Received 2 offers, not sure what to do.
25M - Toronto.
I’m currently a Financial Coordinator at a very small company making $64k, and I’ve been applying for Financial Analyst roles because I feel like I’m ready to take the next step.
I have two offers on the table, but I’m really struggling with which role to go with.
Offer A:
Big 5 Bank, Financial Analyst, $70k (9% increase), 4 weeks vacation, 2 days in-office, 15 min walk/5 min subway commute.
Honestly, probably the best i’ve felt interviewing anywhere, the HR person and the panel were very nice and accommodating. I made it very clear I’m absolutely NOT an Excel wizard, but I can get by, and constantly trying to improve. They were very understanding, and aligned with my skills. During the Excel interview test, I made a mistake but made sure to explain my thinking and eventually with a little bit of help, I got it right, and they were very happy with how I approached it.
The culture seems like a great fit and they explained to me that in the first 1-3 months, they don’t expect me to know anything, and will basically hold my hand through everything until I’m ready.
The HR person even called me after the interview to let me know that they loved me, and are seriously considering extending me an offer, but they have to wait for my (would be) manager to be back from vacation to speak to them before making a decision, and they apologized for the wait, to make sure I don’t get discouraged by the delay.
Career-wise, this is a no-brainer, I get to join an enormous organization, with a great team, low expectations, and learn vital skills that will help me with my career progression.
Offer B:
One of the 3 big Canadian Telecom companies, Senior Financial Analyst, $80k (25% increase), 3 weeks vacation, 4 days in-office, 25 min walk/15 min subway commute.
To be honest, I have no idea how I received an offer. This is a role where I pretty much skip a step on the career ladder and go straight to a senior position. Large Excel data sets, and they expect me to be proficient with Power BI, I mentioned on the interview that I’m NOT an Excel wizard, but I can get by and will always find a way to make it work.
The interview process did not include any Excel test, all behavioral and technical questions.
The 1st round interview with the HR person, I feel like I undersold myself on salary expectations, and they’re offering me the highest number in the range I gave, which makes me believe that’s the reason why they’re hiring me.
The culture seems good, and great WLB, but I feel like I will definitely have to grind in the first 6 months to get my technical skills to match the expectations of the role.
To be honest, my biggest selling point is being client-facing and able to translate financial data to stakeholders and being well-spoken, which is kind of how I finessed the 2nd offer.
I’m obviously happy with both offers, but I’m really stuck and don’t know which way I should go, I managed to do really well in both interviews because I can talk my way out of anything, the interviewers of job B and I literally spent 20 minutes talking about our summer plans and just chit-chatting.
On one hand, one job is perfect for my career progression, and overall a great fit, but only has a $6k increase.
On the other hand, the second job comes with a $16k increase, but is a massive step up for me into the unknown, and while I feel like I can manage the pressure of the role, I’m really afraid I get exposed for my lack of knowledge and my impostor syndrome will be at an all-time high.
What would you do if you were in my place? I’ll happily take any advice I can get!!
TLDR: 2 offers on the table. One role is a great fit and perfect for career progression, but only has a $6k (9%) increase in TC. The other offer is a senior position, with a $16k (25%) increase in TC, but I will be stepping into a role where I’m out of my depth.