, but there are also the voices of friends and family who think they know what’s best for you. External pressures can really heighten the anxiety of this most torrid love triangle. Stripping all of that away and thinking about what you really want is the true challenge.
Here are our steps for making the best decision for you.
1. Get comfortable with the difference between a want and a need
The needs are things you require; they’re your must-haves. The wants are things that would be nice to have. It’s easy to get these confused, because the wants often play to our emotions. For example, we all want to make enough money to take three trips a year, but if the job offering the massive salary lacks one or more of your core needs, how much fun will you really be having on your holidays?
Clear your brain out by writing down a list of the essential, must-have items of your future job. Which of your two offerings makes the cut?
2. Define work/life balance in your terms
Forget what you think you’re ‘supposed’ to want for work/life balance. John Tesh and other self-improvement gurus might have one way of thinking about it but deep down, we all know what works best for us.
For some of us, work is life. Pulling all-nighters to pull off big projects gives us a sense of accomplishment. Being available 24/7 makes us feel essential. Family is not as important and so work fulfills so many avenues of our identity.
For others, not so much. Balance means going home to family at night for dinner, and squeezing in a workout in the morning. Turning off the phone after 5PM, and pursuing other hobbies outside our profession.
These are two extremes, but the point is to consider what work/life balance means to you. Write a description of your ideal work day, from the moment you wake up until the hour you go to bed and measure it against what you know of your two job offers. You might need to get in touch with your recruiter or hiring managers to get the full picture of what will be expected from you in each position.
3. Answer that age-old question..
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” It’s almost a cliche, but it’s vital for choosing between two job offers. The vision of your life in five years is all yours, and you deserve to get there. Think about your two job offers in terms of which will bring you closer to achieving that vision. Your recruiter or hiring managers can give you details about the opportunities available, such as training, skills development, promotions and rewards.
4. Talk to someone you can trust
It feels good to talk it out, so get in touch with a recruiter who can provide unbiased career consulting services. Instead of asserting what’s best for you, a recruiter will listen to your concerns, ask proactive questions, and help you come to the decision between two job offers on your own.
With two awesome job offers on your plate, you are at a cross-roads. This is your time. Make it count!
Photo credit to Unsplash contributor elizabeth lies. Click here for photo.