Two offers rarely differ only in salary. One may pay less but offer a shorter commute, better growth, or a team you trust. Without a method, the decision often comes down to whichever factor feels loudest that day.
This guide shows how to turn a vague gut feeling into a structured comparison. You can do it with paper and pen, or with the Pros & Cons and Decision Matrix features in the decision app from developer Thieu Khue.
Define What Matters Before You Compare
Start by listing the criteria that affect your life, not the ones that look impressive on paper. Write them down before you reread the offer letters, so the offers do not shape your priorities.
Common criteria include:
- Base salary, bonus, and equity
- Benefits such as health coverage, retirement contributions, and paid leave
- Commute or remote-work flexibility
- Learning and promotion opportunities
- Manager and team quality
- Job stability and company health
- Workload and work-life balance
Then give each criterion a weight from 1 (minor) to 5 (critical). If flexible hours matter more to you than a title, the weights should say so. This is the step most people skip, and it drives the whole result.
Method 1: Paper and Pen
The weighted table
Draw a table with criteria down the left side and two columns for Offer A and Offer B. Add a narrow column for weight next to the criteria.
- Write each criterion and its weight (1–5).
- Rate each offer on each criterion from 1 to 10.
- Multiply each rating by the weight.
- Add up the totals for each offer.
For example, suppose remote flexibility has a weight of 5. Offer A scores 9 and Offer B scores 4, giving 45 versus 20. Salary may have a weight of 4, where Offer B scores 8 and Offer A scores 6, giving 32 versus 24. Continue down the list and compare the totals.
A quick pros and cons check
On a separate page, list pros and cons for each offer in your own words. This catches things your table missed, such as a worry about a manager you met in the interview. If a concern appears here but not in your table, add a new criterion.
Method 2: Using the Decision App
The Android app is listed as Decision Maker: Smart Choices. The iOS listing with a matching developer appears as Decision Box: Logical Choice, so the names differ by platform. Both describe weighted Pros & Cons, a Decision Matrix, and SWOT tools.
Pros & Cons for one offer at a time
The Pros & Cons feature is a binary tool: you add positive and negative arguments, and each entry has a customizable weight. The app calculates a net score and shows a verdict: Yes (blue), No (red), or Undecided (amber).
Use it to ask a single question per offer, such as "Should I accept Offer A?" Add entries like "Mentorship from a senior engineer" as a heavy pro and "90-minute commute" as a heavy con. An Undecided result usually means the weights are close, so revisit what you care about most.
Decision Matrix to compare both offers
The Compare Options feature (a Decision Matrix) is the closest digital version of the paper table. Offers become columns and criteria become rows. You rate each cell from 1 to 10, and the app calculates a weighted sum to highlight the winner.
Extra tools for stress-testing
- SWOT Analysis (on the iOS listing) sorts factors into a 2x2 grid of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It suits career-move questions, such as a startup's market risk.
- 10-10-10 asks how you will feel about the decision after 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years. It helps reduce impulsive choices and regret.
The app works fully offline, which is handy for private decisions. Data can be exported to a JSON file for backup and restored later, for example when changing phones.
Limits of Scoring and How to Sanity-Check
A score is only as honest as your inputs. If you adjust ratings until your favorite wins, the tool has told you nothing except what you already wanted. Rate each criterion for both offers before looking at totals.
Close results deserve extra attention. If the totals differ by only a few points, treat the result as a tie and gather facts: ask about team structure, review the benefits documents, or talk to a current employee. Also, some factors resist numbers, such as how you felt after meeting the team.
Conclusion
Comparing offers works best in three steps: choose criteria, weight them, then score both options. Paper is fast and flexible, while the app adds weighted scoring, a verdict, and reflective prompts like 10-10-10.
Whichever you use, treat the result as a clear view of your priorities rather than a final order. If the outcome surprises you, that reaction is useful information too.
