Help- I have more than 1 job offer.

So you have attended lots of interviews and have been put through your paces, you have cast a wide net and secured multiple offers of employment. Congratulations.

Now it is important that you handle the situation with care as the world of law is incredibly small.

What should you do when you get more than one offer?

Get your offers in writing.

It may seem obvious but before acting on any specific offer, it is important that you get things in writing. If a company wants to offer you a job they should have no problem putting a contract together for you to review before accepting. Pay particular attention to when the offer has to be accepted by as most offers often have a clear expiry date on them.

Start thinking- make lists.

Start thinking about the pros and cons of each position if you haven't already. It is important to think not only for now but also for the medium term. Think about benefits, location, and your personality fit. Consider the reputation of each organisation but also think about the training and experience that you will receive. Think about the next step in your career- do you want to be a partner? Move overseas or perhaps in house? Will either role help you achieve that goal faster? In the unlikely event that things go wrong, does one team have a better reputation that might help you get a role quickly. Finally think about your personal interests and what you want day to day – does one company have a better reputation for pro bono work? sports? or support one of your interests?

Be honest

If you take the wrong role, the only person it effects is yourself so be honest with yourself. A good sign that it is the right role is that you are excited and interested about it. It is ok to be nervous and ok to be anxious which is very normal as it is a big thing to change roles. Also remember to be honest with the organisations you are talking to.

When to negotiate?

Now you may be tempted to try and negotiate the package of all the roles and that is something I advise against. There is no point negotiating an offer if you have no interest in the role. It will only annoy people. Talk to your agent and ask their opinion. Sometimes it might be appropriate to ask for more money or a sign on bonus and other times it wont be. Trust your agent.

Say thank you.

Even though you are only going to accept one job offer, make sure you leave a positive impression with each place that gave you an offer. Write a personal thank you note to your interviewers.You may not be working there now or any time soon but you never know what could happen in the future.