You were beginning to give up, to think you'd never get a really good job. You'd done all the right things, followed all the rules of the smart job hunt-exemplary research, networking, internet search, résumé and letters, interviews, and even carefully crafted thank-you notes, but for weeks nothing happened. It was hard not to feel sorry for yourself and even more of an effort not to let self-doubts get you down (mocha almond ice cream followed by a good work-out at the health club helped a little).

Finally, however, the heavens smiled on you-not one, but two interesting job offers came your way. They each had positive aspects along with some negative ones. How could you intelligently distinguish between them? This is when a good decision-making system comes in handy. One exceptionally helpful method is the following:

1. Draw a chart (see below and feel free to copy it for yourself).

2. From the following list, choose the six (6) work needs that are most important to you:

1. Good pay and compensation - Consider stock options, regular raises, incentives, bonuses. If moving to another city, does the money cover increased living expenses? Be sure to compare apples to apples here. Clarify issues like the vesting period of stock options. Remember, Americans now spend an average of less than thee years in a given position. If the stock vesting period is four years, you may be forced to leave a significant amount of money on the table.

2. Benefits - Consider both tangible ones, such as health care and in-house day care [for example, Lotus/IBM attracts and keeps a number of its employees with the latter], and intangible ones, such as an enjoyable place to work [you might even be able to bring your dog!] Wherever possible, try to give attach dollar vales to benefits so you will once again be comparing apples to apples.

3. Hours - How important is flex-time or being home for family dinners?

4. Time off - Is it important to be able to work part-time take summers off?

5. Commute - How long will it take and how much will it cost? Can you get there without a car?

6. Interesting work tasks or subject matter - Can you use your skills in your new position? Will you be involved in a field that interests you?

7. Advancement possibilities - Are there good opportunities to move up and to increase your earnings?

8. Organizational culture - Is the company staid and focused on traditional ways or is it open and progressive? Which one is better for you?)

9. Co-workers - Are they the kind of people with whom you want to spend your days?

10. Company reputation - Is the organization well-respected--known for quality work and good management?

11. Industry future - The biotechnology field may be a good bet, but probably not carbon paper.

12. Personal values - Does the company contribute to the community, make environmentally sound products and provide useful services?

13. Family-friendly environment - Is it easy to keep in touch with your children during the day? Can you attend important school events?

3. Place your top six work needs in priority order on the vertical axis of the chart.

4. Along the top of the horizontal axis, note the two (2) jobs you are considering; below each one place a plus sign (+), a minus sign (-), and a question mark (?).

5. Starting with your most important work need, fill in the plus block for each job with a number from 1 to 5 (5 being the highest). Then add up the numbers to see which job has the highest score.

6. If there are any negatives, place a check mark in the appropriate blocks and describe them briefly.

7. Note any questions you might have (such as under "commute" you might be considering a move to a different town, or under "coworkers" you might think your potential supervisor seems somewhat dictatorial).

8. Now, place a red asterisk (*) beside the absolutely most important element in your decision.

9. At this point, you should be able to logically and unemotionally determine what your smartest move would be (not that anyone can know what the future holds).

10. Don't forget to pay attention to what your "gut" tells you (don't expect to be able to fully describe this to yourself, never mind to others).

11. Finally, pat yourself on the back for being so thorough and thoughtful, then put everything together to make your decision.

12. If appropriate, discuss your results with anyone else involved in your plans.

	JOB 1			JOB 2
WORK NEEDS	+	-	?	+	-	?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
TOTAL

As a career counselor for many years, I have had clients who completed this decision-making exercise with excellent, and sometimes surprising, results. One woman realized her need for time off to pursue her desire for kayaking and adventure vacations made her willing to trade off financial considerations. Another client gave up the possibility of working for an important company because it lacked flexible hours and a family-friendly environment. One person left a company where he was offered a major promotion and raise to move to a nonprofit organization where he felt he could have some influence and do more good for his community.