Deciding Which Job Is Best For You

Now you're at the point in your campaign which can make it a success or a failure - the time for decision. You have at least one offer that you are seriously thinking about accepting. But we hope you will be successful in getting three good offers.

(If you have only one good offer, you must make the difficult decision of accepting it or continuing to look while trying to keep the offer open.) Usually getting the first good offer is the toughest.

Often one or two jobs you have been negotiating for some time will come to fruition shortly after the first offer. This may "just happen," or it may occur when you tell a promising prospect that you have another offer. Now you must decide on one of them.



The key is deciding which job is best for you - which scores best against your main job requirements as you have refined them throughout your campaign. The real measuring stick lies in the future - say five years from now. Will the job you chose seem right then? Don't let your thinking be distorted into accepting what others might think is "the best job," if an alternative would be better for you.

Guard against being carried away. Job hunting means selling yourself, but an employer who finds somebody he or she wants to hire will be trying to sell the company just as hard. Often he or she hasn't done as careful an analysis of needs as you have. Furthermore, you have a lot more at risk - your work record and reputation - while an employer is risking only time and money. And if you were frustrated on your old job or you've been out of work for some time, your emotions may cloud your judgment. That is why a systematic and careful analysis of your offer(s) is terribly important.

Here are five steps to take before accepting an offer:

1. Negotiate enough time to be able to arrive at a good decision.
   
   
2. Conduct a sweep of all reasonable alternatives to get other offers.
   
   
3. Get the information needed to make the decision.
   
   
4. If appropriate, negotiate to upgrade the offer(s).
   
   
5. Evaluate the final offer(s).
   

Never accept an offer on the spot; take time to reflect on it. How much time is a reasonable amount to request? For an executive position at mid-career one week should be a minimum; probably you should get two weeks. Often you can obtain even a month or more. The length of time depends on the individuals involved, the urgency, and so on. If the employer won't allow you to think about it for a week at least, this might tell you something about your prospective boss and the company. Do you want to work for someone who appears shortsighted and inconsiderate? Regardless of how much time you have, you may find it is necessary to ask for an extension of the deadline, but be careful. It's better to ask for ample time in the first place. The time necessary to make a good decision is often considerable - greater than you might think.

How do you stall an offer? You might say something like this: "Thank you very much for the offer. I'm very interested in XYZ. I know it's a very important decision for you, and it's very important for me at this stage in my career. It would be unfortunate for you if I was not the right person for the job. In the same way it is important to me that this be the right job. I think there is a good chance that it is. I would like to think it over, Could I have two weeks? How about my getting back to you on the 15th with an answer?" Don't indicate that you are going to talk it over with your family. Of course you are, but saying so might suggest weakness.

When an offer is made, repeat it item-for-item to make sure that you understand all the terms. If it is not given to you in writing (and it usually isn't), confirm it immediately in writing, stipulating the time you will give an answer.