Problem:
Which Job? Are You Sure? “Wow, you mean you have three job offers? How did that happen?” “I’m not quite sure, Joan,” responded Alexia. “I guess I just carefully prepared for my job search.” “Ahhh . . . could you be a bit more specific for those of us who have no job offers?” asked Joan. “After researching various organizations, I tried to match my abilities and experiences to their needs,” Alexia continued. “Then, in addition to my résumé, I sent a portfolio with samples of my research work and creative projects.” “OK, Alex, which of the three jobs are you going to take?” asked Joan. “Again, I’m not quite sure. I’ve created a comparison of the three to help me decide,” Alexia replied. “Let me see that!” exclaimed Joan. “Wow, you take this career search stuff seriously!”
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Job Offer Comparison
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Position A
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Position B
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Position C
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Position description, organization
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Advertising account assistant for international promotions with global company with offices in 17 countries.
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Marketing assistant for a medium-sized equipment company; sales offices in eight states in south-east United States.
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Public relations director in local office of national non-profit organization assisting low-income families with food and housing.
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Salary situation
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$36,000; performance reviews and salary increases every six months for first two years, then annually.
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$33,500; annual bonus based on percentage of company sales increase.
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$28,500, with annual salary increases of 3 to 5 percent.
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Vacation time (paid)/year
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Two weeks (first year); additional two days for each year of service.
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One week after six months on the job; two additional days for each six months of service.
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Two weeks (paid); additional unpaid leave time up to four weeks a year.
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Health insurance coverage
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Employer pays 80 percent of health premiums for doctors on list of insurance company.
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Employer pays for HMO coverage with some flexibility of doctors.
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Employer pays 60 per-cent of health premiums; employee selects own doctor.
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Retirement fund
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Employer contributes 5 percent of salary; additional contributions allowed.
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Employer matches employee contributions (up to 10 percent).
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Employer pays 2 percent of salary; employee may make tax-deferred contributions.
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Educational opportunities
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On-site training seminars to update employees on global cultures and advertising trends.
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Tuition reimbursement (up to $4,000 a year) for graduate courses.
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Two trips a year to seminars topics related to non-profit organizations.
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Questions to answer:
Q1. What steps might Alexia take when deciding which position to accept?
Q2. What additional factors would you consider when selecting an employment position?
Q3. Which employment position would you recommend for her? Why?