How to Determine Your "Must-Haves" for a New Job
So many people start their job search with a mindset of fleeing a situation. Their job is not working for them, and they know they need to leave. They vow that the next job they take must have what is missing, be it more money, more flexibility, or more promotion opportunities. The job search then becomes all about correcting that issue. What happens as a result? They will make sure the next job has better compensation, flexibility to work at different times, or a career path, but they miss all the other red flags. They have not thought through all the things that make a great work experience. So they trade one bad situation for another.
I will always remember an employee who decided to take another job because it paid more money. During her exit interview, I asked her to tell me more about the position. She didn't have much to say except that it was similar work and paid more. I wished her well and said if the job did not work out for her to give me a call, we would be happy to welcome her back. Sure enough, she did two weeks later. She knew she had made a mistake from day one. She was left on her own to "figure it out" and did not feel any sense of welcome. Once she started seeing how the company operated, she was appalled by the lack-a-daisical attitude. The company and role did not feel right, and she wanted to come back. She admitted that she was only concerned about the money and did not do her due diligence to understand the environment. The trade-off was not worth it.
Make sure that when you look for a job, you think through before you apply or network with others, what are the "must-haves" for you. The "must-haves" will help you to be proactive and know the types of firms you want to target, but it will also keep you from being swept off your feet by an opportunity that is too good to be true.
So let's look at the different aspects of a job to help you determine your "must-haves."
External Aspects of a Job
In my experience, the job's external aspects, or what the company offers to do the work, is where people will focus. As in my example above, many people are preoccupied with compensation. This is understandable since bills need to be paid. But there is much more that a company might offer that is of profound value. Let's explore all of the external aspects of a job more in-depth.
Compensation
Compensation is the number one thing on many people's list for a "must-have." Many people approach a job search by saying I need a job that makes at least $X amount. Compensation can be broken down into base wages and incentives. Most people focus on the former and forget about the latter. In some industries, your incentives can be a significant part of your total compensation package, especially as you move higher up in an organization. While you may have a minimum number for your base salary, think about your minimum number for any incentives, including bonuses, commissions, and stock options.
Benefits
If you are in the US and do not have employer-sponsored health insurance, then you know that access to this can be life-changing for you and your family. Many of my clients will happily forgo additional compensation for reasonably priced health insurance. Another critical item to many is access to retirement accounts and, even better, an employer match. I once worked for a company that did not provide any employer match. I vowed that I would not take a job that did not have this as part of the compensation package. For me, it was a "must-have."
Commute
The distance between where you live and where you work can be significant. Whether it is an issue in your life may have to do with other requirements you have (such as pick up and drop off times at daycare or outside of work obligations) and the type of commute it will be (stop-and-go traffic, via bicycle, etc.). For some, working closer to home is highly desirable or even an absolute must.
Work Flexibility
More control over when and how a person works may be a priority item. With a greater emphasis on work-from-home opportunities, many no longer want to go into a physical office full time. Others like the flexibility to take their children to doctor appointments or attend basketball games without any hassle. Others are night owls and would prefer to be able to start their workday later than others. Whatever the case, this may be a "must-have" for you.
Safety and Physical Environment
Some work environments can feel unsafe for the employees that work there. Whether it is due to lax safety rules or exposure to harmful chemicals or work in a location that is not secure. All these aspects of a job may make a person feel unsafe. They may want this improvement in their next work situation. Additionally, the physical environment can be crucial. If the work environment is open with no offices, you may feel this will not work for you, especially if it is hard for you to focus with noise and activity around you. In this case, you may need a job where you know that the physical environment will be conducive to getting your work accomplished.
Social Status
For some, social status is valued, and it can be derived, in part, from the title of a position. I've seen people who were not interested in a job because the title outwardly suggested a downgrade when the work was the same. Social capital can be derived from having a specific title or being noted at a particular organization level.
Internal Aspects of a Job
Often overlooked but equally crucial to career happiness, are the internal aspects of a job. Often these are less tangible and harder to discern, but the lack of any of these things may be the difference between liking a job and just tolerating it.
Good Working Relationship With Your Boss
A good working relationship with your supervisor can make your work experience great, and a bad one can destroy it. Does your work style mesh with what a boss can offer? Do you know what that is and can articulate it? This may be one of the most important "must-haves" on the list but often is not explored as thoroughly as it should be. The saying goes that people don't leave companies; they leave bosses. I don't totally agree with it, but it is more true than not.
Culture
Culture can be a hard one to pin down. Culture is defined by the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) as:
An organization's culture defines the proper way to behave within the organization. This culture consists of shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behaviors and understanding.
Everyone would agree that a positive corporate culture is important, but what does that mean? For many, it means the following:
Values. There are many different values that a company can demonstrate, such as:
Trust and honesty. People will trust each other to do the right thing and to get the work done. This means that managers will not check to make sure you are at your desk or online if working remotely. Honesty is telling employees when things are good, and when they are bad. It also means telling employees when they are doing well or need to improve, instead of avoiding the subject altogether.
They are being respected and appreciated. Everyone is essential in an organization and has a specific role in the company's success. No one is to feel belittled or bullied.
