5 Ways to Find the Right Fit for Your Next Job

There’s no such thing as a bad job, just a bad fit. As the Great Resignation continues, you may find yourself being lured away from your current job to another one. While you may be considering something new, you want to make sure you’re not trading your current job for one that’s a bad fit. Instead, you want to determine, as best as you can, if potential opportunities are the right fit.

How to know if a job is the right fit

1. Does the job let you use your best and most favorite skills?

This should be your first and most important consideration when determining if a job is the right fit for you. If you haven’t already taken an inventory of your skills and the ones you enjoy using most, do so immediately. This is important in evaluating any kind of job change.

You can take an inventory using the Personal Branding e-book, available on Amazon.com. Or, you can get a free copy to download when you purchase the Personal Branding video course.

2. Does the job let you have the kind of impact you want to have?

Do you prefer to impact people on an individual level, one-on-one? Or do you prefer your work to impact groups or teams? Do you crave an even bigger impact, such as at an institutional level, or even a global level?

I personally love working with people one-on-one, helping each individual tailor a career path unique to his or her strengths and passions. I love seeing firsthand the direct results of my work with others.

But some people want their impact to spread to a larger population. This requires working on things like processes, systems, or legislation. While they don’t have direct contact with the people they serve, they are still serving them indirectly on a grander scale.

Neither type of impact is better than the other. Both require employees who are good at what they do.

Consider your answers to the above questions, and determine if the new job opportunity allows you to have the level of impact you prefer.

3. Will the job allow you to work in the phases of a project that excite you most?

If the job is more project-based, find out if it lets you work on the entire phase of a project, or if it lets you focus on the phase of a project you enjoy most.

For example, do you prefer the beginning phase of a project, where you’re coming up with the idea or the prototype? Or do you prefer troubleshooting and fine-tuning someone else’s idea or creation? Or do you prefer maintaining the finished product or system to ensure everything continues to run smoothly?

Some people will feel stressed about being responsible for the idea generation part of a project, and others will feel bored with the maintenance of a completed idea. Some folks will enjoy tackling an entire project, and others will want to be more specialized in a particular phase of a project.

Decide which you prefer, working in all phases of a project, or just one or two phases. Then consider which phase gets you fired up instead of stressed out or bored.

Once you determine your preferences, find out if the potential job opportunity matches those preferences or not.

4. Will the job provide avenues for the kind of growth opportunities you’re seeking?

When considering the next steps in your career path, think about your goals. Do you want to move up in what you’re currently doing? Or do you want to move over to something different?

For example, you may currently be in sales and enjoy it, but you know the next natural step up from sales is sales manager, and this doesn’t excite you like sales did. Perhaps you’re more interested now in gaining some experience in marketing instead of management.

Will the new job provide opportunities for a lateral move down the road? Will it give you the chance to gain some exposure to other departments? Find out now before you say yes to any offers.

5. Are you and the company compatible with each other?

Finally, when considering a career move, you want to not only make sure the job is a good fit, but also the company. I’ve previously written a post entitled, “How to Tell If a Company Is a Good Fit for You.”

Check out the questions I’ve listed in the post as worth considering when looking at company fit.

How to Tell If a Company Is a Good Fit for You

Don’t be afraid to ask

For all the factors listed above, don’t be afraid to ask the potential employer the questions you need to, so you can determine the right fit, especially if the company is recruiting you.

Never take a job offer just because you’re flattered by the company’s interest or you feel obligated. Consider your questions and your conversations with them as part of your research in determining your next move.