Does it seem like your job search is floundering? Do you know you want more from your career, but you aren’t sure what? We’ve all been there, but by pinpointing your priorities you can make your search more targeted and effective.
Write Down All Of Your Priorities On Paper
Take 10 minutes and really think about what attracts you to a job. Consider factors such as commute range, travel, defined career paths, hour/day flexibilities, autonomy, company culture, dress code, extra benefits and perks, etc. No matter how small, write it down. These priorities will allow you to look at a job ad or job offer and immediately get a feel for whether it’s a good fit for you.
Rank Your Priorities
Of course, some priorities are going to be more important than others when making a determination on a job ad. Under your list of priorities, make three columns. In the first, rank your top priorities from #1 most important to #whatever least important. In the next column rate your experiences with this priority at your last job from one-to-five stars. If these experiences were less than five stars, in the third column write what would have to improve for it to become five stars. This won’t just allow to see what you would ideally like to have in your next job, it will also allow you to see what lower priority you may be willing to sacrifice in order to fulfill the ones at the top of your list. For example, you may not, under any circumstances, be willing to work on weekends, but you may be flexible on your commute if you had a standard Monday-Friday schedule. This would make your set schedule a priority over your commute range.
What Priorities Are Tie Breakers
If you find yourself in the (enviable) position of having multiple job offers that offer you roughly the same salary and benefits, you can use your priority list as a tiebreaker. If you are tired of wearing a suit every day to work, your tiebreaker may be a casual office setting; on the other hand, if you have a young child and they offer free in-house daycare, if all other things are equal that would be a definite tiebreaker.
Want more help with pinpointing your career search priorities or improving any aspect of your career search? Ask your AppleOne Hiring Advisor about our Navigating the Hiring Process prescription sheet.
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