The #1 Question You Should Ask Before Deciding on a Job Move

This post originally appeared as an original blog post at ty-hicks.com. See the full, original post here.

One of the most consequential decisions we will ever make for ourselves will be the jobs that we take on. Perhaps the most consequential job we take will be the first as it will set you on a path of forward inertia and will influence greatly what future doors of opportunity open to you.

It is important to approach these decisions with extreme care.

When a client comes to me and asks "Should I say in my current job or go with this new offer that I've gotten?" I often shock them when I say "Before we assess that, have you gotten clear on what your dream job would be?"

I have found that human beings tend to assess their options in life only by what choices readily present themselves to us. But if we are constantly just making our choices based on what is readily in front of us, we may end up hop scotching from one venture to the next and never ultimately ending up at a destination that will truly fulfill us.

We all know people like this – those who set out on a career because it was the family tradition or because that's what they thought they ought to do to make a good living, but they ended up hating their career. What a waste.

So as you are about to embark on the journey of your professional career, here is a question that may serve you.

If you were the captain of a ship, which method of journeying would you choose?

1) Get in the boat, get out to sea, and be completely unclear about where it is that you care about ending up. As you continue to sail, you simply avoid rough waters and try to go for smoother ones. While you have the illusion of moving forward, you have no idea that you are perpetually sailing in circles.

2) Before getting in your boat, you pin point a lighthouse on a far away shore that symbolizes a compelling destination. Now that you are clear on where you are ultimately headed even though you don't know exactly what lies in your path, you embody the flexibility and will to make small adjustments all along the way. You eagerly and passionately keep your eye on the lighthouse as it gets closer day by day and you get the truly fulfilling experience of knowing you are making tangible progress.

Although most people intuitively agree that the second method is the far superior one, that is not how they live their lives or make their career decisions.

When you are the captain of the second boat, as you are presented with new potential routes along your journey, you have a clear decision-making calculus: does this choice get me closer to my ultimate destination?

If yes, do it. If no, don't do it.

Thus, the most important question to be asking is not "should I go with Job A or Job B?" The important question to answer first is "what is my ultimate destination?"

"But what if I don't know what my ultimate destination is? I'm just trying to figure out how to get started."

When I guide my clients or my audiences through the process of determine their ultimate career destination, I have them write for 3-5 minutes without stopping what their ideal job would be in exceptional detail. 

Rather than analyzing the merits of a specific job that they know they could get right away, I implore them to describe what their ideal job would be like, independent of what the specific title and company is.

For example, I ask them to answer the following questions as they write (and you can do this process now too for yourself):

• What kind of team would you be a part of?
• What would the company's values be?
• What kind of mission would you have?
• What would your relationship with your supervisor be like?
• What kind of work would you be doing day to day?
• Would you be a part of a tight knit team or would you do more solo work?
• How would you be validated that you had done a good job?
• What kind of skills would you be developing at the job?
• When there would be disagreements, how would they be handled?
• Would you travel? To where and how often?
• How would you feel when you come to work every day?

The key here is to get a piercingly clear vision in your head – a mental picture – of what your dream job would be. Once you have written a large amount on your paper, go back and circle all of your musts.

If you were going to be truly fulfilled at the deepest level, what would your job need to provide? Get very clear on this.

After you've done this process, you now have given your present and future self the greatest gift. You've established your shiny lighthouse far on the horizon. You now know exactly where you are headed; no more sailing in circles.

Not only do you have a vision of where you are going and the gift of feeling driven by a compelling purpose, but you now have greatly simplified your decision-making procedure.

Does Job A or does Job B get you closer to your lighthouse? The choice couldn't be easier now.

Perhaps through this process you discover that, in fact, neither one of them gets you closer. Instead, Job C is what you really need, but in order to get it you are going to have to creatively expand your marketplace value in ways you had previously thought impossible.

"But what if my ultimate destination changes? I may not want the same thing in ten years that I do right now."

It is not only likely that your ultimate goals will change; it is virtually a guarantee. But knowing your priorities will change tomorrow is not a reason to not live with a clear purpose today.

The clearer you are on where you are headed right now – the more intentional and purpose-driven you are in forging your career – the more options your future self will have as they reassess your ultimate destination.

So now the ultimately important question: do you want to guide your career by taking the best of the readily available options that seem reasonable and accessible? Or would you rather creatively and persistently carve your own uncharted path to a truly compelling destination even if it is scary and less certain?

Do your future self a favor. Decide now how you want to spend the next ten years, and decide now that you won't settle for making the safe and easy choices unless they truly align with your deepest values and your sense of identity.

Find your lighthouse and get out to sea.