Congratulations! You’ve been actively searching for a job, and now you have three offers on the table. Which job offer is right for you at this time in your career, and which job will be the best fit for your lifestyle? Don’t automatically assume the employer with the biggest salary offer is the one you should work for.

Suppose the job with the largest paycheck is the one with the longest commute. With the rising cost of transportation, you need to factor in these costs when deciding if this job is right for you.

If this job is 50 miles from your house, and your vehicle gets twenty miles to the gallon, it will take five gallons of gas each day to get back and forth to work. At the current rate of (at least) $3 per gallon, your total annual commuting costs would be more than $3700!

Unless the increase in salary at this job far exceeds your cost, is it worth it in the long run? Realize too that this doesn’t factor in the extra maintenance costs each year because you’re putting 25,000 miles on your car just driving back and forth to work.

Consider the amount of time this commute will take out of every workday. If it takes an hour to get to work, that’s ten extra hours of your time each week you spend that you are not getting paid for. Couldn’t you be spending this time with your family, or enjoying a relaxing hobby?

However, if an employer is willing to offer flex time or allow you to work from home one or more days a week, think about the savings this will give you in both your time and money.

Other benefits to consider when choosing which job to take:

 401(k) programs- will your employer match any contributions you make?

 Health insurance- do they pay all or part of the employee’s cost?

 Education- will they pay for continued training and education?

Make your decision about a job offer based on all the factors involved instead of just how large your paycheck will be!

Kathy Swann
http://www.suncatcherpress.com