Five Ways to Decide If a Job Is the Right Fit

Deciding whether or not to take a job is rarely an easy decision. Even if it seems like your dream job, how can you know for sure? There are so many things that could happen you could never predict – the boss you thought you’d love to work with ends up leaving for another position, the company could go under, you might not get along with your co-workers or it turns out there’s no room for growth or advancement.

Although there are many unknowns, there are several things you can consider as you decide whether to take a job. Here are five ways to decide if a job is the right fit for you. 

Growth Potential

Everyone’s interested in moving up within their field or company. Determine whether you can move up, and if so, how and when. What do those positions look like? What might those salary increases be? Though you might not want to ask about salary during an interview, you can ask about growth and professional development opportunities. You can also ask any contacts you’ve made at the company. A lot of industry-related salary information can often be found with a quick Google search.

Your Enthusiasm for the Position

If you don’t enjoy the work you’ll be doing at your new job, chances are you’ll burn out or get bored quickly. Look at the job description and decide whether those tasks and responsibilities are interesting and enjoyable for you. Which skills will you be performing the most and which skills have you most enjoyed in the past? 

Location

Your travel for work seems like a small piece of the pie, but in truth, it can have a significant impact on your satisfaction with work. Consider how long your commute will be, or if you’ll be relocating, whether the new job is close to things that are important to you—family and friends, good restaurants, the beach, the mountains, a major city with nightlife. The location of your job probably won’t change, so if there’s something about it you don’t love, like a lengthy, grueling daily commute, you might want to reconsider. 

Company Culture

The culture within the organization is another thing that probably won’t change while you’re there, so decide for certain whether it’s a good fit for you. Can you buy into their mission statement and values? Find out how formal the dress code is, whether employees are expected to work overtime or on weekends, how collaboratively or independently people work, and what other unspoken norms exist.

Job Security

You have to evaluate and consider how stable the company is, whether the industry is increasing or decreasing, and how effective the company’s leadership is. All those factors will determine how safe your job would be in the future.

Ultimately, it can be a challenging process to make the determination of whether a job is a great fit or not when it comes to your career growth. Determining what factors are most important to you and what you want out of your job is a great starting place.