Comparing Two or More Job Offers By Katharine Hansen & Dr. Randall Hansen

Congratulations! Let's say that after much preparation and hard work that you have received three job offers. Now you have to decide which is the best offer. Is the best offer always the one paying the highest salary? Well, when you also look at each company's benefits package, you might find a very different story, as illustrated in the table below. Why are benefits important? Benefits can add up to 30% to your total compensation.

Worldwide Widget, Inc. New York, NY The Widget Company Chicago, IL: Best Widget Corporation Atlanta, GA: Base Salary: $53,000 $50,000 $47,000 Sign-on Bonus: $1,000 $3,000 $2,500 Cost of Living Adj.: -$2,300 -$200 + $1,000 Medical, Dental, Optical: $3,000 $4,000 $4,000 Life, Disability Insurance: $1,000 $1,500 $1,000 Company Car: $2,400 $3,600 $3,600 401(K) or Pension Plan: $4,400 $6,000 $4,500 Total Compensation Package: $62,500 $67,900 $63,600

As discussed in our Salary and Job Offer Negotiation Tutorial, there are many other factors that job-seekers may want to consider when deciding whether to accept an offer, including:

Reputation of the company Corporate culture The work itself (in terms of interest, challenge, etc.) Timeframe for advancement Quality of community (life, schools, etc.) Relocation expenses Dependent care Professional memberships Health club/country club memberships Bonus/Raise policies · Vacation time Paid holidays Sick/Personal days Work hours, including flex-time Profit sharing Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) Employee Assistance Program Parking, commuting, expense reimbursement Tuition reimbursement Overtime/Comp. Time policies Telecommuting options Have you seen all of our Salary Negotiation Resources?

About the Author     Katharine Hansen is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com. Dr. Randall Hansen is currently Webmaster of Quintessential Careers, as well as publisher of its electronic newsletter, QuintZine. He writes a biweekly career advice column under the name, The Career Doctor. He is also a tenured, associate professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. He is a published career expert -- and has been for the last ten years. He is co-author, with Katharine Hansen, of Dynamic Cover Letters. And he has been an employer and consultant dealing with hiring and firing decisions for the past fifteen years. He can be reached at randall@quintcareers.com.