Ask most people to define what their DREAM job would look like and you’re likely to get answers such as these:
- “I would make more money and get a significant promotion.”
- “I would work for a company that gives me considerably more responsibility and authority and my skills and talents would be genuinely appreciated.
- “My ideal company would be far more respectful of its employees and their contributions than my current company.”
While more money, greater responsibility and authority and how employees are treated are certainly key factors to consider when either defining your dream job or considering other employers, they are hardly the only factors to be considered.
While by no means an exhaustive list, here are TEN key factors to seriously weigh when defining your DREAM job and/or considering a new employer*:
- Company Size. What size company suits you best based on your current or past experiences? Do you prefer being a BIG fish in a small pond, or are you okay being a little fish in a BIG pond? Or maybe you want something in between, like a medium-sized company. Each company size has its pros and cons. Bigger companies usually provide more career opportunities, but they can also be slow and less flexible. Smaller companies might be quicker and more creative, but their pay and benefits might not match those of larger firms.
- Company Culture. Every company, regardless of its size, has a unique culture, and if you don’t fit in, your workdays can become long and boring! If you are a quiet and reserved person at work, you might not feel comfortable in a lively, sales-focused setting. On the other hand, if you excel in a high-energy sales environment, you may not fit in well at an accounting firm!
- Pace and Tempo of Company. Do you sometimes feel like the proverbial racehorse tied to a plow in your current job? Or, conversely, does the pace at your current job often leave you feeling anxious, overwhelmed and sometimes depressed because of your inability (or unwillingness) to keep up? Make sure that the pace and tempo at any company you may consider for future employment match your preference and are a good fit for both your personality and your work style.
- Company’s Competitive Position within its Industry. Everyone likes to be associated with a winner, and usually, though certainly not always, the winner in any industry and/or business segment is the one that has the most market share, or at least is among, say, the Top Ten. And typically, market leaders tend to be more innovative and more creative than the also-ran companies within the same industry. If you’re currently employed by one of the also-rans, how is this affecting your morale, your desire to be innovative and/or creative?
- Company’s Financial Stability. Many companies, including some market leaders, were adversely affected by deteriorating economic conditions during the Great Recession. Thankfully, most have regained (or are steadily regaining) a sound economic footing in recent years—but not all! Make sure that any company you may be considering for future career opportunities is economically sound. If it’s a public company, research current and long-term stock prices. Read annual reports. Research third-party articles in the financial news for clues. While you may not be completely satisfied with your current position, few things in your career could be more disastrous than leaving an economically sound company to join a company that is essentially a sinking (or even a listing!) ship.
- Company’s Salaries and Benefits. Rare indeed would it be for an employee, any employee, to say that they are being paid what they are “worth.” Plus, many men and women have little or no awareness of the value of their current employee benefits as part of a total compensation package. Indeed, the grass almost always seems greener on the other side of the fence! But is it indeedactually greener? Don’t make that assessment based strictly on “gut feel.” Do your homework and research to accurately determine if, in fact, you are not now being paid a fair and competitive salary or that your benefits are inadequate or not competitive in the current job market. A good place to begin your research is at www.salary.com.
- Company’s Management Team (including your boss). You could currently be working for a GREAT company, but if the man or woman who is your direct supervisor, leaves something to be desired from a leadership standpoint, you probably are considerably dissatisfied with your current job. Make sure that any man or woman you interview with (if that person would be your new boss) when considering new career opportunities doesn’t have the potential of becoming merely a carbon copy of your current boss! And remember this: Bad bosses rarely exist and operate in a vacuum. Top management has to allow such an environment to exist in a company either because they don’t care how employees are treated, or they tacitly approve of such behavior by line supervisors or managers.
- Geographic Locale of Company. Where one lives and works can have a tremendous, dramatic effect on both quality of life and overall job satisfaction. Not surprisingly, and as a general rule, the more populous an area the greater the number and variety of jobs, the higher the salaries, the better the benefits, etc. The trade-off, however, can be a higher crime rate, more traffic, a higher cost of living, etc. If single, the trade-off may be at least tolerable; if married with children, not so much. Your personal background can also be very influential when it comes to choosing the locale of your dream job. If, for example, you grew up in a medium-sized city in the Midwest and you are considering a position in New York City, you should be prepared for significant culture shock! Likewise, though, if you are a New York City guy or gal, you may experience similar culture shock if you’re considering a position in a medium-sized city in the Midwest!
- Work-life Balance. Very few people, when they are approaching the end of their life, are likely to regret not having spent more time at the office or on the job. To be sure, in order to survive in today’s still challenging job market, one usually has to put in more than the “normal” eight-hour days. Still, there is a reasonable limit and you should determine what that means to you. After all, every hour (or weekend or holiday or special occasion) spent at the job is an hour you cannot spending with family and friends!
- Career Growth Potential. Almost no job offers virtually unlimited career opportunities. Eventually, everyone reaches his/her career ceiling, as the result of being at the top of a pay grade, for example, or simply as the result of there being no place within the organization to move, in order to have the opportunity to advance to the next level. Make sure that you accurately read the career landscape, and your potential place in it, of any companies you might consider for future employment. Otherwise, you risk trading one set of chains for another!
If you are one of the tens of millions of men and women who say they are yearning for the right opportunity to advance their careers, there hasn’t been a better time since 2007 to do precisely that! And that’s particularly true if you can count yourself among the TOP job candidates in the market today. But, as I’ve shown you in this post, you need to carefully weigh any and all relevant factors involved in potential career opportunities you may explore. Make sure they are indeed the best fit for you as a unique individual!
*An excellent source to begin learning a great deal about potential employers is GlassDoor.com. This site includes candid reviews from current and former employees of a wide variety of companies in numerous industries.