3 Ways to Make Your Next Job Better

To make your next job better, I’m going to start with a reality check.

There is no perfect job  (full stop)

BUT…

There are valid reasons to be dissatisfied with your professional life and to long for employment that offers more meaning and satisfaction. In order to fulfillful these longings and make your next job better, you’ll have to identify the key ingredients that need to be in place for you to be happily employed. And to do that, I’m going to give you 3 tools to help sort out your priorities and clarify what has and hasn’t worked in the past.  

Tool # 1: Rank What Matters Most

Consider these 5 components:

– Compensation:   fees, salary, bonus, benefits

– Day-to-day tasks:  what you will actually be doing on the job

– Alignment with purpose:  Mission and culture – what the employment entity stands for, what it’s like to work there, and how these align with your values and purpose

– Location:  How far away is the job? Would you need to relocate? Could you occasionally work from home?

– Work/life balance:  How much time are you willing to spend working? 40 hours a week, 60 hours a week, 24/7?

Now, rank these 5 components putting your most important priority at the top, with the rest in descending order.

Tool # 2: How will the next job play to your strengths?

Think about your employment experiences. What specific parts of your professional life have invigorated you the most. Get granular. What exactly have you been doing on the job, when you’ve felt the most engaged, Now, conversely, when have you been the most frustrated, bored or infuriated in a way that impacted your ability to do your best. List the top 3 in both categories and write a short paragraph about each.

These results are important. Really let this soak in.

Tool # 3. Apply Due Diligence to Make Your Next Job Better

We don’t always have the luxury of practicing due diligence when it comes to employment. When the bills need to be paid and someone’s offering you a job, that’s enough to say yes. With that said, if you have a bit of breathing room, it’s worth taking the time to evaluate potential employers, whether you’re at an initial phase of choosing where to apply or further along in the interviewing process. Review your responses to tool #1.  How high up the list of importance is an entity’s mission and culture. If that matters a lot, make sure you learn as much as you can ahead of time. Here are various ways to do that –

Review the organization’s website including mission statements, staff bios, any blog or social media postings, all of which can offer clues.

Get an inside view by digging into your networks (especially Linkedin) to try and connect with anyone who has worked there.

Check out websites like Glassdoor to find company reviews –

One last thought –

A quote often misattributed to Albert Einstein is the definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In order to make your next job better, be clear on your priorities, acknowledge previous on-the-job highs and lows, and keep hold of the most important components you’ll need to be successful at work.

For a set of daily exercises to jumpstart your job hunting efforts, click here:

And if you want more personalized guidance and encouragement, get in touch with me. Together, we’ll create a winning plan to make your next job better.

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