How to Handle Multiple Job Offers

How can I handle multiple job offers?  Receiving more than one job offer at the same time is an exciting prospect when you are looking for a job.  However, this scenario can also be difficult and stressful for candidates.  What should I do?  Which one should I take?  How can you make sure you are making the best decision?

  It is a nerve-wracking scenario.  You’re offered a job, but you have two other competitors waiting for you.  Or better yet, have multiple offers simultaneously.  It’s your best problem, but it’s still a stressful situation.  You don’t want to accept a job offer just to quit a two-week period from the position or feel sorry for your decision.  You also want to avoid offending any potential employers or target companies, or hurting your relationship with organizations that you will not go forward with.

To handle multiple job offers is a delicate dance and the best way to dance through it is to have a strategy before it happens.  This post features the steps to take if you find yourself with too many offers or receive an offer while still waiting to hear from other companies.

  Applying and interviewing for a new job can be stressful and time-consuming, especially for those who are already employed full-time or in education.  What can make the process more difficult is interviewing multiple jobs in a short period of time, which requires you to know a couple of job specifications and get answers to potential questions they may ask you.

Can I accept multiple job offers?

  If you are lucky enough to have more than one job, you may wonder about the best way to navigate the situation and come up with the right job and the right salary.  To give you a helping hand, we’ve put together some helpful tips and tricks to help you deal with two competing job offers, and make sure you make the right decision for your long-term career.

  For those who have never had more than one job offer at a time (or a rolling offer and interview process), this topic alone might make you close your eyes.  Because, come on, who wouldn’t want to have multiple suitors demanding you? 

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  However, for anyone who has been on this boat (or is currently in this boat), the challenge is real.  You’re probably asking how you can handle multiple job offers. It’s confusing, and the stakes can seem very high.  How do you manage the process?  How do you keep one company at bay while you’re done exploring that other thing?  Do you tell companies about each other? 

  Did you find yourself facing more than one job offer?  Although this position seems very idealistic, it can leave you in the difficult position of deciding what to do with the multiple presentations at the table and how to manage the process.

  First, you should be proud that you were so successful in the interview process that you received several written offers.  Going forward, you need to spend some time evaluating all of your options and deciding which position suits you best, without burning any bridges with the runner-up.

How to Handle Multiple Job Offers

·         Evaluate your needs

  With two job offers competing on the table, one of the first things you should think about is your needs.  If you are already working, ask yourself why you want to leave, and whether or not the new role will be able to give you more job satisfaction or a higher salary and balance between home and work.  There is little point in moving to a new position unless you are sure it will be okay.

  Next, compare the companies and decide which ones are best for your career in the short and long term.  If someone mentioned the potential for merchandising, it might be the most attractive option on paper, but that doesn’t necessarily make it true.  In such cases, go with your gut.

  Alternatively, you may decide that after receiving offers from others, you wish to remain in your current position.  You can use your new confidence to bargain for a promotion or a salary increase.  However, if you have already submitted your notice, think carefully before accepting a counter offer.

·         Take your time and get familiar with the roles

  Don’t rush the job search process.  While we spend less and less time on each turn – 91 percent of Millennials expect to stay in a job for less than three years – it’s still a huge decision to make, and one that you only make about a dozen times throughout your life.

ALSO CHECK: JOB POSTINGS

  Ask about time to consider your offers.  When you have more than one offer at the table, you can always request five business days to look at them, allowing you to make a fully informed decision.  Use this time to thoroughly investigate the role, weighing the pros and cons against your career ambitions.  Another way you can understand the situation is by asking prominent questions during the interview process

·         Weigh the pros and cons

  When comparing offers, the details of each job must be reviewed and fairly considered.  Although salary and benefits usually take precedence, it is important to evaluate location / mobility, company culture, organization size, job title, growth and development opportunities, and day-to-day responsibilities (to name a few).  Organizing and writing these details will help you visualize the differences between the two competing jobs.  If you have any doubts or unanswered questions about the role, ask the hiring manager for clarification at this point.

·         Consider the salaries

  As mentioned above, salary is usually the main deciding factor when choosing between jobs.  Obviously pushing is important but it shouldn’t be your only motivation.  Each person’s positions will be different, but if one job pays a lot less, you may want to consider the other.  If both are paying the same amount, then consider the most satisfying ones (considering all factors).  You can also take advantage of negotiating your offer to get more money from the institution you want.  If you mention that you have multiple offers, you can try to see if they match or pay more than the competition.

How to decline a job offer gracefully

  It is taken for granted that you cannot accept all offers.  So how do you choose between job offers?  Many people reject offers via email.  However, you can go further by contacting the employer.  This way, you will avoid any problems that arise from email or other written forms of communication.  It also shows that you respect the company, and appreciate that you took the time and resources to inspect you.  Having said that, try to learn more about safely turning down an offer before doing anything in this regard.

  You may not want to go into detail about why you turned down the offer.  Regardless, it is imperative to realize that doing so can help the organization improve various issues in the future, thus, ensuring a more productive and friendly recruitment process.