You got a job offer. Congratulations. Now comes the part where most people make terrible decisions because they only look at the salary number and ignore everything else.

Let me save you from six months of regret.

Create a Scorecard (Seriously)

Don't keep this in your head. Write it down. Make a spreadsheet or use paper, I don't care, just make it visual so you can actually compare offers objectively.

Rate each category 1-10, then weight them by importance to YOU.

Category 1: Total Compensation (Not Just Salary)

This is where people screw up. They see "$90K salary" and stop reading. Calculate the full package:

Base salary: The obvious one

Bonus potential: Is it realistic or fantasy? Check Glassdoor to see what people actually receive

Equity/stock options: If it's a startup, this is basically lottery tickets. If it's a public company, this is real money. Use an equity calculator to understand actual value

401(k) match: "Company matches 6%" is literally free money. Calculate the annual value

Health insurance: Compare premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums. A $5K higher salary means nothing if health insurance costs you $8K more per year

PTO: "Unlimited PTO" usually means less PTO than a set amount. Check Glassdoor reviews for the reality

Other perks: Commuter benefits, phone stipend, home office budget, professional development—add it all up

Category 2: Growth Potential

Can you actually advance here? Ask about internal promotion rates. Check LinkedIn to see if people get promoted or leave to move up.

Professional development budget: Do they invest in your growth or expect you to figure it out yourself?

Skill development: Will you learn things that make you more marketable, or will you stagnate?

Mentorship and coaching: Is there someone who can actually help you grow, or are you on your own?

Category 3: Work-Life Balance (The Real Version)

Don't just ask "is there work-life balance?" Everyone says yes. Dig deeper:

Actual work hours: What time do people start and end? Check Slack timestamps or email send times if you can

PTO usage: When was the last time someone took a week-long vacation? Do people actually disconnect?

After-hours expectations: Are evening/weekend messages expected to be answered immediately?

Remote/hybrid policy: What's the actual policy vs. what they say in the interview?

Commute: If you're going to office, factor in commute time AND cost. That $5K salary bump might not be worth an extra 90 minutes in traffic daily

Category 4: Team and Management

This might be the most important category. A great manager makes a mediocre job bearable. A terrible manager makes a great job miserable.

Your direct manager: Did you connect with them? Do they seem competent? What's their management style?

The team: Did they seem engaged and happy, or exhausted and checked out?

Turnover: Check LinkedIn. If everyone has been there less than a year, that tells you something

Support: Will you have the resources and support to actually succeed, or will you be set up to fail?

Category 5: Company Stability and Culture

Financial health: Is the company stable, growing, shrinking, or about to implode? If it's a startup, what's their runway?

Mission and values: Do you actually care about what they're building, or is it just a paycheck? Caring about your work makes a huge difference in long-term satisfaction

Culture fit: Can you be yourself here, or will you be code-switching and pretending every day?

Glassdoor and reviews: What are people actually saying? Look for patterns in negative reviews

Category 6: Job Content and Challenge

Is the work actually interesting? Don't take a job just for money if you'll be bored out of your mind

Right level of challenge: Too easy and you'll stagnate. Too hard and you'll be overwhelmed. Find the Goldilocks zone

Autonomy vs. structure: Do you need freedom or guidance? Make sure the role matches your work style

Impact: Will you actually move the needle, or are you a cog in a giant machine?

How to Actually Use This

Rate each category 1-10 for each offer you're considering. Weight them based on what matters most to you right now:

• Early career? Weight growth potential heavily
• Have kids? Work-life balance probably matters more than compensation
• Burned out? Maybe stability and culture trump everything else
• Need money NOW? Total comp is your priority

Your priorities are your priorities. Just be honest about what they are.

The Red Flag Check

Before you accept, do one final check:

• Does anything feel off in your gut?
• Are there multiple red flags you're ignoring because of the salary?
• Would you take this job if it paid 10% less? If not, that's data
• Can you see yourself here in 2 years? If not, why are you saying yes?

The Bottom Line

The "best" job offer isn't always the highest-paying one. It's the one that best matches what YOU need right now.

A $10K salary increase means nothing if you're miserable, learning nothing, and planning your escape after 6 months. Total compensation, growth potential, work-life balance, good management, and interesting work all matter.

Take the time to evaluate offers properly. This decision affects where you spend 40+ hours per week. You can afford to be thoughtful about it.

And if you realize you made the wrong choice? It's okay to keep looking. Better to find the right fit than stay somewhere wrong out of obligation.