How to Decide Between Multiple Job Offers

You’ve sent out a million resumes, gone on a thousand job interviews, and all your hard work has paid off. You have a job offer.

But wait, there’s more!

You have multiple job offers. You’re in demand. That’s great news but it also complicates your life.

How do you know which job offer to accept?

Consider these factors to aid in making the best decision for your career.

Goals. What do you want to accomplish in your career? What skills do you need to get there? The clearer you are on the answer to those two questions, the clearer you can be about which job better matches your career goals. When you have multiple job offers you have the luxury of thinking beyond your short-term needs and consider the best long-term fit for you.

Location. You obviously want to factor in the location of the jobs and the distance you would need to travel. If you enjoy a long commute this might not be an issue, but if you prefer to spend more time at home or with your family, this might be a consideration, along with factoring in transportation costs.

Related to location is the question of travel. Will you need to travel for one job but not another? How often will you need to be away for work? You might love to travel and see this as a great opportunity or you might have small children at home and want to avoid frequent time away.

Work environment. Each work place has its own unique work environment or style. You need to determine the work environment of your potential employer and see if this fits with you. Do you like to dress casually but would need to wear a suit? Have you heard that your immediate supervisor likes to micromanage? Is the team or company welcoming of new employees? You’ll want to try to answer these questions and determine what situation works best for your work style, personality, and career plans.

Salary. You will most likely be concerned with how much money you make and, though it might not be the most important factor to you, it can make the decision easier if most other considerations are equal. However, don’t just think about the money you see in your paycheck. Pay attention to the benefits offered. Will you have a 401K? What are the details of your health plan? You also want to factor in continuous learning and ask if your new company provides you with a budget to attend training sessions.

Opportunity. This factor might be difficult to assess but it’s important to determine if there is a clear career path at a potential employer. You don’t want to accept a job that provides an immediate dead-end, with limited chance for promotion, and will require you to move elsewhere to advance in your career.

There are definitely other considerations to make when choosing a job, and some factors will have more personal importance than others, but these five can serve as a starting point to make a good decision on the job offer you accept.