KNOW YOUR WORTH AND VALUE YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY

I get it, you’ve decided to start looking for a new job. Your current employer just isn’t exciting anymore for a number of reasons. The pressure is mounting and you take the first thing that comes along. This may help your short term challenges, but can dramatically alter your long term career prospects for the worse. Here are several thoughts to consider before jumping into the wrong job:

1.     Culture – there is nothing worse than getting into an environment you are not a match for. This is something that can be hard to identify with during the interview process. I suggest looking at social media platforms like Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, etc to see what others are saying along with how the company advertises itself. If you have connections who are employed or work indirectly with the company, make sure you gauge their feedback. And lastly, do you see yourself getting along with your boss? A bad boss can kill culture no matter how cool the company may be.

2.     Money isn’t everything, but can sure make up for the gaps. I would recommend understanding the market you are competing in. What are the comparable comp packages and career progression for someone in your scenario? This data is readily available online or if you talk to a few recruiters and get some baseline market intelligence. Don’t discount yourself as it will have lasting effects.

3.     Career Path – where do you see yourself in 2-5 years? The only perfect answer to this is what YOU want, not what others are telling you or the career path the prospective company is offering.  Make sure you have personal and professional goals documented, and then align those to a company that puts you in a position to achieve those goals.

4.     Just like a buyer’s market in real estate, we are in a candidate market for talent.  Unemployment is at an all-time low, good people are hard to find, and employers are pickier than ever to find a unicorn. This is good for you if you have the skill set of a unicorn.  Make sure your resume is tight and perfectly articulates your value to each company and position you are looking at. 80% isn’t good enough, you need to be 100% qualified for the roles you’re looking at and then you have the leverage to exploit the strongest package.