Career Explorer: Your Career. Your Way.
By Ian Christie, LiveCareer Counselor
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Just like the perfect pair of jeans, career success comes from finding the right
fit. In this case, you’re looking for fit with what you do, the environment
you work in and the people you work with. To find job fit, you need two
things: focus and confidence.
- Focus allows you to concentrate on opportunities that fit who you are and
avoid jobs and work environments that don’t suit you.
- Confidence means knowing you’ll make a great candidate when the right
opportunity presents itself. Confidence also enables you to say no
when the job isn’t a match.
When Considering Opportunities
Your mission is to apply focus and confidence to identify career opportunities
that truly fit you ― first, when you are considering whether or not
to apply for a job, and later, when you are interviewing.
Before You Decide to Apply
When analyzing a particular job, combine information from your LiveCareer
report with your past experiences and ask:
- Can you do the job? Do you meet the requirements
they are looking for? Is there a strong or reasonable probability that
they will consider you? Be ambitious, but grounded. Focus
your time on applying to jobs where you make a viable candidate.
- Are you really interested? Do you care about the
work and business of the organization? It is a proven fact that success
comes from doing something you like to do.
- What will you get out of it? Does the job potentially
contribute to the goals you have set for yourself in career and life? Look
for the jobs that match your values and that help you develop as a person
or professional.
- What about the work environment? Does it look like
the circumstances and environment of the job fit with your situation and
what you are willing to accept? Define your requirements relative to
travel, commute, work schedule, pay structure and benefits.
You’ll find that developing your résumé and cover letter
for positions that you’re a strong fit for is much easier than trying
to stretch or spin your skills and experience for a job that’s not a
match. Review the last newsletter “Seven Steps to Uncovering Your
Brilliance” to highlight your greatest assets that relate to the position.
Your goal is not to be considered for any job, but to be seriously considered
for specific jobs that are right for you. Spending time applying to
jobs you’re not really interested in or capable of doing will only reduce
your chances of success.
When you are interviewing
The interview is the next opportunity to learn more about the job and how
it fits. Just like on a first date, you want to put your best foot forward
but you’re also looking for compatibility. Keep the following in
mind:
- It’s a two-way street. Both you and the interviewer
have a common goal: to figure out if you’re the right person for the
job. While they are evaluating your qualifications, you should be considering
whether the job, company and workplace are right for you.
- Read between the lines. When preparing for the interview,
carefully review the job posting and company website. Aside from
what they are directly asking for, try to guess at the skills, experience
and qualities that might also be important but not specifically stated. Also
consider what’s implied about the position, work environment and company
culture to see if it matches what you’re looking for.
- Manager fit. The most critical relationship is the one
with your immediate boss. You don't have to be best friends, but there
needs to be some level of fit and ideally, mutual respect.
- When it’s your turn. Once you pass the first
interview, you’ve earned the right to ask questions. You can still
show enthusiasm for the opportunity even though you have some hard questions. After
all, you want to fully understand the expectations of the position. Here
are a few sample questions:
- Why is this job available now?
- What are the key challenges you see in this job?
- What are the performance objectives?
- What resources are available to achieve these objectives?
- Don’t ignore red flags. It’s hard to
stay grounded when you’re excited about a new job. But be aware
of indications that the job is not the right fit for you. Some things
to look out for:
- Lack of clarity and agreement about the role
- Unrealistic performance expectations
- Not enough support
- Obvious conflict or company politics
Don’t Say Yes Yet – Making the Decision
They’ve offered you the job, but do you really want it? Many
people rush to take their first job offer even though it doesn’t meet
their criteria. Confidence and focus are equally as important here as
they are in earlier stages. The bottom line is you want a job that fits. Accepting
less means you may be sacrificing your long-term happiness, success and even
health. Here are some ways to help you make smarter career decisions.
- Sift through the data. Make sure you take the time
to fully assess the opportunity. Does the job meet your requirements
for salary, career level and work environment? Include work schedule,
commute, travel requirements and other aspects that affect your work-life
balance. If you’re comparing more than one opportunity, create
a grid of your requirements and see how each job stacks up.
- Can you be successful? The job may be a fit, but
the performance expectations may be too high. Evaluate your probability of
success.
- Workplace fit. You fit better in some environments than
others. Some people thrive on change. Others find it very difficult. Some
people do best when rules and processes are established and clear. Others
find this stifling and frustrating. Weigh these contexts as you evaluate
the suitability of the job.
- Environmental context. Consider how this affects
you. The industry or organization might be going through significant
change. The company might be growing rapidly or trying to turn
itself around. The team you work with might be experiencing high turnover. There
might be a new manager. Even the size and stage of the company
will impact how you perform your job.
- What don’t you know? What questions do you
still have? It’s not too late to ask, especially if they’re
important factors in your decision. Alternatively, use your network. Perhaps
you know someone who works for the company who can give you an insider’s
perspective.
- Do a gut check. Very rarely will you be able to make your
decision based on perfect information. Sometimes, it comes down
to what your gut tells you. If you have most of the information you
need, then trust yourself. Have the confidence to know that you will
make the best possible decision.
You set yourself up for success when you base your career decisions on fit. When
applying for jobs, interviewing or making a job decision, the focus and confidence
you possess can empower you to seize the opportunity when the job is right
or to walk away when it doesn’t measure up.
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