If you are successful and get multiple job offers, you may be faced with a tough decision of what job offer to accept. Deciding on a job offer can be easier if you have a process to follow.

Outlined below is a process for deciding on the job offer you want to accept:

1. Make a list of important factors in your selection. See Attachment A for a list of those and points to consider. You might want to add to this list other factors that are important to you.
2. Evaluate each offer by describing in writing how the offer satisfies each of the criteria. Doing this in writing can really force you to think about the offer.
3. Review your analysis with someone who you trust to give you an informed and honest appraisal. Parents may not be the best for this since they may not have the insight you need. Parents may also want you to take a job that is closer to home.
4. Once you have done your analysis, write down your decision and your rationale. Writing this down will help you think more clearly about your decision. Then sleep on your decision. If your decision still seems good the next morning, then you have probably made the best choice for you.
5. If you still are not comfortable with your decision, then ask yourself what is creating your doubt? Once you have done this, honestly ask yourself if you are just manufacturing concerns because you can’t decide. If that’s the case, go with your choice from point 4 above. If your concerns are legitimate, evaluate all of the offers based upon those concerns. Then repeat step 4 above.

There are some other factors that you should consider in your job decision:

1. An extended period of not working (or working at a low level job) can harm your prospects of finding a job that gets you started on your career.
2. It is natural to fear whether you are ready for the first job. Fear should not be a factor when selecting among job offers.
3. Every job will give you valuable experience, job contacts, and professional peers you can learn from.
4. You should not accept a job offer and then decline it later on if you get a better job.
5. You can pay a huge price in career prospects by limiting yourself in terms of geography.
6. It’s generally easier to go from a large company to a smaller one.
7. Highly specialized jobs can typecast you and make it difficult to move in a different career direction.

One final thing.  When you accept a job offer then you shouldn’t later reverse your decision.

Attachment A – Job Selection Factors.