Customer focus. Everything is done with the customer in mind. If there is a decision to be made that adversely impacts the customer, the company sides with the customer, and their experience.
Integrity. This can be doing what is right, even if the decision is unpopular.
Accountability. People are accountable to do what they say they are going to do. If someone shirks in their responsibilities, it is not ignored but addressed.
Diversity. The workplace is not homogeneous but represents the country as a whole. Not only this, people with different experiences and backgrounds are heard and valued, not just tolerated.
Quality. Doing things well is valued. Shoddy work and cutting corners is not tolerated.
Mission. These are the goals of the company - why it does what it does. Many people want to work for a company that has a mission, aside from just making money. They want to feel that their efforts help the organization achieve a higher purpose.
Interesting Work
No one likes to feel bored with a job. But that is precisely how many people describe their jobs. What is exciting work for you may not be to others. Understand what it means to you and start defining it for yourself. No job that I know of doesn't have boring parts (who likes to fill out expense reports?), but what percentage are the boring parts, and what percentage are the exciting features? Understand what keeps you focused and engaged in figuring out what needs to go on your "must-have" list.
Power Structure in the Organization
Is the organizational hierarchical with many levels, or is it flat? This could mean the difference between making a decision yourself or having to go through several levels of approval. If you are a person that wants to do things quickly, a hierarchical organization may pose a challenge. If the organization has an owner-operator, all decisions may need to go through this person first. This could be challenging if the owner-operator has different business priorities than you.
Internal Communications
Does the organization have strong internal communications and commitment to being as transparent as possible? Are there regular communications from leadership, or is all information kept in the C-Suite and trickles down sporadically? Will you be told if the organization is facing a challenge and the plan to handle it?
Collaboration
Will you have the opportunity to work with others in your organization, or will you be siloed in your area? Many want the chance to learn and grow from others - either on their team or within the broader organization. Is this encouraged?
Risk Averse or Embracing Change
Is the organization like Kodak, who in the 1970s who could not see a future with digital photography or like Tesla, run by Elon Musk, who is blowing up the idea of traditional automobile manufacturing? How does the company approach to change align with yours? If it is out of sync, you may feel out of place and frustrated in this environment.
Competition Among Employees
Is the environment super competitive, where everyone is out for themselves and trying to best each other? Or are you looking for one that supports each other and does not pit people against each other? If you want to be number one but have to share your successes with your team, the environment may not work for you.
Job Security
If you have been through several rounds of layoffs, then you may be tired of always looking over your shoulder to see when the next job cuts are announced. Some industries and some companies are more prone to this or embrace job cuts to manage expenses more so than others.
Room for Job Growth
Many employees do not want to stay stuck in their job forever. They want to be able to increase their responsibilities and with it, make more money. If moving up within an organization is essential to you, you will want to find a business with a record of promoting from within.
Training and Individual Growth
Does the organization value training and education and actively encourage its employees to continually improve their skills? Is there a culture where learning is prized and rewarded? If you prize learning new things that will help you grow in your career (and help your employer), an organization that provides training opportunities so you can learn new skills may be very important to you.
Make Your List
I have provided a list of many things to consider when you think about "must-haves." The key is to be able to distinguish between "must-haves" and "want-to-haves." It is tough to find a job that has everything on the list. Like many things in life, you have to make trade-offs. So it is imperative to think through all that is listed here and think about what, if missing, would make your work life intolerable. Certainly, use experience as a guide, but also think about yourself in the future. Where do you want to be? What do you want to do? How will having some of these things (or the lack of them) impact achieving what you want?
I suggest you have a three-column list. The left-hand column is your "must-haves." A job would not be worth it to you if it does not have everything on this list. The middle column is "want-to-haves." These are highly desirable items, but you could still find a job worthwhile without it. Sometimes "must-haves" can move to a "want-to-have" list if you know that your tenure at a job will be limited, such as with trailing military spouses. The last column is the "nice-to-haves." Sure, they would be nice to have, but the value to you is limited, and you can easily live without it. For example, job security may be a "nice-to-have," but if you are in a hot profession, you could find another job fairly quickly, so you are not worried about finding yourself unemployed.
Now with this list, you can better evaluate different job opportunities you find. Additionally, you can proactively find companies that offer what is on your "must-have" list. By researching companies and networking, you can be pointed to employers that provide a good fit. If you are looking for work that you love, this is a sure-fire way to find it.
Conclusion
Before you embark on any job search, you need to put together your "must-have" list. This can include items both external and internal to the job and company. When you analyze a new opportunity, you can compare it to this list. If all the "must-haves" are not there, you know that the job will not be a good fit. If you want to have career happiness and satisfaction, don't compromise on your job "must-haves."
You may also be interested in the following:
What to Think about Before Saying Yes to an Offer
Shelley Piedmont is a job search coach. She wants to help job seekers put their best foot forward by providing the tools for a successful job search. If you need career coaching, resume preparation, interview skills assessment, or LinkedIn profile assistance, she can help. Schedule a 15-minute no-obligation consultation.