Multiple Job Offers? How to Make a Wise Decision

In today’s job market, it’s not uncommon for skilled people to be inundated with opportunities within hours of sending their CV to recruiters. After selecting the roles they wish to go for, they could be looking at multiple job offers in the first week alone.

Yet finding yourself in this situation certainly isn’t easy! How do you make a wise decision that ensures you are happy in your new job, and that it fulfills your financial and career aspirations?

While it may be tempting to simply go with the most lucrative job offer, there are several reasons why taking a more holistic approach is a better way to go.

Here are 3 factors beyond the dollars that are well worth considering when weighing your options…

1. Right fit for your skills and experience

During a skills shortage, it’s natural for employers to extend generous offers to entice candidates to work with them.

However, there’s a difference between accepting a generous offer for a role that’s right for you and accepting one that’s well beyond your skills and experience. Doing this can actually hurt your reputation and career, and put you in a difficult situation in the future.

When evaluating multiple job offers, try to imagine yourself in each role and ask:

• How will my experience contribute to the role?
• Do I have the skills to deliver what’s required?
• Am I confident I can provide value?

It’s equally important to ask the employer these questions to make sure you align with the vision they see for you in the role.

Of course, there should always be room to grow and develop in a new role. But you don’t want to take such a huge leap that you find yourself under constant pressure and scrutiny from your team and manager.

2. Takes your career in a positive direction

When you decide to leave a job, it may be because you want to move away from something – be it a poor culture, difficult team, uninspiring work, or inadequate pay. You may be so excited to leave that just about any opportunity seems better than what you have right now.

Try not to be hasty in accepting a new role simply because it allows for a quick exit. Instead, take the opportunity to think about what you want to move towards, such as:

• Making more money
• Having more flexibility
• Working on meaningful projects
• Collaborating with like-minded people

Put together a list of “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves”. This will make it easier to identify opportunities that align with where you’re headed rather than what you’re leaving behind.

3. Aligns with your values

In the stress and excitement of applying for new roles, people often forget one of the most important aspects of choosing their next employer: culture fit.

Multiple studies have shown that people who resonate with their workplace culture feel happier at work – which makes them more productive and likely to stay longer.

Culture means different things to different people, so before embarking on your next job hunt, figure out what it means to you. Perhaps you value working with a passionate team that is focussed on achieving results. Or having access to coaching and mentoring. Or maybe perks such as free food, fun activities at work, or paid wellbeing days are important to you.

It can be tricky to know what an employer’s culture is like before starting a new role, which is why working with a recruiter can be really helpful.

Leverage the skills, experience and networks of a quality recruiter

Unfortunately, not all recruiters are created equal when it comes to helping you decide between multiple job offers. They may have a vested interest in encouraging you one way or another, especially if they know you’re working with several other recruiters.

There is a benefit to working with one recruiter rather than sending your CV to a whole bunch to see what they’ll come back with.

For example, our approach at HorizonOne is to:

• Really get to know you, including your current goals and where you want to be in 5 or 10 years
• Dig deep into the roles we recruit for so we can explain exactly what they involve
• Help you determine what ‘great culture’ means to you, and then look for teams and projects that align with your vision

We believe in collaboration and communication and spend a lot of time talking to you before, during, and after the recruitment process. This helps us reach our goal of connecting you with an employer and role you love, so you enjoy your job and get the most out of it before you’re ready for your next adventure.

To learn more about working with HorizonOne to find the right role for you, feel free to reach out to me on the details below.