How Do I Know What Job I Want – Whether They Want Me or Not?

You have worked hard at your job search and it’s starting to pay off. You are getting contacted to have a telephone interview. And then another. And then another. You start to imagine yourself in these different jobs and they begin to seem real. You are anxious to get to work.

But have you asked yourself which job might be the best one for you? It may not be obvious. The one with the position title you think best reflects what you want to do may not be the one that’s best. Here are some questions that may help you better identify this.

Is the agency offering the job one I want to work for?

If you have targeted a specific agency and they offer you a job, that’s great. You may think it’s even better when they have jobs available in 2 different locations and you’ve had interviews for both. But don’t forget to consider that the agency may differ greatly by its location. For example, jobs at CDC in Atlanta are quite different from CDC jobs in different states or overseas.

Will the position give me unusual experiences or responsibility?

Sometimes a position that seems less apt may actually give you an opportunity to take on more responsibility earlier in your career.

Do the staff at the jobsite where you’ll be working have the broader professional networks that can link you into more career opportunities - within or beyond that company?

If you have specific career objectives – especially in a narrow area of interest, developing network contacts will be helpful. Working for a specific company may be more helpful in getting to that career objective.

Is the location the place I want to be?

Maybe you’re free to move wherever you want but make sure the location is a place you will enjoy for at least 1-2 years. In a job just out of graduate school, taking a job for only a year is acceptable. Job-hopping every year begins to raise red flags after a couple job changes.

I’m sure you can think of other questions that will help you narrow down your specific choice of jobs. (It’s not always about the money!) Why don’t you post them here?

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