PROJECT 21: Which Employer? Which Job Option?

OVERVIEW:

Most job seekers, like you, eventually receive multiple job offers. You have options and, thus, decisions to make based upon a well thought-out analysis. Which opportunity is right for you?

What factors should you evaluate? How important is each factor to you? What interests you about each opportunity? Even a short-term job decision, like an internship, can influence your future career success. Success must be defined by you, not others.

Whether you are choosing between an internship or a full-time job several years hence, the analysis is very important. You could be making a lifestyle decision. Money, location, training, type of work, security, future family concerns, advancement, friends, etc. can be influenced by your decision.

This project is designed to teach you how to conduct a logical analysis, not just evaluate the decision at hand. Therefore, even if you have already accepted employment, chosen a graduate school, or decided on a future option, there is great value in you doing this project, Which Employer?

To do this project you need to describe your situation first. What is the decision to be made? How many employers are you comparing? Even if you are sure of your choice, it is important for you to go back to a comparison point in order to maximize your learning experience.

You may have more than two choices, but for the purposes of this project, use only two. Phase I is an analysis of two different employment options. Phase II is a comparison between these two options. Phase III is your decision and Phase IV is a written statement of your reasoning.

If you are not comparing your options to another job offer, you must use some personal standards and goals against which to compare. You should evaluate each offer, as you receive it, against factors that are important to you. You can objectively evaluate your criteria such as advancement, training, earnings, location, people, type of work, and other factors discussed in Chapter 20.

If you are in the pre-employment phase and still trying to decide on a career option that best fits your needs, you can modify this project by substituting “the Employer” (Figure 19.1) with “the Job Description” (Figure 19.2). The analysis between career fields and specific employers is similar. You have your choice, depending on which analysis might best fit your current needs.

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS:

Read Chapters 20 and 22 in the textbook Career Planning Strategies.

Your finished project should fulfill ALL of the requirements below.

A. Factor Comparisons: What factors are most important to you? Read the factors listed in the Job Comparison Form, Figure 20.9, in the textbook. You are welcomed to add factors to the list or to remove those factors that are not important to you.

Rank in order at least 10 factors that you consider to be most important in your choice of employers (or career fields/jobs). Beside each of the factors that you rank, explain in two to four sentences why this factor is important to you. Assign a 0-to-5 score to each factor with 5 being the highest. Do this on a separate page using the factors in Figure 20.9.

B. Profiles: Identify two employers (real, potential, or hypothetical ideal) or career descriptions that you want to analyze. Using either Employer Profile (Figure 19.1) or Job Description (Figure 19.2) as a guide, write a one- to two-page analysis on the employers or the jobs. Indicate why you made these two choices.

C. Comparing Employers: Using the Job Comparison Form (Figure 20.9) as your guide, create a similar one-page form (or cut and paste Job Comparison Form) that includes your factors and their relative rankings. Place your two competitors (or your ideal) in the appropriate columns. Complete the numerical part of your analysis and sum up the results at the bottom of the form. Write your decision on one page in an email to a friend or parent, explain your decision and attach your form.

D. Final Assessment and Decision: Based on this rather objective analysis, compare the results. Which choice is higher? Which choice did you make? If your analysis differs from your logical results, discuss why. It is not uncommon for a person to thoroughly analyze a situation and then the importance of only two or three factors overrides the decision. Make your choice and support it in one page. Write your decision in an email addressed to a friend or parent explaining your decision. Attach your profile and comparison form showing your objective analysis.

Deliverables: Turn in to your Career Counselor:

Ø Factor comparison: List of 10 factors with rankings and explanations

Ø Profile: Two employers or two career descriptions with one- to two-page analysis on each

Ø Comparison: Comparison of those two employers using textbook Figure 20.9.

Ø Decision: One-page analysis to friend or parent.