3 questions to ask yourself when interviewing for a new job

I've been recruiting for the best part of two decades and in my conversations with candidates I always challenge them to make sure they can answer yes to the following 3 questions. As doing that will ensure it is a good move for them.

Question 1- Ask yourself, can I do the job?

Seems a rather obvious question, but really step back and analyse if the role is a good fit with your previous experience and where you want your career to develop. What does the client want you to achieve and in what timeline? Can you deliver? Ensuring you can answer yes to question 1 ensures you aren't making a mistake.

Question 2- Ask yourself, do I want to do the job?

This is all about motivation. Does the role and company fit your requirements? Is the commute and hours in keeping with what you can commit to? What's the company culture and boss like? Where can the role take you in 3 years? Does it play to your strengths? Will it develop you in areas you'd like to work on? We all have egos and when a company and boss wants to hire us, it feels great. But make sure you can answer yes to this question, without hesitation.

Question 3- Ask yourself, will I have fun doing the job?

This question is vital. After all, imagine you can do the job and want to do the job as it ticks all the boxes. However, when you think about the people you are going to work with you get an uneasy feeling as they don't seem like much fun. Or maybe it's not the people, it's the role itself. Of course, no job is fun all the time but research has shown that, unsurprisingly, people who enjoy their work lead happier and more successful careers.

I always coach candidates that unless they are at least an ‘8 out of 10’ yes for all 3 questions then perhaps the role and company just isn't a good fit.

I hope you enjoyed my post, feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on this topic.