As the job market continues to make an unprecedented comeback, employers are experiencing what is being deemed a war for talent. This means candidates are in high demand as the number of jobs available in the U.S. is exceeding the amount of people looking for work. With an expected growth rate higher than the national average at 13%, and technology being at the forefront of the future of work, IT professionals are in especially high demand right now.
“IT professionals in today’s market will find themselves at a competitive advantage when job searching,” says Jennifer Hatton, VP of Technology at The Execu|Search Group. “There are simply not enough talented candidates to go around, leading to the majority of candidates courting multiple offers at once.”
For IT professionals, managing several job offers at once can be tricky. There are a variety of angles to consider when deciding between jobs, ranging from personal and professional preferences that best suit your needs. If you’re presented with more than one offer (which is a great problem to have!), consider the following:
As a result of the pandemic, many professionals have reevaluated their priorities when it comes to the workplace. Flexibility and work-life balance are now sitting on the top of many professionals’ lists alongside mental health benefits and remote work opportunities. Consider if what’s being offered to you is in line with what you need to thrive in the role.
As you look at multiple offers side by side, pay close attention to what your daily list of responsibilities will look like. “For some IT professionals, scope of work is a major deciding factor,” says Jennifer. “IT roles can call for a lot from the professionals who fill them, and while some want to take care of a large, diverse responsibility set, others are much more comfortable with a very specific focus to drive their daily tasks.”
Depending on where and who you work for, the level of technology used can be different. As a result, closely assess the tech each company uses when making your decision. For example, if you are concerned about continuous professional development, you might want to ensure that the company is committed to using the most current tools, such as the newest servers and most up-to-date networking equipment.
For many IT professionals, working at unconventional hours isn’t an unfamiliar concept. That’s why you’ll want to put serious consideration into which schedule works best for you if you’re deciding between multiple offers with radically different hours. Additionally, you may also want to discuss if the company will expect you to be on-call. If a company will rely on you to be available at all times, this is something you should feel comfortable with before you accept an offer.
Because you may be the only person at your company with the specific knowledge to carry out the job, you may be called upon to travel regularly, including when you aren’t scheduled to be in the office. If this is the case, be sure that commuting from home to work is something you’re prepared to do.
As you go through these factors to determine where you should choose to work, also be prepared to receive a counter offer from your current employer. However, while a counter offer may sound enticing in the moment, think twice before you accept.
“Because the demand for IT professionals is as high as it is, companies are not only competitive when bringing on new employees, but retaining their current ones as well,” says Jennifer. “While these counter-offers sound promising, a lot of people realize they’ve made a mistake within a year of accepting a counter offer. Unless your reason for leaving is being made solely with compensation in mind, think long and hard about why you’re considering new opportunities before accepting a counter offer with your current company, because oftentimes, accepting a counteroffer can do more harm than good.”
