Making the Right Choice: Navigating Between Two Job Offers

Choosing between two possible jobs

INTRODUCTION

As a few of you know over the last month or two I have been very busy trying to land a new job and have had several interviews for new roles without success.

This has changed recently with the receipt of not one but two job offers in the past few days.

I haven’t made up my mind truth be told which is the best role for you, but I wanted to share with you what you need to consider whenever this kind of situation happens.

Think long-term

I won’t name either of these companies out of fairness but one of them is well established and has been in operation for over a hundred years, and the other is brand new well within the last few years.

On the newer company, it is a lot smaller of course and if the job fits you, could result in an easier level of growth within that team if you wish to stay focused in that team, while in a larger company, you could make around a few teams over time (like for example what I did with the Co-Operative from 2006 to 2011).

The key conclusion here is whether stepping into a larger firm which is more established or working from the ground upwards more suits you.

Be careful of 'push' factors

The Salaries here are very similar, and in both cases, a walk back to Manchester Piccadilly train station where is likely I come from is the same.

The Push factor however to bear in mind is how quickly one of the companies wants you. One of the two job offers is doing a cautious, cautious approach with extensive security checks which will take some time while the other wants me to start on Monday next week. Yes, Monday.

If I was already working in a job, they would simply have to wait, but as I have already been asked, this raises the question of why they want me in so there quickly. I did some temporary work last year for a firm of solicitors called Howard Bernstein Solicitors after the previous Legal Secretary had been sacked and a temporary young lady had left quickly following on from her resulting in me walking into a chaotic job.

The conclusion here is what do you want? Can you wait? It could suit you walking into a job that quickly says on Monday and works out well for you. The other side of the coin is you could be walking into a total nightmare.

Assess the work/life balance.

Both roles are 37 hours a week, both Monday to Friday – 9.00 am to 5.30 pm, both of which have a later finish than what I want to be honest. One has a Hyrid pattern in place, the other is fully office-based. The last job I worked at, RWA was Hybrid – split between office and home working. There was a gentleman there who disliked this pattern and wanted to be in the office full time so volunteered to do that which removed the need for everybody to swap around as much.

Working at the Co-Operative and the Courts, I was well versed in working full-time in the office which was a major shock to my system when I then did 6 months for APEM full-time from home.

With this, it depends on really what you are looking for. My wife works full time from home, so it would allow me to see more of hers and less of the commute to and from the office, but I know people who love the commute, the grind in the office, the noise, the friendships you make etc, the experiences.

Consider the culture fit. ...

The key thing here when you are going for is whether your personal beliefs, values, beliefs and behaviours fit with the job you are going for.

Both of these companies in question wish to help people out and put back into the local community in different ways which is pleasing, so then it is down to decide which is the best fit for you with the job.

One of the two roles I felt would be sitting on the telephone an awful lot talking to dis-satisfied social landlord tenants helping them out. I’ve done a role at the Co-Operative in the past in their call centre speaking to members of the public about their home and contents insurance for 6 months, which after 6 months I had had enough which then led to working at the Courts on a none telephone based role.

The other would be typing up more reports on behalf of senior partners etc, which is closer to what I did at the Courts which was just as rewarding, just a different level of pressure.

The deciding factor is simply which is to not look at things which the employers may look at where the objective of hiring is not to find the best person for the job but to find a person who is the best fit for the job. In this situation, I have to consider which role I would be happier both in 6 months or all being well for 5 years.

Reflect on the interview. ...

These interviews, both were done remotely which made life harder to reflect on, both were done by two people, one a man, and one a lady.

One of the interviews lasted half an hour with next to the banter between you and the two people you were talking to, and the one went on for just over an hour which included a ten-minute test at the end and even a role play.

In this case, on the longer interview, I left there a little tired but felt like I had got to know the two people in the interview, while the other I came away thinking after twenty-five minutes I honestly thought I hadn’t done enough to get the role.

Reflecting on the interview is the most important thing to bear in mind when being offered two roles, can you see yourself working with the two people? Did you like them? Did they like you? I’ve known people who were hired after a job interview and took the job despite having mixed feelings about the people who interviewed and started the job only to find what they felt in the interview was correct.

Don't get blinded by salary. ...

The two salaries in these roles were very similar, but the crunch point here money isn’t anything. My Father told me when I told him about this, the more money you earn, the more the employer wants off you. While this is true, I also firmly believe money isn’t everything, and it is best to be in a lesser paid money rather than stepping into something just for the money.

Trust your gut.

The concluding point now, whenever you are considering something like this, the crunch point is to trust your gut instinct. It’s a difficult choice to make, and in the full of my working career, it’s the first time this has ever happened to me too but is to pick out the role which suits your skill set and which you think you would be most happy with.

In this role I am going to pick from next, I will be polite to the company which I turn down, as there was not a bad employer by any stretch of thought, just the fact that the other company suits my needs better.

CONCLUSION

There's no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to choosing between job offers. Carefully weigh the pros and cons, trust your gut feeling, and don't be afraid to ask questions. The ideal job is a place where you can thrive and feel valued, and with a thoughtful approach, you'll be well on your way to finding it.

Choosing between job offers requires a balance of strategic analysis and gut instinct. By carefully assessing factors like salary, benefits, and company culture, you can narrow down your options. Ultimately, trusting your intuition and selecting the role that feels like the best fit will lead you down a path to professional fulfilment.