When you’re looking for a new job, often, the thing you tend to focus on is whether or not you fit the role. Whether or not you have the skills, experience, and attitude for the jobs that you’re looking for. However, it’s just as important to make sure that the role you’re looking at is right for you, as well. Here are a few ways to make sure that you get yourself into a job that meets your needs.
What You’re Getting Paid
It might well be the first thing that you compare when looking between roles, but the headline figure doesn’t always tell the full story. When you’re looking for high-paying jobs, be sure to look at taxes, bonuses, raises, and how often your pay gets reviewed, as it might better reflect what you get paid over time.
Benefits Reflect Real Value
The value of a role isn’t just how much you get paid for it. Benefits like healthcare, pensions, and flexible working can make the difference between two offers, or sometimes even make a smaller salary worth accepting. Some benefits, like the many salary sacrifice vehicle options available, can even end up more financially advantageous than higher salaries due to the tax savings that they can offer. It’s important to do the math and to consider the other kinds of emotional and work-life balance security that benefits can offer, too.
The Cultural Fit
You need to read into the company culture beyond their slogans and what values they might profess on their website. You should pay attention to how they communicate, they process by which they make their hiring decisions, and generally, how leadership treats you during the application process. Learn to spot the hidden signs of toxic workplaces, like unclear expectations, poor reaction to feedback, or the inability to talk about challenges in their own workplace.
The Career Path Ahead Of You
Sometimes, it’s easy to be so focused on simply finding a paying job that you don’t think about what comes further down the line. Every role you take should help move you forward, rather than just keep you busy. Look for the evidence that the company you’re applying to invests in development, whether it’s through training, mentoring, or clear progression paths for the role they’re offering.
Is it Practical?
Don’t underestimate how much the feasibility of taking a role can affect your satisfaction in it. Some degree of commute time or travel expectations might be fine, but a long commute or unpredictable hours can erode your energy and motivation, not to mention ruin your work-life balance. Make sure that you’re able to fit a job within your existing life, including your familial and educational responsibilities. Some employers will support candidates with remote or hybrid working options, but it’s not always a given.
It’s not always easy to find a role that ticks every single box, and sometimes, you might have to compromise based on your priorities. However, with the tips above, you should at least be thinking about which of them matter most to you.