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7 things to consider when looking for a new job
W hile it may be easy to come up with several reasons to leave your current job, it can be a bit more difficult to pinpoint the factors you’ll need to evaluate when considering an offer from a new employer. Here’s a quick list of seven things you should evaluate before accepting a new position:
1. Location
If you’re unable to telecommute, even for one or two days a week, your office’s location will be incredibly important. You may think an hour commute to and from work will be manageable but you’ll need to consider outside factors like traffic, sick kids, last-minute doctor’s appointments and the numerous other truisms of day-today life. If you can’t handle the thought of being in a car, bus or train for two to three hours a day you should only consider jobs close to your home. If a 50-minute commute sounds relaxing, then a job in a different area code may be for you.
2. The commute
Hand-in-hand with where you work is how you’ll get there. Are you a public transportation person? Do you need to drive to work to psych yourself up for the day ahead? Are you looking for a location that will allow you to bike to and from your job each day so you can get or stay in shape? Those are the things you’ll need to think about before you choose a specific location. A good idea is to try the commute in different ways before you accept the position. If you’re looking to get rid of your car or at least cut down on your driving, be sure to try out all the public transportation options. On the flip side, if you’re determined to drive to work each day, take a couple of test drives in the morning and afternoon to see how long you’ll be sitting in traffic. And if you’re going to bike or walk, give that a try as well. Everything’s doable in Google Maps but in real life, you won’t want to face unmanageable routes, angry dogs and busybody neighbors on your way to and from work.
3. The money
How much are you going to get paid? It seems like the most obvious of all questions but sometimes people are so enamored with the thought of a new job or so anxious to leave their current employer that they downplay their potential new salary, pinning hopes instead on bonuses, future raises and probable promotions. The problem? There is no such thing as probable or even future when it comes to work these days. Employees are reassigned and laid off for numerous reasons. If you’re switching jobs, you should be realistic about the money you’re going to make immediately, not a promised salary in the future that will come if A, B and C happens. Unless you can afford to wait for the big payoff, your initial salary is what should matter most.
4. The workplace
Are you used to working in a large cubicle farm? Maybe you’ve been working in a comfy home office for the past few years. Maybe it’s a kitchen table. Is loft space your thing? Before you commit to a new employer, make sure to get a look at where you’ll be working. People can eventually assimilate to all kinds of workspaces, but it’s important to check out your potential surroundings. Will it be bench seating where you’re shoulder to shoulder with your co-workers? Will you have a small and potentially shared desk space? Do you get an office that resembles a storage room? All of these things seem like window-dressing but in fact, they’re probably a key factor in how much you’ll enjoy your work experience. Ask to see where you’ll be working and make an assessment of how you would respond to that environment.
5. Your co-workers
Take a look at the current staff you may be joining. What are the demographics? Is it a diverse group of employees with differing ages, skill sets, backgrounds and more? It’s not politically correct to want to be in an office environment that is reflective of the city you live in. It’s easy to do a little background on your potential peers by checking out profiles in LinkedIn. And don’t discount education. See how your training matches up to theirs and check out some of their previous accomplishments. If you’re going in as the smartest person on staff, that may be a little problematic. Always better to surround yourself with peers who can teach you more about your industry and your role within it.
6. Your boss
Do a little detective work on your future supervisor. Does he or she get high marks from others on their online profiles? Check out their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Do they seem like the type of people you’d want to spend time with? You don’t have to find the perfect companion but you do need to have a comfort level with the person who will be directly responsible for your present responsibilities at work.
7. The intangibles
Is there a gym at your potential new job? Day care facilities? A dry cleaner? If you need to tap into these resources, you’ll need to find an employer who offers them. And be mindful of the type of company you’ll be working for. It’s one thing to work for a start-up because you feel like you need to be on The Cutting Edge of what’s next, but it’s another to work for a new company that may crash and burn in a matter of months. Do you want to work for a Fortune 500 company? Will your ego allow you to work for a small but steady business in the back of a suburban office park, or do you need the cache of a big name and urban workspace to feel valued and important? These are not easy or obvious questions. People find reasons to attach themselves to well-known companies because they want to say they work for a well-known company. There’s no shame in that, especially if you’re looking at the long-term trajectory of your career. Just be honest with yourself. If you need to have your skills validated by the brand of your employer, be sure to factor that into your decision.