When it rains, it pours. Someone who has been in the job market for months may be overwhelmed if not one job offer but two come along. The first instinct may be to accept the better one — as defined mostly by money and title. But is that the job you really wanted?
If you have two job offers in hand, you’ve the luxury of choice, even though you may not have the luxury of time. That is why while you will need to make a decision quickly, you also will need to think thoroughly about the two offers. Rushing to accept one doesn’t make a lot of sense at this stage. What you should do is to compare the two and also take into consideration the pluses and minuses of each in and of itself. It is not an easy exercise, but in many cases it is worthwhile.
Keep in mind that the job you turn down may not come back and the one you select will be yours, so be sure that your choice reflects your sincere interest without a space for regret later. Here are a few points that you shouldn’t miss:
Beyond the offer
It is a no-brainer that the offer details are the main point of comparison. When you compare the two jobs make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. In addition to obvious areas such as job description, title and remuneration package, look into the work condition, corporate culture, offering opportunities for advancement and employer’s record for employee retention. These items may not be found in the offer, but they are necessary and you should look for creative ways to know more about them. Speak with previous employees and check out reviews and discussion online. If you’re active within your industry network, you should be able to do your due diligence discreetly by speaking to former and current employees with whom you’ve kept contact.
If we learnt anything from the previous years, a layoff is not a far-fetched destiny in any industry. Many people in big and small companies were let go for no fault of their own when the global economy slowed down. Although the situation seems to be better today, we must not forget the lessons learnt. Before you accept a job, look at the employer record of employee retention, layoffs, etc and think of your own need for job stability. If that is a priority for you, go with the employer who seems to be well-established and less likely to scale back on human resources if things get tough.
Negotiations
Once you’re clear about what you want and what each offer contains, it is time to make a decision about what you are willing to accept. If the answer isn’t straightforward and your preferred offer falls short in certain points, you may need to negotiate it. List the missing points and ask for what you’re willing to accept. Make it clear that you’ve another job offer in hand, and you’re asking to receive a match. However, be clear whether you still will accept that offer if your request isn’t met or not. Although you don’t want to give away too much and compromise your own negotiation power, you still need to leave the door open. Select your words carefully and, most importantly, express your sincere interest in the job. Employers may be more willing to meet your requirements if they feel that you are seriously about your request — not just having the upper hand because you’ve another job in the bag. In addition, don’t play the negotiation game with both employers — i.e. if one employer meets your request, don’t go back to the other and ask for more. It is a bad form because you will end up reject one offer that has been specially negotiated to meet your requests.
Time sensitive
Be conscious of how much time you have. An employer who is in a rush to fill a vacancy may not be accommodating for your negotiation or requests. In this case, you may be risking losing the job offer. If you sense urgency, you may need to make a quick decision regarding whether negotiating an offer is worthwhile or not. Being quick doesn’t mean that you have to accept the offer as is, however. You can always note your reservations and what you think should be changed. In this case, you may get a last-minute modification that meets your requirements without delaying the process.
Rania Oteify, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.
