When pursuing a new job, regardless of whether the hiring manager thinks you’re right for the job, it’s important that you actually want the job. It has to be work you want to do and at a company which you’d feel proud to work for.
A job shouldn’t be everything to you and it certainly shouldn’t be your whole life. But you do spend significant amounts of time there, likely more time than you spend anywhere else. So, it’s important that you do enjoy certain elements of the work you’re doing. These are some of the most important factors for you to think about.
Pay
It’s important that you feel you’re being fairly compensated at work to feel fulfilled. If you aren’t able to cover your most basic expenses, there’s little chance you’ll be able to even think about your tasks. Your time at work will be spent thinking about the bills you need to pay and the side business you’re dreaming of starting.
Mentorship
It’s essential that someone is looking out for your growth and progress. Whatever your career stage, a mentor will make sure you’re on the correct path and offer you advice on what you can do to improve in the areas where you’re lacking.
Challenged
There’s not much worse, career wise, than feeling like your everyday work is boring and predictable. When this is the case, you’ll likely find very little to enjoy. It’s important that you’re challenged so that you can learn and grow. Be sure to put your hand up for new work and different tasks. This will add to your skill set making you an asset to your current employer and your next one. Make sure, though, that you’re putting your hand up for tasks you will be able to manage. Otherwise, you’ll find you may have to seek out legal advice should you be disciplined
Promotion
After you’ve been working the same job for a while, you’ll likely want to be considered for a new position or opportunity as they become available. If you’re overlooked for each new position, you’ll quickly become disheartened and start looking around for new work.
Involved
In the same way that you’d like to be considered for promotions or new opportunities, you want to be involved in new projects. This will allow you to show off your skill set in a unique way that your employer possibly didn’t realise you were capable of.
Appreciation
It’s important that your line manager show their appreciation for your work. When you’ve completed a task successfully, they should congratulate you and let you know that you’ve done good work. Everyone enjoys knowing their work is appreciated and valued.
Trusted
As you’re promoted and become more involved with different facets of your workplace, it’s essential that you begin to feel trusted. Research has found that when trust is lacking in the workplace, workers will become disengaged. Trust is important to allow workers to flourish and do their best work.
Convenience
It’s no small thing to include some convenience in your daily commute. If you’re sitting in traffic or on a bus for four hours each day, there’s little doubt that you'll stop enjoying your job. This has proven itself to be an essential factor when choosing a workplace. You’ll love living closer to work and soon you’ll never be able to imagine your life any other way. In fact, you’ll wonder how you put up with that commute for as long as you did.
