How do I choose between two great jobs?

The dream most of us have is to get a job that matches our needs, interests, personality, etc. Getting to choose between 2 great jobs sometimes doesn't sound possible. However, this question comes up more often than you might think.

Most of us put out multiple applications at the same time and it's not uncommon to get multiple interviews or job offers when we've done the work right. So when this happens, what do you do? How do you choose?

First, let's take a step back and celebrate the fact that you got not one but TWO great job offers. This is awesome, and it means that you have something great to offer these companies!

Let the reality that you will have a job very soon bring you excitement and relief rather than stress. 

Now, let's talk about that stress for a second. The stress actually comes from the fact that you don't want to make the wrong choice.

We worry that if we choose a path, we will get it wrong and the other path would've been better. There's a term for this. It's called "decidophobia."

Yes, really. You can thank Princeton University philosopher Walter Kaufmann for that creative term. As that term would indicate, it's not just stress that's driving us in that moment but fear. And while fear has it's place (like if you’re ever running from a charging rhino,) there are times when we need to recognize the fear and press on. 

So time to talk about that decision-making step. How do you choose? 

Step 1: Make 2 Pros lists

First of all, while both jobs are great, they are not the same. What I want you to do is get out a piece of paper and pen/pencil or open a word document and make 2 columns: Pros for Job A, Pros for Job B. Then, fill these columns in with what you know.

Hold onto these lists for a moment because we are going to get back to them later.

Step 2: Revisit or learn about your work values 

Work values are a key factor for determining job satisfaction. So if you aren't matching those values, you're not going to be happy. Most work values can be categorized in 6 ways: Achievement, Independence, Recognition, Relationships, Support, Working Conditions.

If you are unsure which of these is most important CareerOneStop has a brief assessment to help you determine the order of importance for your work values.

Once you have your list of values, number them 1-6 with 1 being the lowest value and 6 being the highest.

Step 3: Match your values to your pros lists

As you look at your pros try to identify which values they match from the above list and give them the number value associated with that. 

Step 4: Add up the totals

You guessed it, each of these list has a total score. Total up the scores and see which job has a higher score. 

Step 5: Check in with how you feel

I know that sometimes, there are things that can't be scored. Usually this comes up when you are about to make a decision. I am not talking about that fear again, but instead, we have a gut instinct that one job is actually better. Maybe the atmosphere felt a little healthier. Maybe the security of the position feels more stable.

If you have a gut reaction that the other job would actually be better, figure out what pro/value you missed, put it on the list and re-score your totals.

At the end of the day, if these are both great options, you can choose either and be okay. My hope though is that this post will help you get through the decision process and come out on the other side with confidence that you're choosing the best option for yourself. 

If you need extra help with deciding on a job or a career path in general, I would be happy to support you in the journey. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.