By Chron Contributor Updated September 20, 2021
The success of a job interview depends on your ability to sell yourself to the hiring manager. At the same time, the company and interviewer must also persuade you of the merits of the job. One of the most important factors in choosing a job is how it will help you grow personally and professionally. When mapping out your career, it is important to consider whether the company and positions you take are the right fit for your talents, interests, personal values and goals, suggests Fredonia University.
Required Skills
A job that lets you to make full use of your skills and experience has a lot of advantages. First, you can put your investment in your education and training to work. More importantly, you are more likely to feel passionate and equipped in a job that you are properly trained to do. Your company will also be more satisfied if you are in a position that you can handle with few problems. The odds of being tapped for a promotion are better if you excel in your current position.
Interest and Appeal
Being motivated in your job usually requires more than the ability to do the work. You also want to have an interest in your job and the effects it has on your company and its customers. For example, someone who works in advertising enjoys the challenge of creating concepts, ad copy or visuals. On the other hand, if you enjoy helping people solve problems, you might want to pursue a job in customer service. A curious mind might lead you to a research or science position.
Corporate Culture
Alignment of values is another critical, if overlooked, consideration in choosing a job. Even if you have interest in and skills for the position, you won't feel motivated if you are constantly faced with value conflicts, according to Harvard Business Review, or HBR. Employees like to feel that they are working hard to acheive the shared vision of their employer, such as a reduced carbon footprint.
You might enjoy your work as a product researcher for a manufacturing firm, but feel uncomfortable that your employer dumps toxins in a nearby river. You might enjoy being a sportswriter for a newspaper, but find its editorial viewpoints offensive. Make sure you don't feel guilty collecting your paycheck every week.
Career Objectives
One of the most important factors in a job is how it fits with your short-term and long-term career objectives. In the short-term, a job that helps you grow your skills might work. If you are more advanced in your career, however, you might have more interest in picking a job with stability, good pay and adequate benefits. Knowing how a job fits into the small and big picture plans makes your decision a little easier.
One of the most important factors in choosing a job is how it can help with career advancement. Access to a career ladder is important to job satisfaction and success. Being stuck in a low paying, dead end job is particularly demoralizing.
