After going through the process of applying and interviewing for jobs, you may be surprised to receive not one, but two offers!   While this may have come as a shock just a few short years ago, in today’s candidate-driven job market where employers are competing with each other for talent, anything is possible.

“As the economy continues to experience growth, hiring in general is on the rise across industries,” says Shana Cohen, Managing Director of The Execu|Search Group’s Office Support division.  “Ultimately, the greater an organization’s headcount is, the more support staff they require.   However, this rise in demand for administrative professionals has made it more difficult for businesses to find talent, and as a result, many of our most polished candidates have begun to receive multiple job offers.”

While this is a great position for administrative professionals to be in, those who do receive multiple offers have a tough decision to make.  “Many of the job seekers we partner with are often caught off guard by these offers and sometimes default to compensation as the final deciding factor,” explains Shana.  “Though it may be tempting to accept the job that offers the highest salary, it’s important to look at the bigger picture by evaluating which job would be better for your career in the long-run.  I truly believe that you can’t make an informed career decision based on one factor – such as compensation – alone, so I often advise my candidates on a variety of additional elements they should weigh before making a final decision. ”

If you ever find yourself choosing between multiple offers, we’ve included Shana’s list of factors to consider below:

Growth Potential: When contemplating your decision, it’s important to think about which opportunity will give you a better chance at achieving your long-term goals.  “Just because an opportunity pays more, doesn’t necessarily mean that it promotes long-term growth,” warns Shana.  “Focus on the big picture and think about which position will enhance your skillset and marketability.”  The offer that pays less initially, but gives you more opportunities to learn new skills, undertake more responsibilities, and advance within the organization, will most likely provide you with higher salary potential in the future.

Company culture:  Remember, money doesn’t always buy happiness.  As a result, it’s important to ensure that you choose to work for the organization that is the best fit for you.  To do this, some questions to ask yourself before making your decision include:

• Would I work well with the person that I will be supporting?
• Do I like the dynamics of the team I would be joining?
• Do I see myself being happy to come into the office on most days, or will I dread it?

“You can be making all the money in the world, but if you don’t jive well with your colleagues or the company culture, that higher paying job may not be worth it,” explains Shana.  “In the long-run, the happier you are, the more productive and successful you will be.”

Work/life balance:  If you have important responsibilities outside of the office, you have to think about whether the job you plan on accepting will give you the time you need to devote to them.  If you can’t work something out with the employer or find that the demands of the job will disrupt your personal life, you may want to take the job that offers more flexibility.