Building Your Job Offer Comparison Matrix

Why You Should Use a Job Decision Matrix

Changing jobs is typically very stressful. There are many different elements to consider and often your head will be doing battle with your heart!

You should always use a decision matrix to help balance your decision. This requires balancing career growth with job satisfaction and often involves a family and working spouse. You need to think clearly about what is important to you both in the short-term and long-term! One of the most common mistakes is making what should be a long-term decision with short-term perspective.

Often you will be balancing your current job with one or more new opportunities. Each is likely to have pros and cons. A matrix allows you to break the decision down into bite-sized factors and assign a weight based on your personal value system. That way you can more readily asses your decision one bite at a time and end up with a weighted score which will be helpful to your final decision.

It is sometimes easier to judge the impact of a potential job change by looking as the job responsibilities, the job title, prestige, starting salary and what you have been told about career advancement. However, a great many job changes are based on the 'softer' side of things like cultural fit, co-workers, your ability to be an influencer, and the job's impact on family and social life.

Click the link below to download a copy of my job decision matrix. This form will be a great starter for you to use to make your decision. You can use this form in its original state, or use the contents to create a spreadsheet with factors that are specific to you.