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A Guide to Help Choose Between Job Offers
To find a job, you’ll probably need to apply to many different companies all
at once. Sometimes, you’ll receive multiple offers in a short period of time
and you’ll have to make a decision.
Every opportunity is different. Some companies may offer a lot of money,
but be no fun to work at. Others might have an excellent culture, but the
work isn’t truly what you want to do. When making this decision, it’s
important to consider a wide range of factors that will impact whether a job
is right for you.
Part I: Scenarios - 3 Job Offers. Which Do I Pick?
You are a recent college graduate who is looking for work. Below are the
descriptions of three different jobs that you have been offered. Read each
job description fully and keep in mind which factors appeal the most to you
and which appeal the least to you.
A blank grid has also been provided for you. Use this grid when you receive
multiple offers to help decide between jobs.
FACTOR
JOB A
JOB B
JOB C
Salary/Benefit
s
$80,000/yr with a
potential $20,000
bonus at year-end
based on
performance.
Health insurance
included
401(k) included
3 paid vacation
days/year
8 paid sick
days/year
Lunch provided
daily
$40,000/yr, plus
2% stake in the
company. You
automatically get
2% any profits the
company makes.
Health insurance
included
401(k) NOT
included
5 paid vacation
days/year
8 paid sick
days/year
Lunch provided
daily
$60,000/yr, plus
the opportunity to
earn a $5,000
bonus year-end
based on
performance.
Health insurance
included
401(k) included
5 paid vacation
days/year
10 sick days/year
No lunch provided
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Job
Responsibilitie
s
You will learn a few
new skills, but for
the most part your
work will be
concentrated on
performing those
few specific skills
repeatedly each
day.
Many describe your
work as generally
“boring.”
Since your
company is so
small, you will be
getting the chance
to lead efforts in a
few areas.
You will be taking
on many new
responsibilities and
setting a vision for
the company
You’ll be placed on
a small, established
team.
Generally, you’ll be
performing similar
skills to what you
practiced in college
but you’ve been
told you’ll have the
opportunity to try
new skills after a
few months.
Opportunity for
Career
Advancement
Very well-known
Fortune 500
company with
established veteran
management
It will take at least
10 years to reach
management level
Many people leave
after a 2-3 years to
pursue other
management
opportunities.
It is a tiny start-up
company, so career
advancement
possibilities are
high… if the
company stays in
business.
If the company
grows, you will
move up to
management
quickly
If the company
goes
bankrupt, you’ll be
out of a job
Small, but very
stable.
Prefers to promote
from within, but
the small size
means this can
take time. Most
employees have
been there at least
5 yrs.
Has a strong
reputation for
promoting the
most talented
employees.
Location
Right in downtown.
15 min via
bus/train
30 min drive-
heavy traffic
Parking included
Slightly outside
downtown
30 min driving
40 min via
bus/train
Parking NOT
included
Across town
45 min driving
50 min bus/train
Parking included
Company
Reputation
Well-known for
being incredibly
successful, but very
demanding of it’s
employees.
Everyone work 9+
hours/day, and
sometimes on
Huge focus on
employee
happiness, is
generally a
younger
organization that
creates a fun
team- atmosphere.
Has employees of
all ages and tend to
socialize
separately.
Employees are
treated with
respect, but people
keep work and
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weekends.
Employees must
drop everything to
complete a task if
management asks.
Most people work
9+ hrs/day, but
takes breaks for
games.
Company organizes
bi-
weekly happy
hours and has a
kickball team.
personal lives
separate.
Management
avoids asking
employees to work
more than 8
hours/day.
Job Security
Signed to two-year
contract.
Very few people
are fired in first two
years.
Two-year
performance review
determines if you
receive a new
contract.
Job security is tied
directly to company
success.
As long as
company continues
attracting
investors, you have
a job.
If company begins
to fail, they will be
forced to cut staff.
One-year contract
Very stable
company. It
performs a specific
service very well
and has a
consistent stream
of business.
If you commit to
them, they will
commit to you.
FACTOR
JOB A
JOB B
JOB C
Salary/Benefit
s
●
●
●
Job
Responsibilitie
s
●
●
●
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Opportunity for
Career
Advancement
●
●
●
Location
●
●
●
Company
Reputation
●
●
●
Job Security
●
●
●
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Part II: Comparing the Jobs
Now it’s time to compare the jobs. Follow the directions below to determine
how important each factor is and how well each job ranks in that factor for
you. Based on that, you can “score” each job and identify which one is the
best fit for you. You’ll be recording each of your weights and codes in the
tables below.
1. Weigh each factor of a scale of 1 to 5. Ask yourself how important each
factor is to you, and give it a weight number in the weight column.
**Note: The weight you give a factor will be the same for all three jobs. For
instance, if you feel “Location” has a weight of 4, put 4 in the Weight box for
Location for all three jobs (A, B and C).
a. 5 means the factor is very important to you
b. 4 means the factor is above average importance to you
c. 3 means the factor is of average importance to you
d. 2 means the factor is of below average in importance to you
e. 1 means the factor is of little importance to you
2. Use a code to show whether each job and organization is positive (+),
neutral (0), or negative (-) with regard to each factor you are
considering. Base your judgments on the information you have
obtained from your research.
+ = I feel excellent about what this company is offering; it
makes me want to work there
0 = I feel neutral about what this company is offering; it doesn’t
affect whether I’d work there
-- = I feel unhappy about what this company is offering; it
makes me less likely to work there
3. Multiply the weight by the code (W x C), and enter the product inside
the parentheses. For example: (4 x +)
= 4, (3 x 0) = 0 and (2 x -) = -2.
4. Sum the products in each column, adding or subtracting as indicated.
The total score gives you the rank of each job among alternatives.
Job A
FACTOR
WEIGHT
CODE
SCORE
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Salary/Benefit
s
Job
Responsibilitie
s
Opportunity
for Career
Advancement
Location
Company
Reputation
Job Security
TOTAL
Job B
CRITERIA
WEIGHT
(FROM 1-5)
CODE (+, 0, -)
SCORE
Salary/Benefit
s
Job
Responsibilitie
s
Opportunity
for Career
Advancement
Location
Company
Reputation
Job Security
TOTAL
Job C
CRITERIA
WEIGHT
CODE
SCORE
Salary/Benefit
s
Job
NSU Hawk¢ents
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Responsibilitie
s
Opportunity
for Career
Advancement
Location
Company
Reputation
Job Security
TOTAL
Final Score
JOB A
JOB C
Part III: Reflection
In at least 5 sentences, state the job that you chose and explain why. Make
sure to describe what factors made that job stand out about the others, and
what factors made the other jobs ultimately less desirable.