What to consider when job hunting besides a paycheck

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle”

There is no perfect job.

But, I always advise taking into account 3 factors.

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Here are my considerations I urge you to look for job hunting:

1) It enhances your mental state.

You enjoy going to work, getting up in the morning and going to the office.

2) Your values align with the company mission

If not, when negative thoughts start seeping in and your mental health declines, as a result, it’s a downward spiral.

3) You work to live

We all need to hustle hard at some points in our career. But not every day, every month. There is more to life than purely working 24/7. A job is meant to enable you to live a better life for you and your family.

4) You can pay for your lifestyle

You can have the most altruistic values, but if you can’t pay the bills. What’s the point?

5) You’re able to be you

A lot of companies have a culture where you must fit with that culture otherwise you won’t last. But true culture is when you’re allowed to be you and you don’t feel judged.

6) Location

You don’t need to spend 3 hours a day commuting cramped into someone’s armpit on the subway or in traffic.

7) What path are you on?

What are you getting out of that company instead of a paycheck? Not many people stay in a job for life these days, so instead of approaching each job thinking you will be I advise looking at each opportunity more in a “what can I get out of this opportunity” to further your career, skill-set and experience. If you can’t see yourself in that role 5 years down the line, what do you need to do in the next year, two or three to get to where you need to be?

8) You work with leaders

I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership in the current COVID-19 crisis.

What the current crisis also points up is issues around management control and employee trust. Does the management of the company feel confident enough to let go of presenteeism? When the chips are down, does it have faith in its people to deliver? If the answer to either of these questions is no then it’s time to start asking some serious questions about hiring policy, organisational culture and the leadership calibre of people running the show.

Does your new job have good leaders? Check out Glassdoor to do some prior research.