How do you effectively choose between jobs if your're granted the opportunity to be hired at both?
This is still hypothetical for me personally because I have an interview for both companies on the same day next week. However, I am anxious about every aspect of this. I have already had my preliminary phone interview with both companies and I am a bit more confident with both. The best case scenario is being able to work both, but if that is not the case, how do you weigh out the pros and cons? Both jobs are really different (one is a security job at a hospital and the other is an entry level job at a marketing firm). #marketing #job #interviews #security #career-decisions
5 answers
Kim’s Answer
You ask some very good questions!
If you have to choose between the two, consider these factors, not necessarily in this order:
- Which one will work better with your other commitments - school, family responsibilities, sharing a car, etc?
- Which one is more aligned with your professional career goals?
- Which one provides opportunity for training, development, and growth?
- Commute distance.
- Compensation and benefits.
I don't know anything about marketing, but, to me, that sounds like a very exciting opportunity! You will be working in a creative environment, gaining insight into how to successfully create promotions.
Security at a hospital could also be good, depending upon your career goals. It is usually shift work, which works well with going to school, so long as there is consistency in the scheduling.
It will expose you to many different types of people, and situations, where you will learn to use verbal communication skills to calm people down. You will likely be called on to help when patients with mental illness who have gone off their meds come in. You will definitely learn teamwork and decision-making. Security normally does not pay very well. It pays better if you are "commissioned" (carry a gun).
Now is the time to be preparing for the interviews, so that, hopefully, you do get to choose which job you want.
I would expect situation based questions at the hospital. For example: Suppose there is a car accident, and both drivers are brought to your hospital. One driver was clearly at fault. The injuries are serious. The victim's family is there, and very upset and angry towards the other driver's family. How might you take control of this situation? . . . difficult to answer, because you don't know what resources are available to you. You would want to keep them physically distanced, perhaps staged in different waiting areas, or, if the patients are admitted, to rooms that are not near each other....this would need to be coordinated with hospital staff. You could also identify the "leader" of the family, and speak to them, professionally, explaining that you need them to keep the peace because they need to focus on being supportive of their loved one right now, and deal with the legal issues later.
I don't know what questions to expect at the marketing one. This is a company where you could expect to hear "tell me what you know about my company." Make sure you have researched them thoroughly!
Best of luck, and let us know which one you choose!
p.s. It sounds like your resume is working!
Amy Kolzow
Amy’s Answer
What a great opportunity you have....congratulations!
Everything that has been stated before is such good advice. I would only add this thought: As a student, you have time to change your mind. If you pick one of these and you don't like it, you are learning something just as valuable as if you have a great experience. Sometimes knowing what you don't want can push you to try new things and have new experiences, so don't be afraid. Be proud you have multiple opportunities and choose the best you can based on what's been shared and how you answer some of those great questions above. You will do great!
Craig’s Answer
First, congratulations on taking the initiative to be applying to multiple jobs, putting yourself out there, and doing your homework (here).
There's a lot of good stuff in the answers above. What I'd add, by way of getting to core issues and not over-analyzing are:
In which job will you have more people around you to learn from?
Which one has a more inspiring boss?
Which one aligns more closely to what you value and enjoy doing? Put another way, if money were no object, how would you rather spend 8 hours: at job A or job B?
Imagine yourself waking up in the morning. Finish this sentence, as if thinking it to yourself before you get out of bed: "I'm glad I'm going to work today, because I like doing _." Which jobs gives you a better answer?
Keith’s Answer
First, do not overthink the process (it could impact how you interview). Let it play out and learn as much about both companies as you can. Remember that you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. Second,is this job for experience or survival? If it is the latter, you take either or both. If you get an offer from one before the other, you can present you situation to the second offer and discuss their willingness to accommodate your schedule. Also, what is your career path? Whenever possible, you want to always try to have experiences that will support your knowledge base to build upon. Congratulations and best of luck!
Respect the process :-)
Maria Lita Sarmiento
Maria Lita’s Answer
Wow, that will be great!
Well, choosing one better than the other
:pay and benefits, location, title, job specs, company culture, etc.
Best of luck!