Should you accept that not-so-perfect job?

People see a lot of job ads when they’re looking for work. If you’re following the best practices suggested by most — if not all — experts, you are looking for the right job. You should not be looking for just any job.

Some people may misinterpret that to mean they should look for the perfect job, but that’s probably not the best approach. After all, few jobs meet a person’s definition of perfect and it usually changes over time. A job that you think is perfect may eventually turn into a nightmare if a new manager takes the reins or working conditions change. 

So, how do you know a job is right for you — even if it’s imperfect. I reached out to Lindsey Pollak, who is the author of Recalculating: Navigate Your Career Through the Changing World of Work. Pollak, who is a career and workplace expert, briefly talks in her book about embracing imperfect opportunities.

What should you expect from a job?

“What I mean by imperfect opportunities is that it can be really helpful in a job search or in your existing job to take the pressure off of perfection or the dream job concept,” Pollak told me. “It can be really stressful to find the perfect job or to have the idea that you have to love your job every day.”

Pollack said you should have measured expectations about the job you find. “If you expect every day to be perfect, you're always going to be disappointed.”

Instead, she said it’s good to focus on finding a job that will let you keep learning and growing — even if you run into challenges along the way. A good question to ask yourself is if you’re building the skills that will be applicable to other opportunities.

“You never know what you can learn from an opportunity,” said Pollak.

How do you evaluate a job?

“The most important step — which I completely screwed up in my own career – is that you just have to start applying,” Pollak told me. “You never know which one will be the best fit until your start applying.”

One of the most important dynamics to keep in mind during a job search is that the hiring process is as much about you learning about employers as it is about them learning about you. Obviously, you have the opportunity to turn down the job even if it’s offered to you — for good reason.

Pollak also said it’s important to also research the company on your own, including looking up employees or past employees on LinkedIn and asking them questions.

Something else to keep in mind is what Pollak called your “non-negotiables,” which are the things you must get out of a job and employer.

For example, you may need a certain salary or a specific work arrangement to say yes to a job. 

“Don’t bend on that, but you might need to bend on something else to get a job.”

Pollak said it’s important to limit your non-negotiables to only a few items. “It can’t be 10 things.”

Taking the plunge

You’ll ultimately need to decide whether to accept or reject a job. In her experience, Pollak said she’s seen more issues arise from people who hedge or wait too long to make a decision about an offer. “I think sometimes you have to trust your gut.”

Again, you need to have measured expectations about how much you’ll enjoy your job from day to day. In most cases, you can likely take actions on your own to increase how much you like the job, said Pollak. One strategy is to focus on how the job is moving your forward in your career.

Of course, there are exceptions. Issues such as a toxic boss, discrimination or harassment could cause a larger issue that would need to be addressed.

If you really can’t make the job work for you, Pollak said the good news is that norms have changed a lot over the years and job hopping isn’t as much of a red flag on resumes or profiles as it used to be.

“When I started working in the late 1990s and early 2000s, you would essentially be blackballed if you left a job early in your career, but I think that’s gone,” she said. “I think that stigma is far less than it used to be.”

Of course, you don’t want to make a habit of it, Pollak added.

What’s your advice for people struggling to find the right job? Join the conversation.

? Want even more #GetHired?

I go live every Friday at 12:00 p.m. ET from the LinkedIn News page to discuss important issues affecting job seekers and to answer your questions about looking for work. I spoke with Shelley Piedmont, who is a career coach, on the most recent episode. You can watch it below or by clicking here.

Coming up…

The hiring process is filled with anxiety — especially for people in underrepresented groups. Jennifer Tardy, who is a career success coach and 2020 LinkedIn Top Voice in Job Search and Careers, will join us on the next episode of #GetHired Live to talk about separating fact from fiction when it comes to job searching as a person from an underrepresented group. You can receive a notification when we go live on Friday, May 7 at noon ET by clicking “Remind Me” on this link or the link below.

? The follow-up

People should focus on finding the right job for them, but sometimes that can take weeks, months or even years. They may need to consider taking a temporary “bridge job” during that time to pay bills, access health care or meet other needs. LinkedIn members offered a number of best practices in the last #GetHired for people looking into accepting a bridge job. They suggest being strategic when selecting jobs — including temporary ones. People still need to do the job to be known as a good worker. They need to keep an open mind to learn new skills or consider a new career. Also, if you want to get to the next step in your career, you need to keep your job search going. Here’s what people are saying about the advice.

? Other news to help you #GetHired:

What are top companies looking for in applicants? Companies are beginning to increase hiring as COVID-19 levels decrease in the U.S. and the future looks more stable. Those on LinkedIn's 2021 Top Companies list collectively have more than 300,000 job openings. The companies shared the traits they're looking for in applicants in a special edition of #GetHired. They said applicants should have an eagerness to learn and grow. They should believe in the company's mission. The applicants should bring new perspectives to their business. Of course, they should also have the skills to do the job. Here’s what people are saying about the traits.

The travel industry is ready to get going again! Nearly 100 million Americans have been vaccinated and the travel and hospitality industries are ready to start getting back into action after a very rough year caused by the coronavirus pandemic. George Anders, my colleague at LinkedIn News, writes about LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence Index. The report found that confidence in a person’s employer’s outlook was far higher among people in the travel and recreation sector than others, including retail, entertainment and education. Here’s what people are saying about the results.

Pandemic career changes may just be starting. One of the most notable trends in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic was that people were trying to change careers. In some cases, their previous industries — like aviation or hospitality — were hit hard by layoffs. For others, the pandemic just made them rethink their goals and plans for the future. A new report from Australia suggests many people are looking to make a move after the pandemic, too. Here’s what people are saying about the findings.

? Up next:

The job search has changed so much over the past year. In addition to the labor market being upended, the job search process moved almost entirely online. In fact, many managers have not met in-person with some of their direct reports. As some countries begin to see falling COVID-19 rates thanks to the rollout of vaccines, what should job seekers expect over the next few months? Will processes stay the same? Will employers return to earlier practices? We’ll be discussing this topic in the next edition of #GetHired. I want to hear from you, though. What has been your experience over the last couple of months? Are you noticing anything different? Tell me about it in the comments on this post.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to reach out to me if you have ideas on topics or questions I should address in future editions of #GetHired. You can also email me at GetHired[at]LinkedIn.com.

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