I am a twenty-eight year old engineer faced with a challenging career dilemma. I have been interviewing with two companies and both have expressed an interest in hiring me. In fact, I will probably receive job offers within the next week. One of these companies is very high profile and a place where most of my colleagues would love to work. The growth of this organization has been spectacular; they pay top salaries and have an unusual array of benefits. The second company is well respected, offers interesting work, but is smaller and does not pay as well as the first.

I have been doing my homework on both organizations and have been surprised with what I'm learning about the first company. Their reputation is one of being highly aggressive to the point of cutting corners to meet corporate goals. They are also known to be tough on employees, customers and suppliers. People are paid well but are expected to work extremely long hours. In addition, this organization does little if anything to give back to the community.

I'm torn between which of these companies to join. My wife and I have three children to educate, graduate school loans to pay off and a substantial mortgage. Joining company A would go a long way towards addressing my financial responsibilities. Company B, on the other hand, would allow me to have a reasonable lifestyle and more time for my family. Your advice on this difficult decision would be appreciated.

As a young professional, I made career decisions based almost solely on the nature of the work and salary. In some cases, this approach worked out OK, but in others I got burned. What was missing in my approach to selecting a job and company? I failed, as do most people early in their careers, to take into consideration how well my values matched those of the company. You are faced with making a decision about two companies that appear to have very different values. In all likelihood, your values have changed somewhat since you made your last career move. It seems to me that you are wrestling with how well your values match those of the two companies.

My recommendation is that you find a quiet place and take some time to examine how you feel about the importance of each of the following: rewarding relationships, challenging work, social responsibility, physical health, financial gain and peace of mind. You might also want to divide a pad of paper into quadrants. Make a list describing what is gained and what is lost by joining each company. This information could be very valuable in your decision making process.

There is always a price to pay when we make a career decision that involves a conflict of values. A hard-charging ambitious person, for example, will be frustrated in a layed-back environment. On the other hand, someone who values collegial relationships will feel very isolated in a highly competitive culture. Understanding your values is a critical first step in choosing a company and a job. Naturally, no one can make this important decision for you. However, you are well advised to perform due diligence, be introspective and involve the people closest to you in your final decision.

Good luck and let me know how things work out.