How do you decide a job is right for you?

Last year I wrote a piece on how the recruitment industry has changed to be heavily candidate-led, now, more than ever, this is true. Candidates are so in demand following not only the pandemic and Brexit but significant technological advances, meaning a large portion of the workforce available is classed as “unskilled” for many of today’s tech-driven roles. As an agency we are seeing more and more candidates being offered multiple jobs in the same week. So how can you decide which role is right for you?

One key question I ask candidates when recruiting is “what do you need from a new job/company?”. Is it company structure? Clear progression routes? More money? Whatever the answer, this is a good foundation for deciding which company/industry/role is going to be right for you. If you’re looking to forge a long career in the same company and progress through the ranks, a smaller, family-run business is not the place to do it – choose a larger organization which will give you opportunity to learn new skills and access other areas of the business.

How will this role affect your lifestyle? If, in your current role, you’re able to finish at 2.45 every day to pick the kids up from school and work from home for the rest of the afternoon, it might be worth staying where you are. This kind of flexible working is becoming more common in the workplace but often, trusting employees to work from home is something which needs to be earned. Or maybe the new role is offering better perks and progression routes but the salary is lower than you’re earning now, how will this affect your lifestyle? Will you have to cut back on that weekend away or trips to your favourite restaurant every Friday night?

Will you enjoy this job and what it entails? Will you be challenged enough, will you be motivated enough to fulfill the duties expected of you? These are all important questions when considering if a job is right for you, do you have the required skills, and if so, are they skills you enjoy utilising? Being bored at work or not finding a role interesting is the biggest challenge when it comes to staying motivated at work, if your heart isn’t in it, what’s the point?